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What is Stop? Distinguish Stop to V and Stop Ving in English!

Stop appears in many exercises and English communication. So, "Is it Stop to V or Ving? What prepositions does Stop take? How is Stop used?" These questions confuse many. This article will analyze how to use and differentiate Stop structures and expand your knowledge for a better grasp of English grammar. Let’s explore!

stop structure — What is Stop? Distinguish Stop to V and Stop Ving in English!

I. What is Stop?

What is Stop? In English, Stop is pronounced /stɑːp/.

When "stop" is used as a noun, it refers to a halt, cessation, stopping point, or a specific pause in an activity or journey. It can also denote a punctuation mark, such as a period, used to end a sentence. This noun form emphasizes the idea of interruption or conclusion within various contexts, whether in movement, progression, or written language.

The sudden stop of the train startled everyone.
The bus stop is just around my house.

When Stop is a verb, it means:

To cease, rest, halt, or prevent. For example:
- The police stopped my car.
- I need to stop eating so much junk food, otherwise I will become fat.

To stay for a short time. For example:
- Can we stop by your place on the way home?
- Can you stop for tea?

To cease operation (usually refers to machinery):

What time is it? My watch has stopped.

Some synonyms for Stop in English include:

Word/Phrase	Meaning	Example
Halt /hɔːlt/	to stop something suddenly.	The traffic halted abruptly when the accident occurred. The run contest was halted due to bad weather.
Cease /siːs/	to bring or come to an end.	The fighting ceased after the agreement. The pain has ceased, but I still feel weak.
Quit /kwɪt/	to stop doing something; to give up	Hana quit her job to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. John is trying to quit smoking because he knows the damage it causes.
Terminate /ˈtɜːrmɪneɪt/	to bring to an end or halt; to finish	My employee contract will terminate at the end of the year. The meeting was terminated early due to a fire alarm in the building.
Discontinue /ˌdɪskənˈtɪnjuː/	to stop providing or doing something	PREP has decided to discontinue the product line Japanese course. The bus service will be discontinued next month.
Come to a standstill /kʌm tuː ə ˈstændstɪl/	to stop completely; to cease movement or progress	Traffic in the city center came to a complete standstill due to the accident. The construction project came to a complete standstill due to a lack of funds.
Bring to a halt /brɪŋ tuː ə hɔːlt/	to cause something to stop	He quickly brought the discussion to a halt. The country's economic development has been brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Put an end to /pʊt ən end tuː/	to cause something to stop happening; to conclude	We need to put an end to village hunger. Lisa decided to put an end to the relationship.
Break off /breɪk ɒf/	to stop suddenly, especially in the middle of an activity or conversation	They broke off their conversation when they heard a strange noise. Delvin broke off their relationship suddenly.

II. How to Use the Stop Structure

Below are the specific structures and uses of Stop that you need to understand. Let’s explore together with PREP!

1. Stop + to V

"Stop + to V" is used to indicate that the subject stops one action to begin another. This structure implies an intentional pause in the first activity for the purpose of performing the second.

S + stop + to V + O

For example:

I stopped to answer the phone from my boyfriend.
Suddenly, Hana stopped to take a picture of the beautiful sunset on the river.

2. Stop + Ving

Stop + Ving is used to express that the subject (someone) completely stops a certain action. The formula is:

S + stop + Ving + O

For example:

I stopped eating meat and ate more vegetables.
Anna and Lisa stopped talking.

3. Distinguishing between Stop to V and Stop Ving

"Stop to V" and "stop Ving" are two phrases that express different concepts related to action. "Stop to V" indicates pausing one activity to start another, while "stop Ving" signifies the cessation of a specific action. This distinction is important for conveying the intended meaning in various contexts.

Structure

Usage

Example

Stop + to V

Stop what you're doing to continue doing something else.

Stop something you are doing/a habit.

We stopped to ask for directions to the cinema.
Bella stopped to buy some vegetables on her way home.

Stop + Ving

Stop what you're doing to continue doing something else.

Stop something you are doing/a habit.

She stopped watching TV after 10pm.
Kavin stopped playing video games after 11pm.

