How do I know whether to use -ing or 'to' after a verb?

It depends on the first verb, and there is no logical rule. Verbs like enjoy, finish, avoid and suggest take the -ing form ("She enjoys swimming"), while verbs like want, decide, hope and need take 'to' + verb ("I want to leave"). The pattern is learned with each verb.

Why is 'I enjoy to read' wrong?

Because 'enjoy' is always followed by the -ing form, not the infinitive. The correct version is "I enjoy reading." In the same way, "I want going" is wrong — 'want' takes 'to', so you say "I want to go."

Can any verb be followed by both -ing and 'to'?

A few can, such as like, start and begin, often with little change in meaning. But most verbs prefer one pattern, so it is best to memorise the form each verb takes rather than guess.

Verbs

Verb Patterns: Gerund vs Infinitive in English

Level A2 Verbs

Key idea

When one verb follows another in English, the second verb takes a fixed form, and the form depends on the first verb. Some verbs are followed by the -ing form (the gerund): "She enjoys swimming." Others are followed by 'to' + the base verb (the infinitive): "I want to leave" and "We decided to stay." There is no logical rule that tells you which is which, so the safest approach is to learn the pattern together with the verb. Watch out for the common slip-ups "I want going" and "I enjoy to read" — these mix up the two patterns.

Examples

I want to leave. the speaker wishes to leave
She enjoys swimming. she likes the activity of swimming
We decided to stay. the group chose to stay

The full lesson

Everything in the video, in text.

-ing or to ?

which form the second verb takes

I want going. I enjoy to read. Both sound wrong — and the reason is one tiny choice you make every time two verbs meet.
The first verb decides the form of the second.

When one verb follows another, the second one changes shape. Sometimes it ends in -ing, sometimes it takes to. The first verb decides which.
Two patterns to learn
+ -ing
enjoy
finish
avoid
suggest
+ to
want
decide
hope
need
There's no deep logic to memorise. Each verb just carries its own pattern. Some take the -ing form, the gerund. Others take to plus the verb, the infinitive.
She enjoys swimming.
enjoy + -ing

Start with the -ing group. Enjoy always takes the gerund. She enjoys swimming.
I finished eating.
finish + -ing

Finish works the same way — what you finish is an activity, so it takes -ing. I finished eating.
He avoids driving at night.
avoid + -ing

Avoid and suggest join the same club — both take the gerund. He avoids driving at night.
I want to leave.
want + to

Now the to group. Want always takes the infinitive — never -ing. I want to leave.
We decided to stay.
decide + to

Decide takes to as well — a decision points toward a future action. We decided to stay.
I need to sleep.
need + to

Hope and need are infinitive verbs too — they look forward, so they take to. I need to sleep.
✗ I enjoy to read. enjoy never takes “to”

✓ I enjoy reading. enjoy + -ing

Use the form the first verb demands — don't mix them.

Here's the trap learners fall into: mixing the patterns. I want going and I enjoy to read both break the verb's rule. Match the verb to its form.
A few verbs take both: start, like, begin.

A few verbs accept both forms with almost the same meaning. Start, like, and begin are the common ones.
It started raining / to rain.
start + both

With start, both versions are correct and mean the same thing. It started raining. It started to rain.
Remember
- enjoy · finish · avoid → + -ing
- want · decide · need → + to
- Learn the pattern with the verb
So remember: the first verb sets the pattern. Enjoy, finish, avoid take -ing. Want, decide, need take to. Learn each verb with its form.

Examples

-ing or to ?

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