Remember Doing vs Remember To Do: Recall the Past or Protect the Future in 7 Seconds
Decide whether the sentence looks back at an action that already happened or forward to a task that must not be forgotten. Find the time signal before comparing the two answer choices.
Task still waiting to be done = remember to + action
Choose -ing
The action happened earlier. The speaker or subject is recalling that completed action now.
Choose to + action
The action is still a task, instruction or responsibility. It must not be forgotten.
Timeline anchors
Do not decide from remember alone. Look later in the sentence for the words that place the action in the past or keep it on the task list.
I remember ___ the revised contract last Friday.
Answer: sendingThe contract was already sent. The speaker recalls that past action.
Please remember ___ the revised contract by Friday.
Answer: to sendSending the contract is still a task that must be completed.
This drill follows the source lesson’s two-way decision: completed past memory versus a task still waiting to be done.
What your result shows
Your result shows whether you could separate a completed action being recalled from a task that still must be done. In Review, check the exact timeline signal before looking only at the final answer.
If you missed -ing
Check for yesterday, last week, when we first met, a past event, or another sign that the action already happened.
If you missed to + action
Check for tomorrow, before, by Friday, a deadline, an instruction, or a responsibility still waiting.
If you chose from remember alone
Stop comparing the two forms slowly. Find the later time signal and decide whether the action is memory or task.
Use Review in this order: check the correct answer, find the exact timeline anchor, decide whether the action already happened or is still waiting, then read the reusable pattern. Do not translate both choices first.