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    Verb Patterns

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    Ana Cardona
    The document discusses different types of verbs and the structures they can be followed by, including to-infinitives, -ing forms, and infinitives without to. It provides examples of verbs that take each structure and explains the differences in meaning. Key verb structures covered are verbs followed by to-infinitives, -ing, direct objects and to-infinitives, and infinitives without to.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Verb Patterns

    Uploaded by

    Ana Cardona
    5 views6 pages
    The document discusses different types of verbs and the structures they can be followed by, including to-infinitives, -ing forms, and infinitives without to. It provides examples of verbs that take each structure and explains the differences in meaning. Key verb structures covered are verbs followed by to-infinitives, -ing, direct objects and to-infinitives, and infinitives without to.

    Original Description:

    Explicação e tabela de verbos seguidos por preposição ou gerúndio.

    Original Title

    Verb patterns

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    The document discusses different types of verbs and the structures they can be followed by, including to-infinitives, -ing forms, and infinitives without to. It provides examples of verbs that take each structure and explains the differences in meaning. Key verb structures covered are verbs followed by to-infinitives, -ing, direct objects and to-infinitives, and infinitives without to.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    5 views6 pages

    Verb Patterns

    Uploaded by

    Ana Cardona
    The document discusses different types of verbs and the structures they can be followed by, including to-infinitives, -ing forms, and infinitives without to. It provides examples of verbs that take each structure and explains the differences in meaning. Key verb structures covered are verbs followed by to-infinitives, -ing, direct objects and to-infinitives, and infinitives without to.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    You are on page 1of 6

    Verbs followed by a to-infinitive

    Some verbs can be followed immediately by a to-infinitive:

    afford demand like pretend

    agree fail love promise

    arrange forget manage refuse

    ask hate mean (= intend) remember

    begin help need start

    choose hope offer try

    continue intend plan want

    decide learn prefer

    I can’t afford to go on holiday.


    It began to rain.
    She hopes to go to university next year.
    My mother never learnt to swim.
    Did you remember to ring Nigel?
    See also:
    • Help somebody (to) do
    • Want
    • Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive

    Verbs followed by -ing


    -ing but not to-infinitive
    Some verbs are normally followed by the -ing form, not the to-infinitive:

    admit deny finish mind

    avoid dislike give up miss

    (can’t) help enjoy imagine practise

    (can’t) stand fancy involve put off

    consider feel like keep (on) risk

    I always enjoy cooking.


    Not: I always enjoy to cook.
    We haven’t finished eating yet.
    Not: We haven’t finished to eat.
    She keeps changing her mind about the wedding.

    New subject before -ing


    Some of these verbs (e.g. can’t stand, dislike, imagine, involve, mind, miss, put
    off and risk) can be used with a new subject before the -ing form (underlined in
    the examples below). If the new subject is a pronoun, it is in the object form
    (me, him, her, us, them):
    We just couldn’t imagine Gerry singing in public.
    Do you mind me being here while you’re working?
    I don’t want to risk him losing his job.
    See also:
    • Verbs followed by -ing

    Verbs followed by a to-infinitive or -ing


    Hate, like, love, prefer
    Hate, like, love and prefer can be followed either by -ing or a to-infinitive. The
    difference in meaning is often small. The -ing form emphasises the verb itself.
    The to-infinitive puts the emphasis more on the preference for, or the results of,
    the action.
    Compare

    -ing form to-infinitive

    I love cooking Indian I like to drink juice in the morning, and tea at
    food. (emphasis on the process itself lunchtime. (emphasis more on the preference
    and enjoyment of it) or habit)

    She hates cleaning her I hate to be the only person to


    room. (emphasis on the process itself disagree. (emphasis more on the result: I
    and no enjoyment of it) would prefer not to be in that situation.)

    We prefer to drive during the day whenever


    Most people prefer watching a film
    we can. (emphasis more on the result and on
    at the cinema rather than on
    the habit or preference. The speaker doesn’t
    TV. (emphasis on the process itself
    necessarily enjoy the process of driving at any
    and enjoyment of it)
    time of day.)

    Hate, like, love, prefer with would or should


    When hate, like, love and prefer are used with would or should, only the to-
    infinitive is used, not the -ing form:
    She’d love to get a job nearer home.
    Not: She’d love getting a job nearer home.
    Would you like to have dinner with us on Friday?

    To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning


    Some verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive or the -ing form, but with a change
    in meaning:

    go on need remember try

    mean regret stop want

    Compare

    -ing form to-infinitive


    Working in London means
    leaving home at 6.30. (Because I I didn’t mean to make you cry. (I didn’t intend
    work in London, this is the result to make you cry.)
    or consequence.)

    He went on singing after everyone She recited a poem, then went on to sing a
    else had finished. (He continued lovely folk song. (She recited the poem first,
    singing without stopping.) then she sang the song.)

    I tried searching the web and


    I tried to email Simon but it bounced back. (I
    finally found an address for him. (I
    tried/attempted to email him but I did not
    searched the web to see what
    succeed.)
    information I could find.)

    We stopped to buy some water at the motorway


    She stopped crying as soon as she
    service area. (We were travelling and we
    saw her mother. (She was crying,
    stopped for a short time in order to buy some
    and then she didn’t cry anymore.)
    water.)

    See also:
    • Mean
    • Need
    • Remember or remind?
    • Stop + -ing form or to-infinitive
    • Want

    Verbs followed by an infinitive without to


    Let, make
    Let and make are followed by an infinitive without to in active voice sentences.
    They always have an object (underlined) before the infinitive:
    Let me show you this DVD I’ve got.
    They made us wait while they checked our documents.
    Not: They made us to wait …

    Help
    Help can be followed by an infinitive without to or a to-infinitive:
    She helped me find a direction in life.
    Everyone can help to reduce carbon emissions by using public transport.
    See also:
    • Help somebody (to) do
    • Let, let’s
    • Make

    Verbs followed by -ing or an infinitive without to


    A group of verbs connected with feeling, hearing and seeing can be used with -
    ing or with an infinitive without to:

    feel notice see

    hear overhear watch

    When they are used with -ing, these verbs emphasise the action or event in
    progress. When they are used with an infinitive without to, they emphasise the
    action or event seen as a whole, or as completed.
    Compare

    -ing infinitive without to

    She heard people shouting in the street I heard someone shout ‘Help!’, so I ran
    below and looked out of the to the river. (emphasises the whole
    window. (emphasises that the shouting event: the person probably shouted only
    probably continued or was repeated) once)

    A police officer saw him running along Emily saw Philip run out of Sandra’s
    the street. (emphasises the running as it office. (emphasises the whole event from
    was happening) start to finish)

    Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-


    infinitive
    Some verbs are used with a direct object (underlined) followed by a to-infinitive.
    These verbs include:
    advise hate like persuade request

    ask help love prefer teach

    challenge instruct need recommend tell

    choose intend order remind want

    forbid invite

    I advised him to get a job as soon as possible.


    Did Martin teach Gary to play squash?
    They want me to go to Germany with them.

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