'admit', 'appreciate', 'avoid', 'enjoy' etc. with a base form of a verb

Focus on the verb after the main verb or a preposition. If that following verb names the action (acts like a noun) or comes after a preposition, use the gerund (-ing). If a verb accepts both forms, meaning often changes (stop smoking vs stop to smoke).

Quick answer: when to use -ing after verbs

Use a gerund (-ing) after verbs that treat the action as a noun (admit, enjoy, avoid, appreciate, mind, suggest, recommend, postpone, consider, finish) and after prepositions (including the "to" in phrasal verbs like look forward to). Some verbs take an infinitive instead, and some accept both with different meanings.

• Gerund list → use -ing. Example: enjoy + swimming = enjoy swimming.
• Prepositions (to, before, after, without) → follow with -ing. Example: look forward to meeting you.
• Verbs that accept both → check meaning: stop smoking (quit) vs stop to smoke (pause to have a cigarette).

Core explanation: why errors happen and a quick fix

Errors often come from speaking patterns, fast typing, or uncertainty about which verbs are followed by -ing. The clean fix is to identify the main verb and ask: is the next verb functioning as a noun or following a preposition? If yes, use -ing.

• Step 1: find the main verb and the next verb or phrase.
• Step 2: ask whether the next verb is the object (an action) or follows a preposition.
• Step 3: if it names the action or follows a preposition, use -ing; if it expresses intention (decide, plan, hope), use to + infinitive.

Real usage: examples for work, school, and casual writing

Seeing examples in context makes the pattern easier to spot. Below are short real-world sentences that show the common errors and the corrected forms.

• Work
  • Wrong: We appreciate you send the files.
    Right: We appreciate you sending the files.
  • Wrong: The team postponed to decide until Monday.
    Right: The team postponed deciding until Monday.
  • Wrong: I recommend to update the spreadsheet.
    Right: I recommend updating the spreadsheet.
• School
  • Wrong: The student admitted cheat on the test.
    Right: The student admitted cheating on the test.
  • Wrong: She suggested to read Chapter 3 first.
    Right: She suggested reading Chapter 3 first.
  • Wrong: He avoided to answer the question.
    Right: He avoided answering the question.
• Casual
  • Wrong: I enjoy to cook on weekends.
    Right: I enjoy cooking on weekends.
  • Wrong: She misses see her friends.
    Right: She misses seeing her friends.
  • Wrong: I'm used to drive at night.
    Right: I'm used to driving at night.

Wrong vs right pairs you can copy

Copy and paste these pairs to practice or paste them into your draft to replace the incorrect forms quickly.

• Wrong: I admit make a mistake.
  Right: I admit making a mistake.
• Wrong: I enjoy to swim.
  Right: I enjoy swimming.
• Wrong: She avoided to answer.
  Right: She avoided answering.
• Wrong: I look forward to meet you.
  Right: I look forward to meeting you.
• Wrong: They suggested to postpone the meeting.
  Right: They suggested postponing the meeting.
• Wrong: He finished to read the report.
  Right: He finished reading the report.

How to rewrite sentences cleanly

Sometimes a straight swap fixes the sentence; other times a small rewrite improves flow. Read the whole sentence after you change the verb form.

• Original: I want to avoid make mistakes in the report.
  Rewrite: I want to avoid making mistakes in the report.
• Original: He decided postpone the meeting.
  Rewrite: He decided to postpone the meeting. (decide → to + infinitive)
• Original: She stopped talk to him.
  Rewrite: She stopped talking to him. (stop + -ing)

A simple memory trick

Picture the gerund as a noun wearing -ing. If the verb or preposition treats the following action like something you can "do" or "have," attach -ing. If the verb expresses intention or choice, use to + infinitive.

• Gerund test: replace the phrase with "doing X"-if it fits, use -ing.
• Preposition rule: prepositions always take -ing after them.
• When a verb accepts both forms, ask whether the meaning changes before you choose.

Similar mistakes to watch for (spacing, hyphenation, verb class)

Writers who mix up verb forms often make related errors with spacing, hyphens, or word class. A quick scan can catch these patterns.

• Spacing: confirm whether words are normally single, hyphenated, or two words (e.g., check compound forms in your style guide).
• Hyphenation: some modifiers are hyphenated before nouns (e.g., well-known author) but not after.
• Verb-class confusion: check whether a verb expects a gerund, an infinitive, or either with a meaning shift.

FAQ

Which verbs are followed by gerunds?

Common gerund verbs: admit, avoid, appreciate, enjoy, consider, suggest, recommend, postpone, finish, mind, miss, tolerate. Also use -ing after prepositions like to in look forward to and be used to.

Can I say "enjoy to" or is it always "enjoy -ing"?

Use a gerund: say "enjoy swimming," not "enjoy to swim." The infinitive with "enjoy" is non-standard.

Do I say "admit to doing" or "admit doing"?

Both forms appear: "He admitted making a mistake" and "He admitted to making a mistake." Use "admit + -ing" in most cases; both are acceptable in everyday use.

Is "look forward to meet you" correct?

No. "Look forward to" ends with a preposition, so it requires a gerund: "I look forward to meeting you."

How can I quickly tell if a verb takes -ing or to + infinitive?

Ask whether the verb expresses liking/disliking, admitting, avoiding, or recommending-if so, try -ing. If it expresses intention or decision, try to + infinitive. When unsure, test the -ing form in the sentence and check the meaning.

Not sure about one sentence?

Paste the sentence into a checker or use the templates above: identify the verb, check for a preposition, then apply -ing if the verb names the action or follows a preposition. If you want, paste one sentence here and get a quick correction and a one-line explanation you can copy into your draft.