to meeting vs. to meet

Here is a familiar problem.

I was asked to help with the phrases:

"I'm looking forward to meeting you. vs. I'm looking forward to meet you".

Correct is: I'm looking forward to meeting you.

Why?
The verb is in this sentence is 'to look forward to' which also means 'to anticipate'. These are transitive verbs which require a direct object.

In the example “I'm looking forward to meeting you” the direct object is a gerund. A gerund is a noun form of the verb 'to meet’.

In contrast in the sentence “I'm waiting to meet you” ‘to meet’ is the infinitive.

There are some verbs that are followed by a gerund and some that are followed by an infinitive. And then there are some that are followed by either a gerund or an infinitive.

You simply have to memorize these verbs.

Verb Tenses

Grammar

Verb Tenses:

Present Simple (Simple Present): basic verb (infinitive) ( go-went-gone) eg: I go home every day.

Present Progressive (Present Continuous): Simple Present of 'to be' + -ING (he is going) eg: he is still sleeping, be quiet!

Past Simple (Simple Past): regular verbs + ed, irregular 2^nd form (pushed, go–went-gone) eg: He pushed me into the water. Last night, he went home right away.

Past Progressive (Past Continuous): Past Simple of TO BE + ING eg: He was eating dinner when I called him last night.

Present Perfect: 'HAVE' + Past Participle (go–went-gone) eg: I have gone home.

Past Perfect: 'HAD' + Past Participle (take-took-taken) eg: I had taken a holiday.

Future: will + basic verb (infinitive) or ‘to be’ + going to + basic verb (infinitive) eg: He will go home soon. Or He is going to go home soon.

Auxiliary Verbs:

DO', 'BE' and 'HAVE' are the English auxiliary verbs used in a negative structure, a question or to show tense.

eg: I haven’t eaten yet!

Are you happy?

'DO', 'DON'T', 'DOES' and 'DOESN'T' are used for questions and negatives in the Present Simple Tense,

and 'DID' and 'DIDN'T' are used in the Past Simple Tense.

eg: Do you speak English?

BE' is used with basic verb (infinitive) in Continuous (Progressive) Verbs. It is also used with the Past Participle in the Passive

eg: He is going home. Rice is grown in Taiwan.

'HAVE' is used with the Past Participle to form the Present Perfect or HAD with the Past Participle to form the Past Perfect.

eg: He had gone to school before his mother got home.

Gerund: A Gerund is a verb when it acts as a noun. Basic verb (infinitive) + ING

Remember: If a verb ends with -e, it loses the last letter -e before adding the –ing.

eg: Swimming is fun!

Infinitive: The infinitive usually occurs with 'To' (for example To go)

eg: I had to go!

Modal Verbs: Modal verbs are used to express ideas such as possibility, intention, obligation and necessity: CAN, COULD, WILL, WOULD, SHALL, SHOULD, OUGHT TO, DARE and NEED.

eg: I would tell you the story, if I had more time..

You should study harder!

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