{"id":5703,"date":"2026-06-22T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T09:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/gerund-infinitive-taiwan-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T09:15:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T09:15:00","slug":"gerund-infinitive-taiwan-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/th\/gerund-infinitive-taiwan-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e vs \u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e: 8 Rules Taiwan Pros Master (2026) | Gerund Infinitive \u5b8c\u6574\u6307\u5357"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Every Taiwan professional who has emailed a client &#8220;I look forward to meet you next week&#8221; has lost the same one-point grammar battle. The choice between <strong>\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e (gerund \/ V-ing) and \u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e (infinitive \/ to V)<\/strong> is one of the most quietly punishing topics in English \u2014 small in scope, huge in frequency. It shows up in TOEIC Part 5, in cover letters, in meeting recaps, and in almost every business email you write.<\/p>\n<p>This guide lays out the eight rules that cover roughly 95% of real-world cases for gerund and infinitive in English. The rules are mechanical. Memorise the patterns, run the verb-list tables, and the &#8220;to meet \/ meeting&#8221; coin-flip stops being a coin flip.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerund-infinitive-grammar-guide.jpg\" alt=\"Gerund and infinitive grammar guide for Taiwan English learners | \u52d5\u540d\u8a5e \u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e \u5b8c\u6574\u6307\u5357\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e (V-ing) \u8207\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e (to V) \u662f\u53f0\u7063\u5b78\u7fd2\u8005\u6700\u5e38\u6df7\u7528\u7684\u5169\u7a2e\u53e5\u578b \u2014 \u898f\u5247\u5176\u5be6\u5f88\u6a5f\u68b0\u5316\u3002<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>What&#8217;s the Difference? \u52d5\u540d\u8a5e vs \u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e \u4e00\u53e5\u8a71\u641e\u61c2<\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>gerund (\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e)<\/strong> is a verb wearing a noun&#8217;s clothing \u2014 you take any verb, add <em>-ing<\/em>, and treat it as a noun. <em>\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23\u0e2d\u0e48\u0e32\u0e19<\/em>, <em>swimming<\/em>, <em>negotiating<\/em>. An <strong>infinitive (\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e)<\/strong> is the form <em>to + base verb<\/em>: <em>to read<\/em>, <em>to swim<\/em>, <em>to negotiate<\/em>. Both can act as subjects, objects, or complements, but they are not interchangeable.<\/p>\n<p>Here is the rough semantic split that linguists use, simplified:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Gerund (V-ing)<\/strong> = the action viewed as <strong>a real, ongoing, or completed experience<\/strong> \u2014 facts, habits, things that already happened. \u5df2\u767c\u751f \/ \u7d93\u9a57 \/ \u4e8b\u5be6\u3002<\/li>\n<li><strong>Infinitive (to V)<\/strong> = the action viewed as <strong>a goal, a plan, or something not yet done<\/strong> \u2014 intention, purpose, future-leaning. \u76ee\u6a19 \/ \u8a08\u756b \/ \u672a\u767c\u751f\u3002<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So <em>I remember locking the door<\/em> means you actually locked it. <em>I remembered to lock the door<\/em> means you had a plan and carried it out. Same verb, two different worlds. We come back to this trap in Rule 6.<\/p>\n<p>The catch is that English speakers do not consciously think about this distinction \u2014 they just memorise <strong>which verbs take which form<\/strong>. That is exactly what Taiwan learners need to do. The rest of this article is the shortcut.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 1: Use a Gerund as the Subject \u2014 Not an Infinitive | \u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\u7576\u4e3b\u8a5e<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerund-vs-infinitive-rules.jpg\" alt=\"Gerund vs infinitive rules in a notebook | \u52d5\u540d\u8a5e \u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e \u898f\u5247\u7b46\u8a18\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u4e3b\u8a5e\u4f4d\u7f6e\u5e7e\u4e4e\u90fd\u7528\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e (V-ing)\uff0c\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e\u653e\u53e5\u9996\u5f88\u7f55\u898b\u3002 The subject slot almost always wants a gerund.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When the action is the subject of the sentence, modern English overwhelmingly prefers the gerund. <strong>Swimming is good for you<\/strong> sounds natural. <em>To swim is good for you<\/em> sounds like a sentence from 1880. Cambridge English corpus data backs this up: gerund subjects outnumber infinitive subjects roughly nine to one in spoken and written English alike.<\/p>\n<p>The standard workaround for the infinitive is the dummy <em>it<\/em> pattern: <strong>It is + adjective + to + V<\/strong>. \u0e40\u0e1b\u0e23\u0e35\u0e22\u0e1a\u0e40\u0e17\u0e35\u0e22\u0e1a:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u274c <em>To learn English takes time.<\/em> (grammatical, but stiff)<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <em>Learning English takes time.