Verb Patterns

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Verb patterns

Verbs followed by a to-infinitive

afford demand like pretend


I can’t afford to go on
holiday.
agree fail love promise It began to rain.
She hopes to go to
arrange forget manage refuse university next year.
My mother never learnt to
ask hate mean (= intend) remember swim.
Did you remember to ring
begin help need start Nigel?

choose hope offer try

continue intend plan want

decide learn prefer

Verbs followed by -ing

admit deny finish mind I always enjoy cooking.


Not: I always enjoy to cook.
We haven’t finished eating
avoid dislike give up miss
yet.
Not: We haven’t finished to
(can’t) help enjoy imagine practise eat.
She keeps changing her
(can’t) stand fancy involve put off mind about the wedding.

consider feel like keep (on) risk

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.
Verb patterns
Verbs followed by a to-infinitive or -ing

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.

-ing form to-infinitive

I like to drink juice in the morning, and tea at


I love cooking Indian food. (emphasis on the
lunchtime. (emphasis more on the preference or
process itself and enjoyment of it)
habit)

I hate to be the only person to


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

We prefer to drive during the day whenever we


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

Verbs followed by an infinitive without to

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.

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.

-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
probably continued or was repeated) only once)

Verbs followed by a direct object and a to-infinitive

advise hate like persuade request


I advised him to get a job as
soon as possible.
ask help love prefer teach
Did Martin teach Gary to play
squash?
challenge instruct need recommend tell They want me to go to
Germany with them.
choose intend order remind want

forbid invite
To-infinitive or -ing form with a change in meaning
stop buying coffee- don’t
go on stop remember do it anymore
stopped to buy some
coffee
mean regret try went to the coffee shop for
some coffee

went on singing - continue tried searching the web -


as a solution to the
went on to sing - started
problem
doing something else
I tried to email Simon -
attemted

UEDE
R S TO DO
E
P B + VERB PATTERNS
M
S Task 1.
Which patterns are possible after these verbs? What can you say after
each verb?

LIKE

WANT

MUST

STOP
BEGIN

Task 2.
What's the mistake in each sentence? How can you correct it?

Do you want go out tonight?

Should we to help them?

I'd love to meeting you.

I've decided going with you.


IS K G Task 3.
R + VChoose
IN the Correct Verb Pattern
MB
1. They agreed (to go/going) to the concert with us.
S 2. I can’t help (to laugh/laughing) when he tells jokes.
3. We expect (to finish/finishing) the project by Friday.
4. Do you mind (to help/helping) me with my homework?
5. She promised (to call/calling) me back later.

Task 4.
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets
(gerund or infinitive).
1. I enjoy _______ (read) books in my free time.
2. She decided _______ (move) to a new city next year.
3. He avoided _______ (talk) to his boss after the meeting.
4. We plan _______ (visit) our grandparents this weekend.
5. They can’t stand _______ (wait) in long lines at the airport.
6. I hope _______ (see) you at the party tomorrow.
7. She gave up _______ (smoke) last year.
Task 5.
Complete the sentences using the correct verb and form of the infinitive.

1. She asked me _______ (help) her with the presentation.


2. The teacher told the students _______ (be) quiet during the test.
3. My parents want me _______ (get) good grades this semester.
4. He reminded me _______ (buy) the tickets for the movie.
5. We persuaded him _______ (come) to the meeting.

Task 6.
Complete the sentences using the correct verb and form of the infinitive.

1.I want that you go to the meeting.


________________________________________________________________________
2.She suggested to go for a walk.
FAIL + TO

_______________________________________________________________________
3.He made her to clean the room.
________________________________________________________________________
4.They enjoyed to watch the movie.
________________________________________________________________________
5.The boss expects that we finish the report by Friday.
________________________________________________________________________
Task 6.
Look at the verb patterns listed below. Write down your own
examples of verbs which can follow the patterns.

VERB + BARE VERB + INFINITIVE VERB


INFINITIVE WITH TO + ING FORM

You can go now. I want to visit you. I'll avoid driving there.

