VERB PATTERNS

IN
ENGLISH

THE
THE
INFINITIVE
INFINITIVE

THE
THE
GERUND
GERUND

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VERB PATTERNS IN ENGLISH

THE INFINITIVE

THE GERUND

PATTERNS

PATTERNS

VERB + TO VERB + OBJECT +

VERB + OBJECT +
VERB + INFINITIVE
INFINITIVE
TO INFINITIVE INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO
or GERUND

WITH CHANGE
OF MEANING

I want to go
to the cinema.

I want her
to go to
the cinema.

She makes
me cry.

I regret
telling you
that secret.

VERB + GERUND

WITHOUT CHANGE
OF MEANING

I regret
to tell you
I wont
help you

It started
to rain.
=
It started
raining.

I love
skating.

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VERB PATTERNS IN ENGLISH

THE INFINITIVE
PATTERNS
VERB + TO
INFINITIVE

VERB + OBJECT +
TO INFINITIVE

VERB + OBJECT +
INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

I want to go
to the
cinema.

I want her
to go to the
cinema.

She made
me cry.

She stopped
to smoke.

VERB + TO INFINITIVE
or GERUND

WITH

WITHOUT

CHANGE
OF MEANING

CHANGE
OF MEANING

I started to cry.
She stopped
smoking.

=
I started crying.
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VERB + TO INFINITIVE

They decided to divide the profits equa

AGREE
DECIDE
HOPE
I promise to wait.
FORGET
He forgot to leave the car keys on the ta
LEARN
PROMISE
PLAN
We would like to visit Japan in 2006.
REFUSE
WANT
WOULD LIKE
She learnt to drive a car.
WOULD PREFER
She agreed to come with us.
WOULD HATE

TO DO

WOULD LOVE
They want to go to the football match.

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VERB + OBJECT + TO INFINITIVE

ALLOW
ASK
HELP
NEED
INVITE
ORDER
REMIND

They allowed us to go to the party.

Mary
her

We want the students to visit the new museu

us

TELL
WANT
the students
WOULD LIKE
WOULD PREFER
WOULD HATE
Peter & John

TO DO

She told me to go there.

We would like you to come with us.

I ordered Mary to wait.

WOULD LOVE
He asked us to leave by half past seven.

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VERB + OBJECT + (TO) INFINITIVE

HELP

Mary

We helped Mary dust the living-room.

her
LET

us

DO

She makes me cry.

the students

She doesnt let me go to the cinema.

Peter & John

MAKE

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VERB PATTERNS IN ENGLISH

THE GERUND
PATTERNS
VERB + GERUND
or TO INFINITIVE

VERB + GERUND

WITH

WITHOUT

CHANGE
OF MEANING

CHANGE
OF MEANING

She stopped
smoking.

She stopped
to smoke.

I started crying.
=
I started to cry.

I love singing.
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VERB + GERUND
ADORE *
CANT STAND
CARRY ON
DONT MIND
ENJOY
FINISH
GIVE UP
GO ON
HATE *
KEEP ON
LIKE *
LOOK FORWARD TO
LOVE *
PREFER *

She loves ice-skating.

We like driving cars.

They hated studying English.

DOING

I cant stand listening to hip-hop.

We are looking forward to meeting Paul

They kept on interrupting us.
They gave up smoking last week.

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* These verbs can also take the TO INFINITIVE, but with a slight difference in meaning.
- With the GERUND, they show a general activity:
I like cooking.
- With the TO INFINITIVE, they show a specific activity:

I like to cook paella on Sundays.

VERB + TO INFINITIVE or GERUND

(WITH CHANGE OF MEANING)

REMEMBERI remembered to post the letter.

I remembered posting the lett

= I reminded myself to post the letter.

STOP

I stopped to smoke.

= I have a memory now of a past

action: posting the letter.

I stopped smoking.

= I didnt go on in order to have a cigarette.

TRY

I tried to sleep.

= I wanted to sleep but it was difficult.

REGRET

I tried counting sheep.

= It was a possible way of
getting to sleep.

I regret to inform you that we

cannot offer you the job.
= I know that you will be
unhappy when I tell you.

GO ON

= I gave up the habit.

I regret telling him that secre

= I told him; now I realise

that it was a bad idea.

I went on to talk about the exams. I went on talking for two hour
= I changed subjects.

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= I continued doing the same thing.

VERB + TO INFINITIVE or GERUND

(WITHOUT CHANGE OF MEANING)
BEGIN

CONTINUE

START

She began to read the book.

Well continue to study hard.

= Well continue studying hard.

I started to cook the meal.

She began reading the book.

I started cooking the meal.

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