Question 1

What is the difference between stop smoking and stop to smoke?

Accepted Answer

"Stop smoking" means you quit smoking — you ended the habit permanently or at least stopped the current activity: "I stopped smoking five years ago" (I no longer smoke). "Stop to smoke" means you paused another activity in order to smoke: "He stopped to smoke outside the building" (he was walking, then he paused to have a cigarette). These sentences describe opposite relationships with smoking. "Stop smoking" is about ending smoking; "stop to smoke" is about starting to smoke. This is one of the most commonly tested gerund-infinitive distinctions in English exams.

Question 2

When should I use try doing instead of try to do?

Accepted Answer

Use "try doing" when you suggest experimenting with something: "If the door won't open, try pushing harder" — you are suggesting an approach to test. Use "try to do" when describing an effort to achieve something difficult: "I tried to push the door, but it wouldn't move" — you made an attempt against difficulty. The key difference: "try doing" is often a suggestion for the future ("Try eating more vegetables"), while "try to do" often describes a past struggle ("I tried to wake up early but couldn't"). In conversation, "try to do" is more common overall.

Question 3

Can stop ever be followed by an infinitive in a different meaning?

Accepted Answer

"Stop + infinitive" always means "pause in order to do something." There is no other meaning. However, learners sometimes confuse this with "stopped being able to" or similar structures. "I stopped to help" means I paused my journey to help someone. Compare this with "I started to help," which simply means I began helping. The pattern "stop + gerund" (end an activity) and "stop + infinitive" (pause for purpose) is completely consistent and has no exceptions. The confusion usually comes from "try," where both forms describe effort in different ways, not from "stop" itself.

Gerunds and Infinitives: Stop and Try

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Gerunds and Infinitives Error Correction

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