Learn English – Infinitive vs. present participle (time relations)

gerundsinfinitives

I was told that one of the following refers to the past and the other to the future. I cannot decide which is which and would appreciate it if someone could explain the difference between these sentences:

  1. Did you remember locking the door?
  2. Did you remember to lock the door?

It would be especially useful if the difference could be shown using these very examples. 🙂

Best Answer

Did you remember locking the door?

This question is being asked now (moment A) about whether you remembered some time in the past (moment B) if you locked the door some time further back in the past (moment C).

Did you remember to lock the door?

This question is being asked now (moment A) about whether you remembered some time in the past (moment C) to lock the door some time slightly in moment C's future (moment B).

While there's an element of the future in the second sentence, both sentences refer to events in the past of now (moment A).

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