<\/em> (gerund subject \u2014 natural)<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 <em>It takes time to learn English.<\/em> (dummy <em>it<\/em> + infinitive \u2014 also natural)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For Taiwan TOEIC test-takers, the rule of thumb is: <strong>see a verb at the start of a clause acting as the subject, choose V-ing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 2: After the Main Verb, Let the Verb Decide | \u53d7\u8a5e\u4f4d\u7f6e\u7531\u4e3b\u52d5\u8a5e\u6c7a\u5b9a<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerund-v-ing-usage-taiwan.jpg\" alt=\"Studying gerund V-ing usage rules in a notebook | \u52d5\u540d\u8a5e V-ing \u7528\u6cd5\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u4e3b\u52d5\u8a5e\u6703\u300c\u6c7a\u5b9a\u300d\u5f8c\u9762\u63a5 V-ing \u9084\u662f to V \u2014 \u6c92\u6709\u898f\u5247\uff0c\u53ea\u6709\u6e05\u55ae\u3002 The main verb decides whether the following verb is V-ing or to V.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When a verb is followed by another verb, English forces a choice. <em>I enjoy<\/em> ___ ? <em>I want<\/em> ___ ? <strong>The verb in front decides which form comes next.<\/strong> Some verbs take only gerunds, some take only infinitives, some take both. There is no rule that predicts which is which \u2014 only lists to memorise.<\/p>\n<p>This is the source of most Chinglish errors in Taiwan offices. Mandarin has no equivalent rule because the second verb in Chinese has no inflection (\u6211\u559c\u6b61\u6e38\u6cf3 \/ \u6211\u8a08\u756b\u6e38\u6cf3 \u2014 same verb form). When Taiwan learners port that flat structure into English, the result is sentences like <em>&#8220;I look forward to meet you&#8221;<\/em> instead of the correct <em>&#8220;I look forward to meeting you.&#8221;<\/em> The rest of this guide is the cheat sheet.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 3: Verbs That Take ONLY a Gerund | \u53ea\u80fd\u63a5\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\u7684\u52d5\u8a5e<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/verbs-only-take-gerund.jpg\" alt=\"Dictionary page listing verbs that take only gerunds | \u53ea\u80fd\u63a5\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\u7684\u52d5\u8a5e\u6e05\u55ae\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u9019\u4e9b\u52d5\u8a5e\u5f8c\u9762 100% \u63a5 V-ing \u2014 \u6c92\u6709\u4f8b\u5916\u3002 These verbs take V-ing 100% of the time \u2014 no exceptions.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The following high-frequency verbs are <strong>gerund-only<\/strong>. Put any of these in front of another verb and the second verb <em>must<\/em> be in V-ing form. Memorise this block \u2014 it appears in TOEIC Part 5 almost every test cycle.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse:collapse; width:100%; max-width:720px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f3f3f3;\">\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Verb (\u4e2d\u6587)<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Pattern<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">enjoy \u559c\u6b61<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">enjoy + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">I enjoy <strong>working<\/strong> with this team.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">finish \u5b8c\u6210<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">finish + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">She finished <strong>writing<\/strong> the report.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">avoid \u907f\u514d<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">avoid + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Please avoid <strong>using<\/strong> jargon in the email.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">mind \u4ecb\u610f<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">mind + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Do you mind <strong>opening<\/strong> the window?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">suggest \u5efa\u8b70<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">suggest + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">She suggested <strong>changing<\/strong> the deadline.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">recommend \u63a8\u85a6<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">recommend + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">I recommend <strong>booking<\/strong> early.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">consider \u8003\u616e<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">consider + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">We&#8217;re considering <strong>moving<\/strong> the office.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">admit \u627f\u8a8d<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">admit + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">He admitted <strong>making<\/strong> a mistake.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">deny \u5426\u8a8d<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">deny + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">She denied <strong>sending<\/strong> the file.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">postpone \u5ef6\u5f8c<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">postpone + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">They postponed <strong>launching<\/strong> the product.