VERB PATTERN
Verbs followed by a to-infinitive
Some verbs can be followed immediately by a to-infinitive:
deman
afford like pretend
d
agree fail love promise
arrang
forget manage refuse
e
mean (= rememb
ask hate
intend) er
begin help need start
choose hope offer try
contin
intend plan want
ue
decide learn prefer
I can’t afford to go on holiday. My mother never learnt to swim.
It began to rain. Did
you remember to ring Nigel?
She hopes to go to university
next year.
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:
reque
advise hate like persuade
st
ask help love prefer teach
challen instru nee recomme
tell
ge ct d nd
ord
choose intend remind want
er
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.
Verbs followed by -ing but not to-infinitive
Some verbs are normally followed by the -ing form, not the to-infinitive:
admit deny finish mind
dislik
avoid give up miss
e
(can’t) imagin practi
enjoy
help e se
(can’t)
fancy involve put off
stand
feel keep
consider risk
like (on)
I always enjoy cooking. Not: We haven’t finished to eat.
Not: I always enjoy to cook. She keeps changing her mind
about the wedding.
We haven’t finished eating yet.
New subject before -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,
food. (emphasis on the process and tea at lunchtime. (emphasis more
itself and enjoyment of it) on the preference or habit)
I hate to be the only person to
She hates cleaning her
disagree. (emphasis more on the result:
room. (emphasis on the process
I would prefer not to be in that
itself and no enjoyment of it)
situation.)
We prefer to drive during the day
Most people prefer
whenever we can. (emphasis more on
watching a film at the cinema
the result and on the habit or
rather than on TV. (emphasis on
preference. The speaker doesn’t
the process itself and
necessarily enjoy the process of driving
enjoyment of it)
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?
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 nee rememb
try
on d er
mea regr wa
stop
n et nt
Compare
-ing form to-infinitive
Working in London means
leaving home at
I didn’t mean to make you cry. (I didn’t
6.30. (Because I work in
intend to make you cry.)
London, this is the result or
consequence.)
He went on singing after
She recited a poem, then went on
everyone else had
to sing a lovely folk song. (She recited
finished. (He continued singing
the poem first, then she sang the song.)
without stopping.)
I tried searching the web
and finally found an address I tried to email Simon but it bounced
for him. (I searched the web to back. (I tried/attempted to email him but
see what information I could I did not succeed.)
find.)
She stopped crying as soon We stopped to buy some water at the
as she saw her mother. (She motorway service area. (We were
was crying, and then she travelling and we stopped for a short
didn’t cry anymore.) time in order to buy some water.)
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.
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:
fee
notice see
l
he overhe watc
ar ar h
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
I heard someone shout ‘Help!’,
street below and looked out of the
so I ran to the river. (emphasises
window. (emphasises that the
the whole event: the person
shouting probably continued or was
probably shouted only once)
repeated)
A police
Emily saw Philip run out of
officer saw him running along the
Sandra’s office. (emphasises the
street. (emphasises the running as it
whole event from start to finish)
was happening)
