verbs followed by to + infinitive

backnext

1 Some verbs are followed by the to-infinitive:

I decided to go home as soon as possible.We all wanted to have more English classes.

Common verbs followed by the to-infinitive are:

Verbs of thinking and feeling:

choose decide expect forget hate hope intend learn like love mean plan prefer remember would like

would love

Verbs of saying:

agree promise refuse

Other common verbs are:

arrange attempt fail help manage tend try want

2 Some verbs are followed by a noun and the to-infinitive:

She asked him to send her a text message.He wanted all his friends to come to his party.

Common verbs with this pattern are:

Verbs of saying:

advise ask encourage invite order persuade remind tell warn *

*Note: The verb warn is normally used with notThe police warned everyone not to drive too fast.

Verbs of wanting or liking:

expect intend would prefer want would like

Other verbs with this pattern are:

allow enable

force get teach

3. Passive infinitive

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by a passive infinitive (to be + past participle):

I expected to be met when I arrived at the station.They wanted to be told if anything happened.I don’t like driving myself. I prefer to be driven.

Activity 1(pop-up): Match the 'to infinitive' clauses to the sentence beginnings.

Activity 2(pop-up): Match the 'to infinitive' clauses to the sentence beginnings.

Activity 3(pop-up): Match the 'to infinitive' clauses to the sentence beginnings

verbs followed by -ing clausesbacknext

Common verbs followed by –ing nouns are:

Verbs of liking and disliking:

detest dislike enjoy hate fancy like love

I love swimming but I hate jogging.They always enjoyed visiting their friends.A: Do you fancy going for a walk?B: I wouldn’t mind

Phrases with mind:

wouldn’t mind (= would like) don’t mind (= I am willing to) would you mind (= will you please…?)

I wouldn’t mind having some fish and chips.I don’t mind waiting for a few minutes.Would you mind holding this for me?

Verbs of saying and thinking:

admit consider deny imagine remember suggest

Our guide suggested waiting until the storm was over.Everyone denied seeing the accident.

Other common verbs are:

avoid begin finish keep miss practise risk start stop

I haven’t finished writing this letter. Let’s practise speaking English.

Passive form of -ing

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by the passive form of -ing: being + past participle

I don’t like being interrupted.Our dog loves being stroked under the chin.

Noun + -ing clause

Some verbs are followed by a noun and an -ing clause:

Verbs to do with the senses:

see watch hear smell listen to etc.

We saw everybody running away.I could hear someone singing.

Other common verbs:

catch find

imagine leave prevent stop

I caught someone trying to break into my house.We couldn’t prevent them getting away

verbs followed by that clause

backnext

With "that"

We can use clauses with that:

• after verbs of thinking:

think believe expect decide hope know understand suppose guess imagine

feel remember forget

I hope that you will enjoy your holiday.She didn’t really think that it would happen.I knew that I had seen her somewhere before.

• after verbs of saying:

say admit argue reply agree claim deny mention answer complain explain promise suggest

They admitted that they had made a mistake.She argued that they should invest more in

the business.The children complained that they had nothing to do.

Note: tell and some other verbs of saying must always have a direct object (see clauses, sentences and phrases):

tell convince persuade inform remind

We tried to tell them that they should stop what they were doing.The police informed everybody that the danger was over.

• as postmodifiers after nouns to do with thinking or saying:

advice belief claim feeling argument

hope promise report guess opinion idea

He made a promise that he would do all he could to help.I had a funny feeling that something was wrong.

• after some nouns to say more about the noun:

fact advantage effect possibility chance danger evidence problem difficulty

She pointed out the danger that they might be left behind.There was a chance that we would succeed

Note: We often use a that clause to define one of these nouns after the verb be :

danger problem chance possibility fact

The danger is that we will be left behind.The fact is that it is getting very late.

• after some adjectives which describe feelings to give a reason for our feelings:

pleased sorry happy unhappy sad excited glad disappointed afraid

I am sorry that you can’t come.Everybody was pleased that the danger was

past.It is lucky that you were able to drive us home.

No "that"

NOTE: We can always use a clause without the word that:

They admitted [that] they had made a mistake.The police informed everybody [that] the danger was over.I am sorry [that] you can’t come.There was chance [that] we would succeed