Verb Patterns

Verb Patterns

1. Verb + to-infinitive

   • Agree, arrange, can´t affort, decide, intend, learn, manage, offer, prefer, refuse, remember, seem, tend
     • Examples: I can´t afford to buy a new cellphone. The soccer player refused to join the national team

2. Verb+object+to-infinite

   • advise, allow, cause, enable, encourage, expect, force, remind, urge, warn
     • Example: The doctor has warned me not to eat sugar in a month. My chemistry teacher at school encouranged me to purse my dream of becoming a doctor

3. Verb+object+infinitive without to

   • make,let
     • Examples: Our PE teacher makes us run around the soccer field three time before the game. My parents let me go to the party.

4. Verb+ -ing form

   • admit, avoid, can´t help, can´t stand, enjoy, fancy, imagine, keep, miss, practice, spend/waste time, stop
     • Examples: My brother waste so much time watching Tv. I can´t stand listening his voice.

5. Verb+ -ing form/to-infinitive

   • After the verbs begin, continue, hate, intend, like, love, prefer, start We can use both the -ing form and the to-infinitive. The meaning stays the same or changes very slinghtly
     • Examples: I prefer to sleep early. I prefer sleeping early. She hates to do house chores. She hates doing house chores

6. Change in meaning

   • You can use remember,forget,stop,try with the -ing form or a to-infinitive but with a change of meaning
     • She tried speaking Spanish. I tried to sleep early, but I couldn´t because the noise. I stopped eating fattening food. We stopped to take photos
   • feel,hear, see, watch + object + -ing to describe ongoing actions or the same verbs+object+ infinitive without to, to describe finished actions
     • Sebas saw her girldfriend arrived to their town. Axel saw her girlfirend doing her homework. I heard My mom talking with my brother . I heard Petter sing a song.