VERB + OBJECT + BARE VERB + OBJECT + VERB OBJECT + OBJECT


INFINITIVE INFINITIVE WITH TO + ING FORM

He taught me to ride a I can't stand him being


Let me go!
bike. so rude.

REMIND
SMB + TO DO
T ’S
LE EAK
Task 7.
Speaking.

SP 1. One student begins by making a sentence to start the story using a verb
pattern. They can pick a verb from the list provided or think of their own. For
example:
"One day, Sarah decided to go to the park." (verb + infinitive)

2.The next student continues the story using a different verb pattern, connecting
their sentence to the previous one. For example:
"When she arrived, she saw some children playing football." (verb + gerund)

3.Ending the Story: The story continues until every student has contributed 2-3
sentences, or until the teacher decides to wrap it up. The last student should come
up with a sentence to conclude the story, using any verb pattern they like.

Task 8.
Look at the pictures and make sentences. Pay attention to verb patterns

see
HELP+ TO/DO

offer

notice his mum / make


Task 9.
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form: To + verb, Ving or bare
infinitif

My Weekend Plans
This weekend, I’ve decided ___________(spend) some time outdoors because the weather is
supposed to be great. On Saturday morning, I plan __________(go) hiking with my friends. I
always enjoy being in nature, so I’m really looking forward to it. I asked my brother______(join)
us, but he has to study for his exams, so he can’t ________ (come).
After the hike, I’ll probably relax at home and try ________ (avoid) ________(spend) too much
time on my phone. I need _________(make) myself ______(focus) on _______(read) the book
I’ve been trying _________ (finish) for weeks. In the afternoon, I’ll ask my friend _________ (help)
me with some work on a project we’re doing together. She usually feels enjoying these creative
tasks as we work on them, and it makes the process much easier.
On Sunday, my parents will make me_______ (clean) my room, which I always put off. I hope
________ (finish) it quickly so that I can meet up with my friends in the evening. We plan
_________(see) a new movie at the cinema. I know I’ll let myself_______ (enjoy) the rest of the
weekend once I’ve taken care of everything.

Task 10.
Write a short paragraph about what you plan to do this weekend. Use at
least one verb pattern from each category below. Try to be creative and
include as much detail as possible.
Verb + Gerund (e.g., enjoy doing, avoid going)
Verb + Infinitive (e.g., decide to go, hope to see)
Verb + Object + Infinitive (e.g., ask someone to help, tell someone to wait)
let /make + verb
verbs connected with feeling + gerund to show the progress
Keys
Exercise 1 Exercise 3 Exercise 5
1. Like doing / to do 1. to go 1. to help
2. want to do 2. laughing 2. to be
3. must do 3. to finish 3. to get
4. stop doing /to do 4. helping 4. tu buy
5. begin to do 5. to call 5. to come

Exercise 2 exercise 4 Exercise 6


1. want to 1. reading 1. I want you to go
2. should we help 2. to move 2. suggested going
3. to meet 3. talking 3. made her clean
4. decide to go 4. to visit 4. enjoyed watching
5. waiting
6. to see
7. smoking

Exercise 9
My Weekend Plans
This weekend, I’ve decided to spend some time outdoors because the weather is supposed to be
great. On Saturday morning, I plan to go hiking with my friends. I always enjoy being in nature, so I’m
really looking forward to it. I asked my brother to join us, but he has to study for his exams, so he
can’t come.
After the hike, I’ll probably relax at home and try to avoid spending too much time on my phone. I
need to make myself focus on reading the book I’ve been trying to finish for weeks. In the
afternoon, I’ll ask my friend to help me with some work on a project we’re doing together. She
usually feels enjoying these creative tasks as we work on them, and it makes the process much
easier.
On Sunday, my parents will make me clean my room, which I always put off. I hope to finish it
quickly so that I can meet up with my friends in the evening. We plan to see a new movie at the
cinema. I know I’ll let myself enjoy the rest of the weekend once I’ve taken care of everything.

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