Verb Patterns
Verb Patterns
1. V+Ving: like, love, enjoy, hate, can’t stand, mind, avoid, stop, finish, etc
3. V+ to+infinitive or V+Ving: begin, start, continue. It is starting to rain. Incorrect: It is starting raining.
4. Modal verb+bare infinitive (infinitive without ‘to’): must, can, will, etc
5. V+smb+to+infinitive: tell smb to do smth; ask smb to do smth; want smb to do smth, etc
6. V+smb+bare infinitive: make smb do smth; let smb do smth; help smb do smth.
My teacher made us learn 100 words. She let me skip the test.
7. Preposition +Ving: be good at doing smth; think of doing smth; look forward to doing smth, etc
10. STOP+Ving=do not do it any more: I stopped smoking 3 years ago. (give up+Ving)
STOP+to+infinitive= stop doing one thing (why?) to start doing something else: I stopped to talk to
my neighbour. (I had been walking for some time, then I stopped walking because I wanted to talk to
my neighbour).
I stopped (to eat/eating) when I saw a fly in my soup.
11. Try+to+infinitive=attempt: I tried to learn Chinese, but I failed.
12. Try+Ving=method: I could’t get to sleep last night. I tried counting sheep. I tried reading a boring book.
I tried taking sleeping pills.
13. Forget+Ving= first do smth, then forget: I will never forget meeting you (first I met you).
14. Forget+to+infinitive= first forget or do not forget and then do: Don’t forget to post my letter.
15. Remember+Ving= first do smth, then remember: I don’t remember meeting you. I don’t remember
borrowing any money from you.
First: I met you. I borrowed some money from you.
Second: I don’t remember. I don’t remember.
16. Remember+to+infinitive= first remember and then do: I’ll remember to phone you tonight.
17. Need+Ving=passive structure: The house needs repairing=The house needs to be repaired. (Somebody
needs to repair this house). The room wants cleaning.
18. Verbs of perception: see, hear + bare infinitive: I saw him steal the money. (I saw the completed
action)
19. Verbs of perception: see, hear + Ving: I saw him stealing things from the shop. (I saw the activity in the
middle of happening)