Do/Doing

Only –ing form.

Be good at; be fed up with; apologise for; look forward to; insist on; succeed in; be keen on; be for; be worth; in spite of; instead of; before/after/by/without; how about (?).

She’good at dancing.

The look forward to going on holiday.

Avoid; delay; fancy; give up; mind; practice; dislike; feel like; involve; miss; risk; enjoy; finish; keep/keep on; postpone/put off.

I avoid visiting noisy bars.

Admit; consider; deny; imagine; report; suggest.

He admitted lying to the police.

Can’t stand/be used to/get used to.

I’m used to driving fast.

She got used to getting up early. (Never confuse with used to do as in: I used to work there 3 or 5 years ago.)

Only Infinitive.

Agree; afford; expect; manage; plan; promise; threaten; choose; fail; hope; warn; prepare; refuse; wish; decide; hesitate; learn; offer; pretend; make;  teach; ask; let; remind; invite; force/get/order.

They let him go.

Modals; seem/appear/turn out/prove/happen/chance.

May I come in?

Would rather (sooner), had better

You’d better go home.

Both variants.

Begin; hate; prefer; continue; can’t bear; love; start; bother; intend. (little difference if any).

I began to prepare/preparing as soon as I heard about the exam.

Feel, hear, see and watch.

+ do=action complete (I saw them cross the road.)

+ doing=action in progress (I saw them crossing the road.)

Remember & forget

+ do=action will happen (Son, remember to turn off the light.)

+ doing=action has happened (I remember turning off the light.)

Try

+ do=make an effort (They tried to help but in vain.)

+ doing=experiment (Try jogging a bit every day.)

Stop

+ do=stop in order to (He stopped to smoke.) (=and)

+ doing=no longer do it (He stopped smoking.)

Go on

+ do=continue by; do/say smth new (The teacher went on to discuss the homework.)

+ doing=not stop working; continue doing the same (She went on working.)

Regret

+ do=be sorry to have to inform smb that… (We regret to inform you that we cannot offer you the post.) (in formal English)

+ doing= be sorry that smth has happened (She regretted accepting the job after the 1^st day.)

Need, want & require.

+ do= it’s necessary to do smth (I need to work harder than usually.)

+ doing=smth needs to be done (This room wants tidying.)

Help (to) do but can’t help doing.

Everybody helped (to) clean up.

I can’t help laughing.

Like.

+ do=to think smth right (BrE) (I like to clean my flat every weekend.)

+ doing=enjoy (BrE) (I like living here.)

Both variants in meaning “to enjoy” in AmE

Would like (love/hate/prefer) is usually followed by to do. (Would mind is usually followed by doing.)

We’d like to have gone on holiday but we didn’t have enough money.

Propose.

+ do=intend (He didn’t propose to forgive them this time.)

+ doing=to put forward to consideration (What do you propose doing?)

Mean.

+ do=intend (Do you mean to say he actually approves it?)

+ doing= to signify (To love a woman means giving up everything else.)

Allow; advise; recommend; encourage; permit; forbid.

She doesn’t allow smoking here.

She doesn’t allow us to smoke here.

Be afraid.

I’m afraid to go to the dentist.

I’m afraid of going to the dentist.

Offer & suggest.

I offered to work with me.

He suggested going to the cinema.