Yes, there's a difference. In the first case, you are interrupting the action defined by the gerund (-ing). In the second case, you are interrupting the action that is not defined in order to do the second action. Example: Case 1: Karen stopped asking for directions => In this case, she is in the process of doing the action specified by the gerund (asking). She may be asking several people the same questiion and each person gives a different direction. So she decides to stop asking (not ask for directions). This is an interruption of an action. Case 2: Karen stopped to ask for directions. In this case, she is doing something *else* that is unspecified, and this is what she stops doing in order to do the *second* action (ask), which is to ask for directions. She may be driving a car, and this is what she stops doing in order to ask for directions. This is a change of actions.

привет Михаил) Well, there's a clear difference: - "stop talking" means that NOW you are talking, so it's an action in progress, which usually takes gerund. For example: I stopped eating because I was full. - "Karen stopped to ask for directions" means that Karen was doing something else (which would take gerund, as above), and she stopped that to START doing something else! The point of starting an action , usually takes infinitive. You can mixed both constructions, because the gerund will describe the action in progress, and the infinitive the next action to start. So for example: "Karen stopped walking to ask for directions". "He stopped singing to allow other people to use the karaoke".

This is complicated. The "-ing" form of the verb is usually used as a participle: "I am looking at the dog." (Here the "-ing" word forms part of the verb "am looking" in the present progressive tense.) "I see him looking at me." (Here the "-ing" word is like an adjective modifying the word "him." You can use the "-ing" word as a noun. Then it is called a gerund. Looking at paintings is fun. (The act of looking) It is "Stop talking!" because "talking" is the direct object of the verb "stop." It is like a noun; it is a gerund. You need a noun as the direct object. For example: "Stop it!" "Stop that man!" "Stop (your) talking!" In the sentence "Karen stopped to ask for directions," it uses the infinitive ("to ask") because it answers the question "Why did Karen stop?" She stopped to ask for directions. Compare this sentence: "Karen stopped [her constant] asking for directions." Here, in "asking for directions, " the word "asking" is a gerund (acts like a noun). Compare these sentences: I saw my friend in the park. I couldn't stop talking. (I talked a lot.) I saw my friend in the park. I couldn't stop to talk. (I did not talk at all.) This grammar is difficult. I am not sure that I am 100% correct in my explanation. I think this is correct. :)

Stop + doing something means you give up doing it for good or for some time . For example " Nowadays lots of people stop smoking because of its harmful effects to health' ,which means they don't smoke any longer. Or " It's lunch time and most workers have stopped working for lunch." . It is totally different from " Stop to do something" which means an action was in progress when you stop it to do another thing. For instance, " Yesterday when I was walking in the park, I saw my friend . I stopped to talk to him for a while". Phrase " Stopped to talk here " means I stopped walking and began talking to him.