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">practice \u7df4\u7fd2<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">practice + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">I practise <strong>speaking<\/strong> English every day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">keep \u6301\u7e8c<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">keep + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Keep <strong>practising<\/strong> \u2014 it works.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">imagine \u60f3\u50cf<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">imagine + V-ing<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Can you imagine <strong>living<\/strong> in Tokyo?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Three more deserve a mention because Taiwan learners mishandle them weekly: <em>discuss<\/em>, <em>quit<\/em>, \u0e41\u0e25\u0e30 <em>miss<\/em>. <strong>Discuss<\/strong> never takes <em>\u0e40\u0e01\u0e35\u0e48\u0e22\u0e27\u0e01\u0e31\u0e1a<\/em> in English \u2014 you discuss <em>something<\/em>, not discuss about something. If you discuss doing something, it&#8217;s V-ing. <em>The team discussed launching in Q3.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Rule 4: Verbs That Take ONLY an Infinitive | \u53ea\u80fd\u63a5\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e\u7684\u52d5\u8a5e<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/verbs-only-take-infinitive.jpg\" alt=\"Open dictionary showing verbs that take only the infinitive form | \u53ea\u80fd\u63a5\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e\u7684\u52d5\u8a5e\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u8a08\u756b\u3001\u6c7a\u5b9a\u3001\u5e0c\u671b\u3001\u76ee\u6a19 \u2014 \u52d5\u8a5e\u8a9e\u610f\u504f\u300c\u672a\u4f86\u300d\u7684\uff0c\u901a\u5e38\u63a5\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e\u3002 Plan, decide, hope, goal \u2014 verbs with a forward-looking feel usually take to V.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>These verbs are <strong>infinitive-only<\/strong>. Notice how many of them imply intention or future action \u2014 that is the semantic glue holding the list together.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse:collapse; width:100%; max-width:720px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f3f3f3;\">\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Verb (\u4e2d\u6587)<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Pattern<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Example<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">want \u60f3\u8981<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">want + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">I want <strong>to leave<\/strong> early today.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">decide \u6c7a\u5b9a<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">decide + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">We decided <strong>to hire<\/strong> two more engineers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">plan \u8a08\u756b<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">plan + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">She plans <strong>to launch<\/strong> in March.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">hope \u5e0c\u671b<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">hope + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">I hope <strong>to see<\/strong> you soon.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">promise \u627f\u8afe<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">promise + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">He promised <strong>to send<\/strong> it by 5pm.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">agree \u540c\u610f<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">agree + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">They agreed <strong>to extend<\/strong> the contract.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">offer \u63d0\u8b70<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">offer + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">She offered <strong>to drive<\/strong> me home.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">refuse \u62d2\u7d55<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">refuse + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">The client refused <strong>to pay<\/strong> the invoice.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">manage \u8a2d\u6cd5<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">manage + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">I managed <strong>to finish<\/strong> before the deadline.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">expect \u9810\u671f<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">expect + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">We expect <strong>to receive<\/strong> the goods Friday.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">learn \u5b78\u6703<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">learn + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">She learned <strong>to code<\/strong> in six months.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">afford \u8ca0\u64d4\u5f97\u8d77<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">afford + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">We can&#8217;t afford <strong>to lose<\/strong> this account.