One verb, two grammars, two completely different meanings — learn to choose the right one.
You already know that some verbs take the -ing form (a gerund) and others take to + verb (an infinitive). At B2 the real challenge is a small group of verbs that accept both forms — but with a different meaning for each one. Choosing the wrong pattern does not just sound odd; it changes what you are actually saying.
These are the seven verbs this unit will make automatic: remember, forget, stop, try, regret, go on and mean. Look at how much the meaning moves when only the form changes:
Keep this table in your head. The -ing form usually looks backwards (to something real that happened or an activity in progress), while the to-infinitive looks forwards (to a purpose, a duty or an intention).
| Verb | + -ing (gerund) | + to-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| remember | recall a past action | not forget a future duty |
| forget | fail to recall the past | fail to do a duty |
| stop | quit / end an activity | pause in order to do something |
| try | experiment; test an idea | make an effort; attempt |
| regret | be sorry about the past | be sorry to announce bad news |
| go on | continue the same action | move on to a new action |
| mean | involve / result in | intend to |
With remember and forget, the -ing form points back to something you did (or failed to recall). The to-infinitive points forward to a job you must (or must not) do.
| Meaning | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a memory of the past | remember + -ing | I remember meeting her at a wedding. |
| a duty not to forget | remember + to-inf | Please remember to send the invoice. |
| no memory of the past | forget + -ing | I'll never forget seeing the ocean for the first time. |
| failing to do a duty | forget + to-inf | He forgot to call, so we waited for nothing. |
These two cause the most mistakes. With stop, the -ing is the thing you end; the to-infinitive is your reason for pausing. With try, the -ing is a small experiment; the to-infinitive is a real effort at something difficult.
| Verb | Form & meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| stop | + -ing = quit the activity | The baby finally stopped crying. |
| stop | + to-inf = pause for a purpose | We stopped to take photos of the view. |
| try | + -ing = experiment (does it work?) | Try turning it off and on again. |
| try | + to-inf = make a hard effort | I tried to lift the box, but it was too heavy. |
The same logic runs through the last three verbs. -ing stays anchored to the real past or a continuing action; to-infinitive looks ahead to news, a next step or an intention.
| Verb | Form & meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| regret | + -ing = be sorry about the past | I regret leaving university so early. |
| regret | + to-inf = be sorry to say news | We regret to inform you that the trip is cancelled. |
| go on | + -ing = continue the same thing | She went on talking for another hour. |
| go on | + to-inf = move to the next thing | After the intro, he went on to explain the plan. |
| mean | + -ing = involve / result in | A new job means moving to another city. |
| mean | + to-inf = intend to | I meant to call you, but I ran out of time. |
Every error below comes from choosing the wrong form — and so saying the wrong thing. Check your own sentences against each row.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Remember calling the dentist tomorrow. | Remember to call the dentist tomorrow. | a future duty → to-infinitive. |
| I stopped to smoke, so I'm healthier now. | I stopped smoking, so I'm healthier now. | quitting a habit → -ing. |
| Have you tried to restart the router? (as a quick test) | Have you tried restarting the router? | a simple experiment → -ing. |
| She regrets to leave school so young. | She regrets leaving school so young. | sorry about the past → -ing. |
| This job means to travel every week. | This job means travelling every week. | a consequence it involves → -ing. |
Two friends talk about a big life change. Read it twice and watch how each verb switches meaning with its form.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them in your own sentences about a change you have faced.
Write 8 sentences about a big decision or change in your life — a move, a job, a new habit or a challenge. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): relocate · isolated · adapt · remote · reluctant · daunting · settle in · rewarding
When I first agreed to teach in a mountain village three hundred kilometres from the nearest city, my friends thought I had lost my mind. I will never forget arriving on a rusty bus in the middle of a snowstorm, wondering what I had done. The decision meant leaving my comfortable life behind; nevertheless, it turned out to be the best thing I have ever done.
Looking back, I still find it hard to explain exactly why I said yes. I had a steady office job in the city, a small flat and a safe daily routine, and at first I was genuinely reluctant to give any of it up. The advertisement had been pinned to a noticeboard at my old university: a small charity needed a volunteer teacher who was willing to relocate to a remote region for at least a year. I remember reading it three times and then walking away, telling myself the idea was ridiculous. Yet the thought refused to leave me alone. For weeks I went on imagining the mountains, the silence and the students I had never met. The whole plan felt daunting, and more than once I nearly decided to forget the whole thing and stay where I felt safe. In the end, though, I stopped making excuses. I realised that if I did not try something brave now, I would probably regret it for the rest of my life. So I filled in the form, posted it before I could change my mind, and waited for a reply I was half hoping would never come.
The first month was brutal. Living there meant getting used to a world without hot water, fast internet or a nearby shop. I remember spending my first evenings staring at the ceiling, homesick and cold. Although I nearly stopped believing I could cope, I refused to book a ticket home. Therefore, I tried keeping a diary every night, and slowly, writing my thoughts down helped me settle in.
