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Italy flagAlberto
Hi! is there a quick rule to know when to put the -ing form or the infinitive form?

Answers · 9

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No, there isn't.
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The fastest way is just to remember it and practice using it if having a chance....so..you will not lose time to hesitate how to use it anyhow.....
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si se vuole tradurre la forma di "ing," e' la stessa cosa di usare la forma di ando/endo in italiano. Nei quasi tutti i casi, si puo' seguire questa regola. Ed anche e' la stessa cosa per l'infinitivo. Nella mia opinione, cosi' e'.
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continued from above: Stop: Stop + gerund means to finish an action in progress: •I stopped working for them because the wages were so low. Stop tickling me! Stop + to-infinitive means to interrupt an activity in order to do something else, so the infinitive is used to express a purpose: •I stopped to have lunch. (= I was working, or travelling, and I interrupted what I was doing in order to eat.) •It's difficult to concentrate on what you are doing if you have to stop to answer the phone every five minutes. Try: Try + gerund means to experiment with an action that might be a solution to your problem. •If you have problems sleeping, you could try doing some yoga before you go to bed, or you could try drinking some warm milk. •'I can't get in touch with Carl.' 'Have you tried e-mailing him?' Try + to-infinitive means to make an effort to do something. It may be something very difficult or even impossible: •The surgeons tried to save his life but he died on the operating table. •We'll try to phone at 6 o'clock, but it might be hard to find a public telephone. •Elephants and mice have to try to live together in harmony.
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continued from above: Go on: Go on + gerund means to continue with an action: •He went on speaking for two hours. •I can't go on working like this - I'm exhausted. Go on + to-infinitive means to do the next action, which is often the next stage in a process: •After introducing her proposal, she went on to explain the benefits for the company. •John Smith worked in local government for five years, then went on to become a Member of Parliament. Mean: Mean + gerund expresses what the result of an action will be, or what will be necessary: •If you take that job in London it will mean travelling for two hours every day. •We could take the ferry to France, but that will mean spending a night in a hotel. Mean + to-infinitive expresses an intention or a plan: •Did you mean to dial this number? •I mean to finish this job by the end of the week! •Sorry - I didn't mean to hurt you.

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