Verb Patterns Guide B2

Verb patterns
Uses of infinitive (with to):
The infinitive is the base form of the verb. It can be positive (e.g. to be) or negative (e.g. not to be).
Use the infinitive with to:

 after some specific verbs that require it, e.g. want, need, would like, etc. See the above.
I need to buy some new clothes.
Try not to talk about politics.
 after adjectives
It’ll be nice to meet your parents.
It’s important not to be late.
 after question words e.g. what, where, when, etc.
I don’t know where to go or what to do.
 to say why you do sth, to show some intention, similar to “in order to”.
I came to this school to/in order to learn English.
Uses of gerund (verb+ing):
The gerund is the base form of the verb + ing. It can be positive (e.g. going) or negative (e.g. not going).
Use the gerund:

 as the subject or object of a sentence.
Eating in the summer outside makes me feel good.
My idea of happiness is getting up late and not going to work.
 after some specific verbs, e.g. enjoy, deny, avoid, etc.
I enjoy reading late at night.
 after phrasal verb e.g. feel like, can’t stand, etc.
I don’t feel like going out tonight.
She can’t stand getting up early.
 after prepositions or verbs + prepositions
He insisted on leaving home earlier
Before seeing my friend I called him.
He left without saying goodbye.
When we put two verbs together, the second verb can obtain different forms. It depends on the first verb:
Gerund To infinitive Bare infinitive

V1 + V2ing V1 + to V2 V1 + V2
Enjoy Allow Can
Appreciate Afford Could
Consider Agree Should
Deny Appear Must
Discuss Decide Would
Forgive Wait May
Recall Expect Might
Recollect Hope Will
Report Plan Shall
Resist Help
Suggest Promise Had better
Understand Refuse Would
Avoid Dare
Delay Fail
Give up Happen Pay attention:
Mind Manage Make
Object to Mean Let
Practice Offer Hear + object
Dislike Prepare See
Feel like Pretend Feel
Involve Recommend e.g. They made him pay.
Worth Refuse I didn’t let you go.
Tolerate Intend We heard him come.
Finish Threaten
Keep/ keep on Choose
Postpone Wish
Put off Hesitate
Be good at Learn
Be bad at Seem
Be keen on Want
Insist on would like
Succeed in would love
Apologise for would prefer
Look forward to
Can’t stand
Can’t bear
Can’t help
Fancy = like
Be into = be interested in
Verbs are followed by infinitive and gerund Semi-modal verbs
Like Prefer Adore Have to
Hate Love Ought to (indicates what somebody should do)
Need to
V + ing – if we want to show general preference
(She likes painting) Passive Voice
Be made
to + V– if we want to show that we like the idea to do it Be let
(She likes to paint every day) Be heard + to
Be seen
With no change in meaning: Be felt
Begin = start e.g. He was made to pay.
Continue You were not let to go.
Intend
Don’t use two –ing forms together!
e.g. The days are beginning to get shorter.
Double meaning
Some verbs can be followed by the gerund or infinitive (with to) with a change of meaning:
Verb + infinitive Verb + gerund

Remember to do - you remember first, then you do Remember doing – you do smth, then you remember it,
smth. recall a past event.
e.g. Remember to lock the door. e.g. I don’t remember meeting her before.
Forget to do – you didn’t remember to do smth. Forget doing – you forget a past event, it is more common
e.g. I’m sorry, I forgot to lock the car. in the negative.
e.g. I’ll never forget seeing the Taj Mahal.
Try to do – make an effort to do smth, do one’s Try doing – do smth as an experiment, to see if smth work.
best, attempt. e.g. Let’s try opening a window! It’s too hot here.
e.g. She tried hard to cope with her new job.
Go on to do – finish doing smth and start doing Go on doing – continue without stopping.
smth else. e.g. She went on speaking.
e.g. After finishing her BA, she went on to get a
master’s degree.
Stop to do – stop temporarily. Stop doing – finish (forever).

e.g. He stopped to buy some milk on his way home. e.g. Stop talking to each other, please!
Be afraid to do – the subject feels anxious about Be afraid of doing – the subject is afraid that what is
doing smth. described by the –ing form may happen.
e.g. I’m afraid to drive over the old bridge. e.g. She is afraid of breaking her leg if she jumps over the
wall.
Mean to do – intend to. Mean doing – involve.

e.g. He means to move to Newcastle. e.g. Working harder means getting more money.
I didn’t mean to offend you.
Want to do – wish. Want doing – smth needs to be done.

e.g. I want to find a better job. e.g. Your dress wants cleaning.
Need to do – intention, necessity. Need doing – is a passive construction, = needs to be done

e.g. You need to clean the car. e.g. The car needs cleaning = The car needs to be cleaned.
Be sorry to do – regret. Be sorry doing – apologise for an earlier action.

e.g. I’m sorry to hear he has been injured. e.g. I’m sorry for misunderstanding/ having misunderstood
what you said.
Regret to do – be sorry to do smth. Regret doing – have second thoughts about smth already
e.g. I regret to tell/ inform you that you have failed. done.
e.g. He regrets telling lies when he was young.
Would prefer to do – specific preference. Prefer doing – in general, to show a contrast.

e.g. I’d prefer to have an early night tonight. e.g. I prefer reading a book to watching TV.
Prefer + to infinitive + (rather) than + bare infinitive.

e.g. I prefer to read a book (rather) than watch TV.
Advise, allow, encourage, permit, recommend take the to-infinitive when they are followed by an object or when
they are in the passive form, they take the –ing form when they are not followed by an object.
e.g. He advised us to leave early (object) or We were advised to leave early (passive)
We advise leaving early (no object).

Verb Patterns Guide B2

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Verb patterns

Uses of infinitive (with to):

Use the infinitive with to:

Uses of gerund (verb+ing):

Use the gerund:

Gerund To infinitive Bare infinitive

Verb + infinitive Verb + gerund

Stop to do – stop temporarily. Stop doing – finish (forever).

Mean to do – intend to. Mean doing – involve.

Want to do – wish. Want doing – smth needs to be done.

Need to do – intention, necessity. Need doing – is a passive construction, = needs to be done

Be sorry to do – regret. Be sorry doing – apologise for an earlier action.

Would prefer to do – specific preference. Prefer doing – in general, to show a contrast.

Prefer + to infinitive + (rather) than + bare infinitive.

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