stop
You usually use the verb stop to say that someone no longer does something. After stop, you can use either an -ing form or a to-infinitive, but with different meanings.
‘stop doing’
If you stop doing something at a particular time, you no longer do it after that time.
We all stopped talking.
He couldn't stop crying.
‘stop to do’
If you stop to do something, you interrupt what you are doing in order to do something else. For example, if someone stops while they are walking somewhere, admires the view, then continues walking, you can say ‘She stopped to admire the view’.
The man recognized him and stopped to speak to him.
I stopped to tie my shoelace.
‘stop somebody doing something’
If you are prevented from doing something, you can say that something stops you doing it or stops you from doing it.
They tried to stop me coming.
How do you stop a tap dripping?
Nothing was going to stop Elena from being a writer.
Be careful
Don't say that something ‘stops somebody to do’ something. Don't say, for example ‘How do you stop a tap to drip?’
Don't say that something ‘stops somebody to do’ something. Don't say, for example ‘How do you stop a tap to drip?’