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">seem \u4f3c\u4e4e<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">seem + to V<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">He seems <strong>to know<\/strong> the answer.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Notice the semantic family: <em>want, plan, hope, expect, agree, offer, refuse, decide<\/em> \u2014 every single one points to a possible future. That is the easiest mental anchor for the list. If you want to deepen your toolkit on this kind of structure, our <a href=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/th\/english-modal-verbs-taiwan-2026\/\">guide to English modal verbs<\/a> covers the related &#8220;modal + base verb&#8221; pattern (<em>can \/ should \/ must + V<\/em>) that Taiwan professionals often confuse with the to V form.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 5: Verbs That Take Both \u2014 Meaning Stays the Same | \u5169\u8005\u7686\u53ef\uff0c\u610f\u601d\u76f8\u540c<\/h2>\n<p>For a handful of common verbs, you can pick either form and the sentence means the same thing. <strong>Begin, start, like, love, hate, prefer, continue<\/strong> all fall into this bucket. Native speakers will not flag a difference if you write either.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>I love <strong>swimming<\/strong> in the morning.<\/em> \u2705<\/li>\n<li><em>I love <strong>to swim<\/strong> in the morning.<\/em> \u2705<\/li>\n<li><em>It started <strong>raining<\/strong>.<\/em> \u2705<\/li>\n<li><em>It started <strong>to rain<\/strong>.<\/em> \u2705<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One small style note: in British English, <em>love \/ hate \/ like + V-ing<\/em> is more common for general preferences, and the infinitive is more common for specific occasions (<em>I like to arrive ten minutes early<\/em>). In TOEIC, both will be marked correct. Don&#8217;t lose sleep over the difference at this stage.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 6: Verbs That Take Both \u2014 But the Meaning CHANGES | \u610f\u601d\u5b8c\u5168\u4e0d\u540c\u7684\u9677\u9631<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerund-infinitive-meaning-changes.jpg\" alt=\"Business meeting where gerund vs infinitive meaning matters | \u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\u8207\u4e0d\u5b9a\u8a5e\u610f\u601d\u4e0d\u540c\u7684\u9677\u9631\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u540c\u4e00\u500b\u52d5\u8a5e\uff0c\u5f8c\u9762\u63a5 V-ing \u6216 to V\uff0c\u610f\u601d\u53ef\u80fd\u5dee\u5230 180 \u5ea6\u3002 Same verb, different form, often the opposite meaning.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is the rule that costs Taiwan TOEIC candidates the most points. A small set of verbs takes both forms <strong>but means something different depending on which form follows<\/strong>. Get this wrong in an email and you accidentally say the opposite of what you intended.<\/p>\n<table style=\"border-collapse:collapse; width:100%; max-width:720px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"background:#f3f3f3;\">\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">Verb<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">+ V-ing means\u2026<\/th>\n<th style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\">+ to V means\u2026<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>stop<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>stop doing<\/em> X (\u505c\u6b62\u505a\u67d0\u4e8b)<br \/>I stopped <strong>smoking<\/strong> last year. (I quit.)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>stop in order to do<\/em> X (\u505c\u4e0b\u4f86\u53bb\u505a\u67d0\u4e8b)<br \/>I stopped <strong>to smoke<\/strong>. (I paused so I could smoke.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>remember<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>recall<\/em> doing something (\u8a18\u5f97\u505a\u904e\u7684\u4e8b)<br \/>I remember <strong>locking<\/strong> the door. (I did lock it.)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>don&#8217;t forget<\/em> to do (\u8a18\u5f97\u53bb\u505a)<br \/>Remember <strong>to lock<\/strong> the door. (Please do lock it!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>forget<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>not recall<\/em> doing (\u5fd8\u8a18\u505a\u904e\u7684\u4e8b)<br \/>I&#8217;ll never forget <strong>meeting<\/strong> her. (Strong memory.)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>fail to do<\/em> something (\u5fd8\u8a18\u53bb\u505a)<br \/>I forgot <strong>to call<\/strong> the client. (I never did.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>try<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>experiment with<\/em> doing (\u8a66\u8a66\u770b)<br \/>Try <strong>restarting<\/strong> your laptop. (Just try it as an experiment.)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>attempt<\/em> a hard task (\u52aa\u529b\u5617\u8a66)<br \/>I tried <strong>to fix<\/strong> it but failed. (I made the effort.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>regret<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>be sorry about<\/em> a past action (\u5f8c\u6094\u505a\u904e\u7684\u4e8b)<br \/>I regret <strong>telling<\/strong> him. (I wish I hadn&#8217;t.)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>be sorry to deliver bad news<\/em> (\u907a\u61be\u544a\u77e5)<br \/>We regret <strong>to inform<\/strong> you. (Polite bad-news formula.