Confused About When to Use 'Remember to do' vs. 'Remember doing'—What's the Difference?
Hi everyone! I keep running into examples where verbs like "remember," "stop," and "forget" are used with both a gerund and an infinitive, but the meaning seems to change depending on which one is used. For example:
- "I remembered to lock the door."
- "I remembered locking the door."
I'm not sure why the meaning is different here, or how I'm supposed to know when to use which form. Are there any rules or tips for figuring this out? I want to make sure I'm using these verbs correctly in my writing.
Thanks for any advice or explanations!
Context:
Writing formal emails for work (American English)
What to Know
| What to Know | Why It Matters | Example | Quick Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| If you mean "I did not forget to do X," use the infinitive. | Practice: Take one of your formal work emails and look for places where you've used "remember" or "forget." Would an infinitive or gerund fit better? | I used "'remember to do'" because it matched the meaning in my sentence. | Does this sentence need 'remember to do' or 'remember doing'—what's the difference based on my intended meaning? |
| Writers often treat 'remember to do' and 'remember doing'—what's the difference as interchangeable even when context and meaning differ. | This helps you choose wording by meaning instead of surface form. | I used "'remember doing'—what's the difference" because the context required that meaning. | Did I choose this form for meaning, not because it looked familiar? |
3 Answers
To master verbs like "remember," "forget," and "stop," start with this helpful pattern:
- Verb + to + base verb (infinitive): Refers to an action you need to do (future or intended action).
- Verb + -ing (gerund): Refers to an action you already did (past/completed action).
Contrast these examples:
- "I remembered to send the report." (You remembered that you needed to send it, so you did it.)
- "I remembered sending the report." (You recall the actual event of sending the report.)
Practice tip:
Think about whether you're referring to a past memory (use -ing) or a task you need to do (use to + verb). Try this: Write an email where you confirm either remembering to complete a task or recalling that a task was done.
Self-check: If you can swap "I recall doing X" for your sentence, it usually takes the gerund. If you mean "I did not forget to do X," use the infinitive.
A practical strategy is to use a diagnostic question for each verb:
- For infinitive: Ask, "Did I need to do this?"
- For gerund: Ask, "Do I remember the experience of doing this?"
Example set:
- "Please remember to review the client’s proposal." (You need to do it.)
- "Do you remember reviewing the client’s proposal?" (Are you recalling the past event?)
Another pair:
- "I stopped to check my email." (Paused my activity in order to do something else.)
- "I stopped checking my email." (Quit that action entirely.)
Self-edit tip: Before sending a formal work email, ask yourself—am I talking about an obligation/future task (infinitive), or recalling an action already done (gerund)? Swap the forms to feel the difference.
Let's explore how meaning changes by focusing on a clear comparison structure:
"Remember + to (infinitive)" means you remember before you do something (you remember you need to do it).
"Remember + -ing" means you remember after doing something (you remember the experience itself).
Example 1:
- "She remembered to attach the file to the email." (She didn't forget; she attached it.)
- "She remembered attaching the file to the email." (She has a memory of doing it.)
Example 2:
- "He forgot to reserve the meeting room." (He didn't reserve it; it slipped his mind.)
- "He forgot reserving the meeting room." (He can't recall doing it—maybe he did, maybe he didn't.)
Practice: Take one of your formal work emails and look for places where you've used "remember" or "forget." Would an infinitive or gerund fit better? Substitute both to see how the meaning shifts.
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