VERB PATTERNS
Gerund:
- After certain verbs:
Admit, deny, suggest, etc
He admitted stealing the money.
- After prepositions:
After leaving school, he joined the army.
- After phrasal verbs:
He gave up smoking.
- After prepositional verbs:
She apologized for arriving late.
Careful with verbs that take the preposition to:
Look forward to, be/get used to, feel up to, object to…
Do you feel up to going out tonight?
Infinitive + to
- After certain verbs:
Agree, offer, promise, refuse, want...
He promised to do it.
- After certain verbs + object:
Encourage, order, persuade, tell...
He ordered them to clean the mess.
- Some verbs can take infinitive or object + infinitive: ask, beg, want, help
She wanted to do it / she wanted me to do it
She asked to do it / she asked me to do it
Infinitive without to:
- Make, let, help
They made/let/helped me do it
BUT:
I was made to do it
That clause:
- With some (not all) of the verbs mentioned before, a that clause can be used instead of the
gerund or the infinitive without a change in meaning.
She admitted (that) she had made a mistake.
He promised (that) he would do it.
- Suggest:
This verb has special constructions. These are the most common:
He suggested having a break.
He suggested (that) we had a break.
He suggested (that) we should have a break.
Infinitive or gerund with little or no change of meaning:
- Begin, start, continue
It started to rain/raining
- Like, love, prefer, can’t stand...
I like travelling by train / I like to travel by train
- We prefer like to when you express what you think is the right thing to do:
I like to pay my bills on time.
- When we use would, only the infinitive is possible:
I’d like to have a cup of coffee.
I’d really hate to live there.
Verbs with gerund or infinitive with a change of meaning:
- Remember, forget and regret
+ infinitive: action at the same time or later:
Remember to give her the message.
I regret to tell you that we can’t offer you the job.
+ gerund: action earlier in time:
I remember giving her the message.
I regret telling her that.
- Stop, go on
+ infinitive: following action
He went on to say that he wanted my advice.
I stopped to have a cuppa.
+ gerund: existing action:
He went on repeating the question.
I stopped working at eight.
- Try
+ infinitive: attempt
He tried to open the door, but it was jammed.
+ gerund: experiment
It was very hot in the room and there was no air conditioning, so he tried opening the door.
- Verbs of the senses: see, hear...
+ infinitive: completed action.
I saw him cut the tree ( I saw the whole of the action)
+ gerund: action in progress
I saw him cutting the tree(he was in the middle of it)
REMEMBER ALSO:
The gerund and infinitive also have passive and perfect forms:
I don’t remember having said that.
He doesn’t like being told what to do.
I don’t want to be doing this exercise.
Exercises
1 Rewrite the sentences using the verbs in brackets.
1 He said he hadn't tried to overthrow the government. (deny)
He denied trying to overthrow the government.
2 She never gets into arguments with her boss. (avoid)
_______________________________________________________________
3 He doesn't smoke any more. He stopped in 1998. (give up)
_______________________________________________________________
4 Did you arrive on time despite the traffic? (manage)
_______________________________________________________________
5 The minister said he had made a mistake. (admit)
_______________________________________________________________
6 'Go on. I'm sure you 11 get the job if you apply for it.' (encourage)
She____________________________________________________________
7 'Why don't we go out for a meal?' (suggest)
He__________________________________________________________
8 Dave wishes he hadn't lost his temper, (regret)
_______________________________________________________________
9 Tm sorry I didn’t phone.' (apologize)
I ______________________________________________________________
10 Dad wouldn’t let Kate go to the music festival, (refuse)
_______________________________________________________________
11 'OK, I'll lend you £100.' (agree)
She ______________________________________________________________
12 I’ll do better, I swear!' (promise)
He _______________________________________________________________
2 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Sometimes you need a passive form.
1 I want to be kept (keep) informed of any developments.
2 Our teacher expects us___________ (use) a dictionary.
3 I hate___________(keep) waiting.
4 She's thinking of___________ (emigrate).
5 Nobody likes___________(insult).
6 She succeeded in___________ (convince) him that she was right.
7 He was threatening___________ (call) the police.
8 He begged___________(allow) to come with us.
9 I didn't dare___________(swim) out to the island.
10 He was made___________(feel) very small by his boss.
11 Are you accusing me of___________ (lie) to you?
12 I remember___________(tell off) for speaking with my mouth full when I was a child.
3 Verbs + -ing or to with a change of meaning
Complete the sentences with either the infinitive or the –ing form of the verbs
in brackets.
1 I used to think (think) that life ended at 30.
I'm not used to thinking (think) so hard this early in the morning.
2 Jane was never a very reliable friend. If I were you, I'd try___________(forget) her.
If your clothes don't seem very white after you've washed them, try___________(soak) them in
a little bleach.
3 Please stop___________(make) such a terrible noise!
After half an hour, we stopped___________ (make) a cup of tea.
4 I remember___________(see) her in another French film and she was really good in that.
Did you remember___________(call) Tim and tell him that we can't come on Saturday?
5 I started___________(read) classical literature at the age of six.
Oh, look! It's starting___________(rain).
6 He went on ________(write) his essay, even though the noise started to get louder.
The lecture began very badly, but the professor went on___________(make) some interesting points.
7 I couldn't help them___________(find) what they were looking for as I was in too much of a hurry. Harry
looked so funny that I couldn't help ___________(laugh).
8 Buying your own house means___________(take)responsibility for all the repairs.
I'm sure she means___________(make) some big changes in this department.
9 Do you like___________(cook)?
When we have a dinner party, I like___________ (cook) something really exotic that nobody's ever had
before.
10 I regret___________(inform) you that you've all failed the exam.
She regrets___________(buy) those shares. They’ve halved in value over the past two years.
4 Verbs of the senses
Complete the sentences with either the infinitive (without to) or the –ing form of the verbs in brackets.
1 I heard my neighbours___________(turn) off their television and___________(go) to bed.
2 I woke up at two in the morning. I could hear my neighbours ___________(have) an argument.
3 When I looked through the window, I saw her___________ (read) a book.
4 When she saw me___________(come), she waved.
5 She could feel her heart___________(pound) as she neared the
end of the race.