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>mean<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>involve<\/em> \/ <em>result in<\/em> (\u610f\u5473\u8457)<br \/>Quitting <strong>means losing<\/strong> the bonus.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>intend<\/em> to do (\u6253\u7b97)<br \/>I meant <strong>to send<\/strong> it yesterday.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>go on<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>continue<\/em> the same action (\u7e7c\u7e8c\u505a\u540c\u4e00\u4ef6\u4e8b)<br \/>She went on <strong>talking<\/strong> for an hour.<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>move to a new action<\/em> (\u63a5\u8457\u505a\u65b0\u7684\u4e8b)<br \/>She went on <strong>to lead<\/strong> the next team.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><strong>\u0e04\u0e27\u0e32\u0e21\u0e15\u0e49\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e01\u0e32\u0e23<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>passive sense<\/em> (\u9700\u8981\u88ab\u2026)<br \/>The car needs <strong>washing<\/strong>. (= needs to be washed)<\/td>\n<td style=\"border:1px solid #ccc; padding:8px;\"><em>active sense<\/em> (\u9700\u8981\u505a\u67d0\u4e8b)<br \/>I need <strong>to wash<\/strong> the car.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The single highest-impact pair on this list for Taiwan workplaces is <strong>remember \/ forget<\/strong>. If your boss says &#8220;Remember <em>to send<\/em> the report,&#8221; she means do it now. If she says &#8220;I remember <em>sending<\/em> the report,&#8221; she means it&#8217;s already done. Mixing these two creates avoidable miscommunication in email threads \u2014 exactly the kind of thing reviewers downgrade you for. The same kind of meaning-shift trap shows up in our <a href=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/th\/english-conditionals-4-types-taiwan-2026\/\">guide to English conditionals<\/a> \u2014 small grammar tweaks, big swings in meaning.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 7: After a Preposition, Always Use a Gerund | \u4ecb\u7cfb\u8a5e\u5f8c 100% \u63a5\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/infinitive-to-v-rules-english.jpg\" alt=\"Studying preposition plus gerund rules at a desk | \u4ecb\u7cfb\u8a5e\u5f8c\u63a5\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\u7684\u898f\u5247\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u770b\u5230\u4ecb\u7cfb\u8a5e (in, on, at, of, for, about, by, after, before\u2026)\uff0c\u5f8c\u9762\u63a5\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\uff0c\u6c92\u6709\u4f8b\u5916\u3002 See a preposition, write V-ing \u2014 every time.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If a verb follows a preposition, it is <em>always<\/em> in V-ing form. <strong>Always.<\/strong> No exceptions. This is the most absolute rule on the entire page and the easiest one to get right once you notice it.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I am interested <strong>in learning<\/strong> Japanese. (not <em>to learn<\/em>)<\/li>\n<li>She is good <strong>at negotiating<\/strong> contracts.<\/li>\n<li>\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e1a\u0e04\u0e38\u0e13 <strong>for sending<\/strong> the file.<\/li>\n<li>We talked <strong>about hiring<\/strong> a new designer.<\/li>\n<li>I look forward <strong>to meeting<\/strong> you. &#x26a0;&#xfe0f;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That last one is the most-failed example in Taiwan business emails. <strong>The &#8220;to&#8221; in &#8220;look forward to&#8221; is a preposition, not part of an infinitive.<\/strong> Other phrases with this same trick: <em>be used to + V-ing<\/em> (\u7fd2\u6163\u65bc), <em>get used to + V-ing<\/em>, <em>be accustomed to + V-ing<\/em>, <em>object to + V-ing<\/em>, <em>be opposed to + V-ing<\/em>. Pattern-match on the structure, not on the word &#8220;to.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If you want a deeper drill on which preposition pairs with which verb or adjective, our <a href=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/th\/english-prepositions-in-on-at-taiwan-2026\/\">English prepositions guide for Taiwan professionals<\/a> covers the in\/on\/at family and common collocations.<\/p>\n<h2>Rule 8: Common Gerund &amp; Infinitive Mistakes Taiwan Learners Make | \u53f0\u7063\u4eba\u6700\u5e38\u72af\u7684\u932f\u8aa4<\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/gerund-infinitive-mistakes-taiwan.jpg\" alt=\"Taiwan office worker reviewing gerund and infinitive mistakes on laptop | \u53f0\u7063\u4eba\u6700\u5e38\u72af\u7684\u52d5\u540d\u8a5e\u932f\u8aa4\" style=\"max-width:100%;\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>\u9019\u4e94\u500b\u932f\u8aa4\u5e7e\u4e4e\u6bcf\u500b\u53f0\u7063\u5546\u52d9\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2\u8005\u90fd\u72af\u904e\u3002 These five mistakes show up in almost every Taiwan business writing sample.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>After grading thousands of TOEIC writing samples and business emails in Taiwan over the years, the same five errors keep surfacing. Fix these and your written English will jump a full band overnight.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>&#8220;Look forward to meet you.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x274c; \u2192 <strong>&#8220;Look forward to meeting you.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x2705; \u2014 <em>\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07<\/em> is a preposition here. (Rule 7)<\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8220;I&#8217;m used to drink tea.