What are Verb Patterns?
Verb patterns refer to the specific ways in which verbs are followed by other
elements in a sentence, such as another verb. The second verb can take
different forms: the infinitive (to do), the gerund (doing), or the base
form (do). The pattern a verb uses is not always logical; it's often a matter of
memorization.
Let's break down the most common patterns.
1. Verb + To-Infinitive
This is one of the most common patterns. The second verb is in its to + base
form (e.g., to go, to eat, to study).
Common verbs that use this pattern:
Verbs of decision/desire: agree, choose, decide, hope, plan,
promise, refuse, want, would like, deserve
Verbs of effort: attempt, try, struggle, learn, manage
Other common verbs: afford, aim, appear, arrange, ask, expect,
help*, need, offer, prepare, pretend, seem, tend, threaten, wait
Examples:
She decided to leave early.
I want to learn French.
He promised to help us.
They can't afford to buy a new car.
Did you manage to finish your work?
(*) Note on help: The verb help can be followed by either the to-infinitive or
the base form, with no change in meaning.
She helped me to clean the kitchen.
She helped me clean the kitchen. (More common in informal speech)
2. Verb + Gerund (-ing form)
The second verb acts as a noun and ends in -ing (e.g., going, eating,
studying).
Common verbs that use this pattern:
Verbs of like/dislike: adore, dislike, enjoy, hate, like, love, mind,
don't mind
Verbs of avoidance: avoid, can't help, can't stand, consider, imagine,
miss, practise, risk, suggest
Phrasal verbs: carry on, give up, keep on, put off
Examples:
I enjoy reading in the evening.
Do you mind closing the window?
She avoided talking to him.
He gave up smoking last year.
They suggested going to the cinema.
3. Verb + Object + To-Infinitive
Some verbs need an object (a person or a thing) before the to-infinitive.
Common verbs that use this pattern:
Verbs of persuasion/command: advise, allow, ask, encourage,
expect, force, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn
Verbs of wanting: want, would like, need
Examples:
She advised me to see a doctor. (Object = me)
The teacher told the students to be quiet. (Object = the students)
I would like you to try harder. (Object = you)
They persuaded him to apply for the job. (Object = him)
4. Verb + Object + Base Form (Infinitive without 'to')
A small but important group of verbs are followed by an object and the base
form of the verb (e.g., go, be, do).
Common verbs that use this pattern:
Causative verbs: let, make, have
Verbs of perception: feel, hear, see, watch, notice
Examples:
My parents let me stay out late. (Not to stay)
His joke made us laugh. (Not to laugh)
I heard her sing at the concert. (Not to sing)
We watched the team play. (Not to play)
(*) Important Note: With perception verbs (see, hear, watch), you can also
use the gerund (-ing form), but the meaning changes slightly.
I saw him cross the street. (I saw the entire action, from start to
finish.)
I saw him crossing the street. (I saw him in the middle of the action;
I didn't necessarily see the beginning or end.)
5. Verb + Gerund OR Infinitive (Little to No Change in
Meaning)
Some verbs can be followed by either pattern with almost no difference in
meaning. The most common are:
begin, start, continue, intend, bother
Examples:
It started to rain. / It started raining.
She continued to talk. / She continued talking.
6. Verb + Gerund OR Infinitive (Change in Meaning)
This is the trickiest category! The meaning of the sentence changes
dramatically depending on which pattern you use.
A. Remember / Forget / Regret
+ Gerund: Refers to a memory (or lack thereof) or regret about
a past action.
o I remember locking the door. (I have a memory of performing
the action.)
o I'll never forget meeting you. (The meeting is a past memory.)
o I regret telling him. (I told him in the past, and now I'm sorry I
did it.)
+ Infinitive: Refers to something you need to do in the future.
o Please remember to lock the door. (Don't forget to do it later.)
o Don't forget to meet her. (Don't forget to do it later.)
o I regret to tell you that you've failed. (I'm sorry about what I
am about to say.)
B. Try
+ Gerund: Means to experiment with something to see if it works.
o My computer crashed. Try restarting it. (Experiment with this
solution.)
+ Infinitive: Means to make an effort to do something difficult.
o I'm trying to learn Japanese. (It's difficult, but I'm making an
effort.)
