VERB PATTERNS Verb + Ving (avoid speaking) Verb + to inf (learn to speak) Verb + inf (I would rather speak)
GERUND, present participle or ing form Use Ving: As the subject of a sentence Smoking is bad for you. After prepositions: He left without saying goodby After some verbs: I couldn t help laughing. I enjoy listening to music.
To inf. Use TO inf.: After adjectives: It isn t easy to find a job these days. It isn t easy for young people to find a job these days. Infinitive of purpose: I went to the place to meet a distant relative. (= in order to) After some verbs: They can t afford to buy a new car. I tend to notice the sounds of nature.
VERBS + VERBS When a verb is followed by another, it is the first verb that determines the form of the second one. We d better home before eight. go She denied all the chocolate. eating up You always tend the same mistakes. to make
+Ving, +TO INF, +BARE INF (* = also + that clause) Ving Admit*, avoid, can t help, can t stand, consider*, deny*, enjoy, fancy, finish, give up, keep on, mind*, imagine*, risk, involve, suggest*, postpone, practise TO INFINITIVE Agree, appear, plan, (can t) wait, afford, decide*, expect*, happen, have (got), help, manage, offer, pretend*, refuse, promise*, would like, seem*, threaten* INF (without to) Modal verbs, had better, would rather, make (except when passive meaning), let. +ing or bare inf Feel, hear, listen to, notice, see, watch.
Both Ving and TO INF Some verbs can be followed by Ving and TO INFINITIVE with little or no change in meaning: Begin, start, continue, attempt, intend, dread, not bear, hate, like, love, prefer. The govenment attempted to control / controlling inflation but failed.
V + Ving and TO INF Like, love, hate, prefer Can be used with either but the gerund is more common when talking generally and the infinitive when you talk about a specific occasion: I like skiing (in general) I like to ski at Christmas (specific) Little change of meaning, different explanations in different grammars, so use either form.
V + To INF USE TO INF. AFTER Would like, would love, would prefer: I d love to travel with you but I definitely won t be able to.
Verb + bare infinitive HAD BETTER WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER There s a storm coming. We d better home. go I d rather in the back of the car (negative). not sit
V + Ving or TO INF. DIFFERENCE OF MEANING Some verbs have a different meaning when followed by different verb forms: Remember, forget, try, need, stop, go on, regret, mean.
Remember Remember to take the keys with you when you leave. = you remember first, then you do something. I remember taking with the keys when I left. = you do something first and then you remember.
forget Sorry, I forgot to do it. = you didn t remember to do something I ll never forget seeing the Taj Majal. = you did something and you won t forget it. It is more common in the negative.
try I tried to open the window because it was very hot inside but I couldn t. = make an effort to do something I tried opening the window but it didn t make any difference. = experiment to see if something works
stop I stopped speaking on the phone because I had to start off. = I was doing something and I stopped doing it. I stopped by the road to answer a phone call. = I stopped in order to, change of activity
Go on Pete went on trying hard until he got in. = continued doing the same thing. After graduating in economics he went on to study Chinese and write his PhD. = did something else.
regret Karen regretted quitting the job. = Karen regretted that she had quit the job. (you do something first and then you regret that you did it) I regret to inform you that she might not get over her illness. = regret to tell / to inform when we are giving bad news. Immediate future action. Formal use.
mean Having dinner here means not having time to go to the movies this evening. = Having dinner here means that we won't have time to go to the movies. (something involves or has a result of something else) I meant to call on you but I had no time in the end. = I intended, had thought about
need Our car really needs servicing. = Our car needs to be serviced (passive meaning). We really need to laugh every now and then. = something we need to do
Verbs of the senses + Ving or bare infinitive Feel, hear, listen to, notice, watch, see. = change their meaning I listened to her play. to her from the beginning to the end of the playing. I listened to her playing. V + Ving = uncompleted action, though I didn't see her start or finish.
MAKE (active vs. passsive) ACTIVE = make + object + bare infinitive You can t make me anything that I don t want to do. do PASSIVE = make + TO infinitive The soldiers were made for hours in the sun. (stand) to stand