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x274c; \u2192 <strong>&#8220;I&#8217;m used to drinking tea.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x2705; \u2014 habit, preposition + V-ing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8220;She suggested to leave early.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x274c; \u2192 <strong>&#8220;She suggested leaving early.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x2705; \u2014 <em>suggest<\/em> is gerund-only. (Rule 3)<\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8220;Avoid to use jargon.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x274c; \u2192 <strong>&#8220;Avoid using jargon.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x2705; \u2014 <em>avoid<\/em> is gerund-only.<\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8220;I stopped to smoke five years ago.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x274c; (means &#8220;I paused to have a cigarette&#8221;) \u2192 <strong>&#8220;I stopped smoking five years ago.&#8221;<\/strong> &#x2705; \u2014 meaning-change verb. (Rule 6)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The fix for all five is the same: <strong>identify the front verb (or preposition), then check the list<\/strong>. Within two weeks of consciously running that check, the errors stop happening. Within six weeks, the right form will sound automatic \u2014 which is exactly how native speakers process the same choice.<\/p>\n<h2>Quick Practice: Test Your Gerund vs Infinitive | \u5c0f\u6e2c\u9a57<\/h2>\n<p>Choose V-ing or <em>\u0e16\u0e36\u0e07<\/em> + V for each blank. Answers below.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>I look forward to ___ (hear) from you.<\/li>\n<li>She decided ___ (study) in Canada next year.<\/li>\n<li>Do you mind ___ (close) the door?<\/li>\n<li>Remember ___ (lock) the office before you leave.<\/li>\n<li>He&#8217;s good at ___ (negotiate) with suppliers.<\/li>\n<li>We can&#8217;t afford ___ (lose) this client.<\/li>\n<li>I enjoy ___ (read) on the MRT.<\/li>\n<li>She managed ___ (finish) the deck before the meeting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Answers:<\/strong> 1. hearing 2. to study 3. closing 4. to lock 5. negotiating 6. to lose 7. reading 8. to finish. If you got six or more right, your foundation is solid \u2014 bookmark Rule 6 and move on. If you got fewer than six, re-read Rule 3 and Rule 4 and drill the verb-list tables. Vocabulary memorisation work here pays off forever \u2014 see our <a href=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/th\/how-to-build-english-vocabulary-proven-methods-2026\/\">vocabulary-building methods<\/a> for the technique most native speakers use without realising it.<\/p>\n<h2>Watch: Gerund or Infinitive Explained with 50 Verbs<\/h2>\n<p>For a visual walkthrough that mirrors the verb-list approach above, English with Greg covers 50 common verbs in one go \u2014 useful as a final review before a TOEIC test or a job interview.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;\"><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IlTnF7LyUbM\" title=\"GERUND or INFINITIVE? Choose the right one with 50 common verbs!\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Final Word: Treat the Verb Lists Like Vocabulary, Not Like Grammar<\/h2>\n<p>The single most useful mindset shift on this topic is to stop hunting for a logical rule that explains why <em>\u0e2a\u0e19\u0e38\u0e01<\/em> takes V-ing and <em>want<\/em> takes to V. There isn&#8217;t one. These are vocabulary items disguised as grammar \u2014 native speakers learned them word by word over twenty years, and the shortcut for adult learners is to do the same with the high-frequency 50 in a single weekend. Make a flashcard deck with one verb per card, drill it for fifteen minutes a day for a week, and the entire topic permanently moves from &#8220;I have to think about this&#8221; to &#8220;I just know.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>\u0e41\u0e2b\u0e25\u0e48\u0e07\u0e17\u0e35\u0e48\u0e21\u0e32<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/grammar\/british-grammar\/verbs-followed-by-to-infinitive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cambridge Dictionary \u2014 Verbs followed by a to-infinitive<\/a> \u2014 full verb list with example sentences.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/learnenglish.britishcouncil.org\/grammar\/english-grammar-reference\/gerunds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">British Council Learn English \u2014 Gerunds<\/a> \u2014 reference grammar guide on the gerund form.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/learningenglish\/english\/intermediate\/unit-13\/session-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC Learning English \u2014 Verb patterns: gerund or infinitive<\/a> \u2014 short lesson with audio examples.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/grammar\/the-difference-between-a-gerund-and-an-infinitive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merriam-Webster \u2014 The Difference Between a Gerund and an Infinitive<\/a> \u2014 clear explanation of the semantic split.<\/li>\n<\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every Taiwan professional who has emailed a client &#8220;I look forward to meet you next week&#8221; has 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