Primary English tuition for Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School families should help students learn that some verbs are followed naturally by an -ing form, some by to + verb, and some allow both but with different meanings. eduKateSG is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or part of Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School; this is an independent tuition resource for families.
This rebuilt legacy URL now owns one distinct teaching job: gerund vs infinitive verb patterns. The old Marina Bay wording, stale phone number and generic 2017 school-name boilerplate have been removed.
eduKateSG currently teaches selected Primary English students in focused 3-pax small groups, typically 1.5 hours, at 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674.
The Direct Answer
English verb patterns are partly grammatical and partly lexical. Students need to know what kind of complement a verb normally takes:
- verb + -ing: enjoy reading, avoid making, finish writing;
- verb + to-infinitive: want to read, decide to leave, hope to improve;
- verb + object + to-infinitive: ask him to wait, tell her to bring it;
- verbs allowing both: start reading / start to read;
- verbs where meaning changes: stop doing / stop to do.
The next verb form is part of the first verb’s pattern.
Why Students Guess
A learner may know the individual words enjoy and read but still write “I enjoy to read.” The vocabulary is known; the verb-pattern connection is not.
We therefore teach common verbs inside phrases rather than as isolated definitions.
Verb + -ing
Common examples include:
- enjoy reading;
- avoid wasting;
- finish writing;
- keep trying;
- consider joining;
- practise speaking.
Students should build phrase familiarity through reading, cloze and their own sentences.
Verb + to-Infinitive
Common examples include:
- want to improve;
- decide to continue;
- hope to attend;
- plan to revise;
- need to check;
- learn to explain.
The pattern is not chosen because to “sounds formal”. It belongs to the verb construction.
Verb + Object + to-Infinitive
“The teacher reminded us to bring the forms.”
“Mira asked her friend to wait.”
Students must preserve the person who is expected to perform the second action.
Stop Doing vs Stop to Do
“He stopped talking.” = the talking ended.
“He stopped to talk to his teacher.” = he stopped another activity in order to talk.
One small form change creates a different event structure.
Remember Doing vs Remember to Do
“I remember meeting her.” = memory of a past event.
“Remember to submit the form.” = do not forget a future/required action.
This contrast is useful because it makes meaning—not memorisation—the centre of the lesson.
Try Doing vs Try to Do
“Try restarting the device.” = test this method as a possible solution.
“Try to restart the device.” = make an effort to perform the action.
The meanings can overlap in real usage, but the distinction helps students notice how grammar frames intention.
Like Doing vs Like to Do
Both forms are common, with subtle differences depending on context. “I like reading” often presents the activity as something enjoyed generally. “I like to read before bed” can foreground a preferred habit.
Students learn that not every pair has one rigid “correct/incorrect” answer.
Worked Example: Cloze
“Mira avoided ___ the answer until she had checked the evidence.”
Candidate: guessing, not to guess.
Why? Avoid normally takes an -ing complement in standard school English.
Worked Example: Writing
Draft: “I decided joining the activity.”
Repair: “I decided to join the activity.”
Then transfer: “We decided to wait.” “She decided to revise.” The learner practises the pattern across new vocabulary.
Build Verb-Pattern Families
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| verb + -ing | enjoy, avoid, finish, keep, practise |
| verb + to-infinitive | want, decide, hope, plan, need |
| verb + object + to-infinitive | ask, tell, remind, encourage |
The lists are starting points, not substitutes for reading and use.
The Phrase Test
Instead of asking “Which rule is this?”, ask whether the phrase is familiar from meaningful English: enjoy doing, decide to do, remind someone to do.
Repeated exposure strengthens the pattern until it becomes available during writing.
The Meaning-Change Test
For verbs that allow both forms, compare two complete sentences. If the event meaning changes, record the contrast as a pair rather than memorising one form as “right”.
P1–P2: Common Verb Chunks
Young learners can build high-frequency patterns such as like to…, want to…, enjoy …ing inside spoken and written sentences.
P3–P4: Pattern Families
Middle-primary students can distinguish common -ing and infinitive complements and use them in cloze and composition.
P5–P6: Meaning-Changing Pairs
Upper-primary students can handle stop/remember/try and object + infinitive structures while preserving meaning under synthesis and editing. The MOE Primary English syllabus treats grammar and vocabulary as integrated resources for meaning. Official reference: MOE English Language Syllabus 2020 Primary.
Common Gerund/Infinitive Failure Modes
| Symptom | Issue | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| “enjoy to read” | Verb pattern unknown | Learn enjoy + -ing as a phrase |
| “decide joining” | Complement form wrong | Use decide + to-infinitive |
| stop doing/to do treated same | Meaning contrast missed | Build event timelines |
| Rule known, writing still wrong | Transfer weak | Use pattern in fresh sentences |
| Every verb forced into list | Lexical variation ignored | Verify unfamiliar patterns from reliable examples |
Why Three Students Helps
Students can each create a sentence from the same verb, then compare whether the following form and meaning match. The tutor can correct the pattern before the error becomes embedded in longer writing.
When Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School Families May Consider This Support
- The child writes “enjoy to…” or “decide doing…”.
- Grammar cloze errors involve the verb that follows another verb.
- Stop/remember/try constructions are confusing.
- Correct patterns do not transfer into composition.
- P5–P6 synthesis/editing needs stronger phrase-level grammar.
What Progress Should Look Like
A stronger learner stores verbs together with their common complement patterns and can explain when a change from -ing to to + verb changes the meaning.
Independent tuition notice: eduKateSG is not affiliated with Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School. Current centres: 83 Punggol Central, Singapore 828761 and 8 Fourth Avenue, Singapore 268674. Contact +65 8823 1234.