VERB PATTERNS ING or TO INFINITIVE Verbs followed

VERB PATTERNS -ING or TO INFINITIVE

Verbs followed by -ing admit adore appreciate avoid can’t face can’t help can’t stand can’t resist carry on consider delay deny detest dislike don’t mind enjoy fancy feel like finish give up imagine involve keep (continue) mention mind miss postpone practise put off resent risk suggest understand

Verbs followed by infinitive modal verb + infinitive e. g. I might go to the meeting, but I can’t stay long. 2. make/ let + object + infinitive e. g. The teacher made us do the exercise again. My boss let me go home early. 3. would rather/ had better e. g. I’d better go now, or I’ll be late. 1.

Verbs followed by to-infinitive afford agree aim appear arrange ask attempt can’t afford can’t wait choose claim decide demand deserve expect fail guarantee happen help hope learn manage mean offer plan prefer prepare pretend promise refuse seem swear tend threaten turn out want wish

Verbs + object + to-infinitive tell advise ask invite order persuade remind (her to come. )

Verbs followed by –ing or toinfinitive with a small or no change in meaning begin, can’t bear, bother, continue, hate, like, intend, love, prefer, propose, start. -ing suggests a general statement. e. g. I prefer cycling to swimming. • to-infinitive suggests a specific action. e. g. I prefer to go by bike but you can walk. •

Verb followed by -ing or to-infinitive with a change in meaning regret We regret to inform you that we have turned down your application for the job. (= we are sorry about what we are about to do. ) I really regret telling you my secrets. (= I did something and now I’m sorry about it. )

remember I remembered to lock the door when I left but I didn’t shut the bedroom window. (= I remembered that I had to lock the door, and so I did it. ) I clearly remember locking the door when I left. (= I did something and now I remember it. )

forget I forgot to send out the invitations to the wedding. (= I forgot that I had to do something, so I didn’t do it. ) I’ll never forget seeing you looking so sad. (= I’m talking about an event in the past. )

stop She stopped to make a cup of tea. (= we say why we stop doing something. ) We stopped laughing when the teacher came in. (= we say what it is that we stop doing. )

try I tried to get the table through the door, but it was too big. (= I made an effort to do something difficult. ) Try taking some aspirin. Perhaps the pain will disappear. (= do something to see what happens, experiment. )

mean I meant to phone you last night but I got home very late. (= I intended to do something. ) If we want to get there by midday, it means getting up very early. (= we want to say that something has something else as a result, involve. )

need I really need to finish this report before I go home. (= I must do it, it’s important. ) This grass needs cutting. (= somebody needs to do it, passive meaning. )

go on After discussing the economy, the minister went on to talk about foreign policy. (= he changed the activity/ subject. ) The two girls went on talking for hours. (= they continued doing the same thing. )

Verbs followed by -ing/ to-infinitive Some verbs of the senses (e. g. see, hear, feel) can be followed by either –ing or an infinitive. I heard her sing a lovely song. (I heard the whole song) I heard her singing a lovely song. (I heard part of it)

Verb + object + preposition + ing congratulate + somebody + on She congratulated him on passing the exam. accuse + somebody + of He accused her of cheating. blame + somebody + for They blamed us for breaking it. discourage + somebody + from He discouraged her from buying the dress.

Prepositions + -ing apologise for insist on object to talk about succeed in interested in keen on excited about be good at responsible for famous for enthusiastic about

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