Adapting to the new rhythm of life took far longer than I had expected. In the city I had never once thought about where my water came from; here, we collected it from a well and heated it on an old wood stove. The nights were long and completely dark, and for the first few weeks the isolation frightened me. There was no cinema, no café and no crowd of strangers to disappear into — only the wind, the snow and a handful of houses scattered across the valley. I had to learn to slow down. I stopped checking my phone every few minutes, mainly because there was almost no signal, and I gradually began to notice things I had ignored for years: the colour of the sky at dusk, the smell of bread baking, the sound of children laughing on their way to school. Being so isolated forced me to become more patient and far more resourceful. I learned to fix a leaking roof, to cook on an open fire and to mend my own clothes when they tore. Little by little, without quite noticing when it happened, I started to feel that the strange, quiet valley, which had once terrified me, was slowly becoming a kind of home.
My students changed everything. They had almost nothing; however, they never stopped smiling. When one boy struggled with reading, I tried teaching him through songs instead of textbooks, whereas the previous teacher had relied only on the coursebook. Within weeks he was reading aloud to the class. I regret to say that I had almost given up on him at first; moreover, I had doubted my own ability to teach. I am so glad I was wrong.
The children were the real reason I stayed. Most of them walked for an hour through the snow to reach the tiny schoolroom, and not one of them ever complained. There was a girl called Mira who could solve difficult problems in her head but was far too shy to speak in front of the others; there was a boy who drew astonishing pictures of birds on every scrap of paper he could find. One freezing morning, a small girl tugged my sleeve and asked me a question I have never forgotten.
"Teacher," she said, "do people in the city really throw food away?" I hesitated, unsure how to answer. "Sometimes they do," I admitted. She frowned and thought about this for a long moment. "That is very strange," she said at last, and went quietly back to her desk. That single conversation taught me more than any book ever had. These children owned almost nothing, and yet they wasted nothing and valued everything. Teaching them did not just mean sharing grammar and arithmetic; it meant learning, every single day, what really matters.
The seasons shaped everything we did. In winter the whole valley vanished under deep snow, and lessons were often held by candlelight; in spring, meltwater turned the paths to mud and the mountains filled with wild flowers. I learned to embrace both extremes rather than fight them. Slowly, I earned the trust of the families, who invited me to share their meals and their celebrations. They had so little, and yet they gave so generously that I often felt ashamed of how much I had once taken for granted. Making a real commitment to a place and its people, I discovered, changes you in ways you cannot predict. There were hard days, of course — days when I felt exhausted, useless or desperately far from everyone I loved. But not once did the experience feel like a waste; everything about it, even the difficulties, turned out to be worthwhile.
I stayed for two years. Since that time, I have never stopped missing the place. When my contract ended, I went on to train other volunteers, yet a part of me still lives on that snowy mountain. I do not regret leaving the city for a single day. If you ever get the chance to do something that frightens you, remember to say yes — you may discover, as I did, who you really are.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the form — is it an -ing or a to-infinitive?
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. Why did the writer's friends think he "had lost his mind"?
2. How did the writer cope during the difficult first month?
3. What lesson does the writer share at the end of the text?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: however, therefore, nevertheless, although, whereas, moreover, since, yet. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd talks to Abidemi about life and teaching in an isolated Arctic community.
You will hear an interview: Todd asks Abidemi about teaching in a remote community in the far north of Canada — the cost of living, the frozen ground, and the long winter darkness. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
At B1 you linked ideas with and, but, so, because. At B2 you sound noticeably more advanced when you use formal, precise connectors. Four of them are essential this unit — and two familiar ones, although and however, become sharper tools.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| moreover | add a stronger, extra point | The move was hard. Moreover, it meant leaving my friends. |
| therefore | show a logical result | I hated giving up; therefore, I tried again. |
| whereas | contrast two ideas directly | My friends stayed, whereas I chose to relocate. |
| nevertheless | say "in spite of that" | It felt daunting. Nevertheless, I said yes. |
| although | concede a point inside one sentence | Although I was reluctant, I have no regrets. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | I nearly quit. However, I went on to succeed. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Basic linking ✗ | Confident B2 writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I moved away. It was hard. I did not give up. I learned a lot. I am happy now. | I decided to relocate, and the first months were daunting. Nevertheless, I refused to quit. Although I nearly stopped believing in myself, I have learned a great deal since then; therefore, I do not regret leaving. |
A "decision" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | A topic sentence that names the decision | Two years ago I made a decision that changed my life. |
| 2. Body | Tell the story. Use this unit's verbs with the correct form: I remember arriving...; it meant leaving...; I tried keeping...; I don't regret leaving... Link with B2 connectors. | Although I was reluctant, I stopped making excuses. Nevertheless, it meant leaving everything behind. |
| 3. Closing | A final comment about now or the future | I have never stopped missing it, therefore I hope to go back. |
Write about a big decision or a change you have been through — a move, a new job, a habit you started or stopped, a challenge you took on. Use this unit's verb patterns.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...