Verb Forms and Patterns

Is it "enjoy swimming" or "enjoy to swim"? Knowing when a verb takes the -ing form and when it takes to plus the base verb is a classic English puzzle, and this quiz makes it click.

English Verb Forms and Patterns

The quiz asks you to choose the right form in sentences like Brian doesn't mind ___ in the office until late at night and Erin and Erica plan ___ a European cruise next month, with a couple of correct-or-incorrect items at the end. Each sentence gives you the context you need to decide which pattern the main verb calls for.

It is pitched at an intermediate level, since these patterns are something you learn verb by verb rather than from a single rule. Working through real sentences is the fastest way to build a feel for which verbs go with which form. You will meet verbs that always take one form, verbs that always take the other, and the handful that allow both.

Did You Know?

A few verbs accept both forms but change meaning entirely. To stop doing something means you quit it, while to stop to do something means you pause in order to do it, so the form you choose changes what you are actually saying.

That is why memorizing a single rule does not work here. The pattern lives with each verb, which is exactly what makes targeted practice so useful.

How the Quizzes Work

The quiz is short, about five minutes, and you can repeat it whenever you want the patterns to feel natural. Seeing the verbs in full sentences, again and again, is what builds reliable instinct, and a few focused rounds is usually enough to start trusting your judgment on new verbs. Ready to crack the pattern? Open the free interactive English quizzes and give it a go.