[keith t]

As Clive said, "remember" is one of a small group of verbs where the meaning changes if you use the infinitive or gerund in the following verb.

One way you can make this easy for students to remember is by specifically highlighting the order in which the events occur.

Using Clive's example:

I remembered to shut the gate
Action 1: remember
Action 2: shut the gate

I remember shutting the gate
Action 1: shut the gate
Action 2: remember (in this context recall)

So, if the second verb is in the infinitive, it is action number 2. if the second verb is a gerund, it is action number 1. A timeline can help to clarify this further.

I find this works well with many students who respond to clear-cut grammar rules and explanations. Of course, things aren't that clear-cut in the world of English grammar, and any explanation of this point requires a lot of examples in different contexts, and a lot of practice. But it can be a very useful foundation on which to base the examples and contexts.

Here's an example with stop:

I stopped to smoke
Action 1: stop
Action 2: smoke

So I stopped whatever I was doing in order to have a cigarette.

I stopped smoking
Action 1: smoke
Action 2: stop

First I smoked, and then I stopped. In other words I gave up smoking.

Good luck - Keith