4. Some common words/phrases that go with Stop

What prepositions does Stop go with? Below are some phrasal verbs with the structure Stop:

Phrasal Verb	Meaning	Example
Stop away	to keep a distance from a place	After the argument, Hana decided to stay away from him for a while. The police advised the residents to stay away from the dangerous area.
Stop by	to make a short visit, often without an invitation or advance notice	Could you stop by my place on your way home? I'll stop by the store to pick up some milk on my way home.
Stop in	to stay at home and not go out	I think I'll just stop in tonight and watch a movie. I didn’t feel well on Friday night, so I stopped in.
Stop off	to make a brief visit somewhere on the way to another destination	We'll stop off in Chicago on our way to New York. Let's stop off at the gas station to fill up the tank.
Stop out	to be out socializing late at night	I'm going to stay out tonight with my friends. I often stay out late on weekends.

From the table above, we can see that Stop is used with the prepositions away, by, in, off, and out in English.

Some phrases and idioms with Stop:

Phrase	Meaning	Example
pull out all the stops	to make every possible effort to achieve a desired goal	They pulled out all the stops to win the big contract. Bella pulled out all the stops to make her daughter's birthday party a special one.
put a stop to something	to bring something to an end; to finish or terminate a situation	We need to put a stop to this violence at the office. The government of Vietnam is trying to put a stop to corruption.
stop at nothing	to be willing to do anything, even unethical actions, in order to achieve a goal	John will stop at nothing to get his crush. The villain would stop at nothing to destroy the hero.
stop someone's mouth	to force someone to keep a secret or to stop them from speaking out	She threatened to stop his mouth. The company tried to stop the whistleblower's mouth.
stop payment	to cancel or halt the payment of a cheque or financial transaction	I had to stop payment on the cheque because it was lost. The bank can stop payment on a cheque if there are suspicious activities.

5. How to Conjugate the Verb Stop in English Tenses

Below is a table of verb conjugations in common tenses to help you conjugate the verb Stop accurately:

Tense	Subject	Verb form	Example
Present simple tense	I/You/We/They/Plural nouns	Stop	We stop for a coffee break every 3 pm. I stop working at 6 pm.
Present simple tense	He/She/It/Singular nouns	Stops	Hana stops to answer the phone. The train stops at 3 pm every day.
Past simple tense	All the grammar persons	Stopped	Kelvin stopped smoking last year. They stopped the meeting early because it was the weekend.
Present perfect tense	I/You/We/They/Plural nouns	Have stopped	I have stopped eating meat for 1 year. They have stopped going to that restaurant for 3 years.
Present perfect tense	He/She/It/Singular nouns	Has stopped	He has stopped playing tennis. PREP has stopped producing Japanese courses for 2 years.
Future perfect tense	All the grammar persons	Will stop	I will stop writing content at 6 pm today. Bella will finish the project next week.

III. Exercises on the Stop Structure with Detailed Answers

To better understand the usage and conjugation of the past tense of "go," let’s complete the exercise below! Mastering the past tense of verbs is crucial for effective communication, as it allows speakers to describe events that have already occurred. Understanding how to use "went," the past tense of "go," helps in recounting experiences, telling stories, and expressing completed actions. This foundational skill not only enhances language proficiency but also boosts confidence in both written and spoken contexts. Engaging in exercises can reinforce these concepts and lead to more fluent language use.

Exercise: Conjugate the verbs in parentheses, applying your knowledge of the Stop structure:

David stopped ______ (work) for them last month.
On the way to park, I stopped ______ (buy) some fruit.
My brother has stopped ______ (cycle) to school.
Jenny stopped ______ (wait) for her older sister.
Anna stopped off ______ (play) at the flower shop on her way home.
They have stopped ______(use) plastic bags.
Students should stop ______ (look) around during the final test.
Stephen stopped playing football ______ (go) home.
They stopped ______ (look) at the sheep.
Linda stopped _____ (have) dinner at 7 PM.

Answer key:

Working
To buy
Cycling
To wait
Playing
Using
Looking
To go
To look
To have

In this article, PREP has provided answers to the questions: "What is the Stop structure? Is it Stop Ving or to V? What prepositions does Stop go with? How is Stop used in English?" Therefore, make sure to study this article thoroughly to master these useful concepts, Preppies!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Mr. Tú Phạm is the founder of PREP, a Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of teaching and test preparation experience, he has assisted thousands of students in achieving high scores on the IELTS exam. Additionally, Mr. Tú Phạm serves as a consultant for British Council programs and as a speaker at numerous premier education events, programs, and seminars.