Remember & Forget: To Do vs Doing

Grammar chart explaining the use of 'Remember' and 'Forget' with to-infinitives and gerunds, featuring example sentences for each case.

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Both remember and forget can be followed by either a to-infinitive or a gerund, with different meanings depending on which form is used. In this lesson, you will learn how these differences work so you can use remember and forget correctly.

Remember

Remember to do

When we use remember followed by a to-infinitive, it means we remember first, then do something. We use this structure to talk about things we need to do.

He didn’t remember to lock the door when he left.
I must remember to pay the electricity bill.

Remember doing

When we use remember followed by a gerund, we do something first and then remember it later. We use this structure to recall memories of actions or events that happened in the past.

I remember visiting this place as a child.
Do you remember eating at this restaurant before?

Forget

Forget to do

We use forget followed by a to-infinitive to talk about things that we need to do in the future, but we don’t remember to do. We often use don’t + forget when reminding others of something that is necessary to do in the future.

I think I forgot to lock the door when we left.
Don’t forget to call me when you finish.

Forget doing

We use forget followed by a gerund to talk about things that happened in the past but we don’t remember. It’s often used in negative sentences, for example, to talk about memories that we will never forget.