INFINITIVES
(and more)
The following verbs are followed by an infinitive:
|
agree appear be able begin* can(’t) afford choose decide |
expect forget hope know how learn like* manage |
need offer plan prefer* prepare pretend promise |
refuse seem start* tend try want would like |
*These verbs can also be followed by a gerund
Note:
Do you promise not to tell my secret?
e.g., I expect to swim and surf in Hawaii.
Some verbs can be followed by an (pro)noun + infinitive
|
advise allow appoint ask beg |
choose convince encourage expect forbid |
force invite need permit persuade |
select teach tell urge want would like |
Permit
Please allow me to help you.
Help + base form or infinitive
Sigurd helped his brothers (to) shovel the snow.
Let
+ base formShe let him borrow her car.
Some adjectives can be followed by an infinitive. Many of these adjectives describe a
person’s emotions or mental state.
|
glad happy pleased delighted content relieved lucky fortunate |
sorry sad upset disappointed proud ashamed ready |
prepared anxious eager willing motivated determined careful |
hesitant reluctant afraid surprised amazed astonished shocked stunned |
An infinitive can be the subject of a sentence, but it is very formal. In more informal situations,
it is used as the subject and the infinitive is placed at the end of the clause.
To save for college takes many years.
®
It takes many years to save for college.To have good health is very important.
®
It is important to have good health.
Use infinitives with too and enough.
That hill is too steep for me to ski up.
I’m not strong enough to lift a car.
Causative verbs:
make + simple form
Sad movies make me cry.
have + simple form
I had the maid polish my shoes.
get or persuade + infinitive
Sigurd got Haakon to give him a ride to school.
have or get + object + past participle
She got her shoes repaired in University Village.
The following verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no
change in meaning:
|
attempt begin can’t stand |
continue deserve hate |
like love prefer |
start |
These verbs can be followed by either a GERUND or and INFINITIVE with
a difference in meaning.
|
remember |
forget |
regret
|
try |
Remember, forget +
infinitive–refers forward in time – to things that one still has or still had to do at the moment of remembering or forgetting.
You must remember to pick up Mr. Brown from the airport tomorrow.
I forgot to buy the milk.
Regret + infinitive
–is used mostly in announcements of bad news
We regret to inform passengers that the 14.50 train for Tacoma will leave approximately 45 minutes late.
Try + infinitive
is used to talk about making an effort to do something difficult
I tried to change the tire, but my hands were too cold.
(Note: Sometimes we use the gerund in this case also)
GERUNDS
A gerund can be:
Note: A gerund subject takes a singular verb. Eating raw oysters is disgusting.
To make a gerund negative, put not before it. Not arriving on time makes me uncomfortable.
These verbs are followed by a gerund:
|
admit advise appreciate avoid can’t help consider |
delay deny discuss dislike enjoy finish |
imagine keep mind miss permit postpone
|
practice quit recommend regret risk suggest
|
Go
+ gerund (recreational activities)
|
boating bowling camping dancing |
fishing hiking hunting jogging |
sailing shopping sightseeing skating
|
skiing swimming |
Verbs of perception
can be followed by verb-ing or an infinitive
|
see notice watch |
look at observe |
hear listen to |
feel smell |
Remember, forget
+ gerundrefers back to the past – to things that one did. Forget...ing is used mostly in the phrase I’ll never forget...ing... and expressions with similar meanings.
I still remember buying my first bicycle.
I’ll never forget meeting the President.
Regret + gerund
refers back to past–something that one is sorry one did
I regret leaving school at 14 – it was a big mistake.
Try + gerund
is used to talk about making an experiment-doing something to see what will happen.
I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters, and giving her presents, but she still wouldn’t speak to me.
Special expressions + verb-ing
have: fun, a good time, trouble, difficulty, etc.
She had a good time watching the ice skating competition.
spend time, waste time
He spends a lot of time playing computer games.
sit, stand, or lie + expression of place
I stood at the bus stop waiting for 45 minutes.
find or catch + (pro)noun
I found the cat sleeping in my bed.
A gerund can be the object of a preposition after a verb or adjective (see list below)
He complained about getting a bad grade.
She is upset about leaving her homework at home.
PREPOSITIONS
Verbs + preposition
|
adjust to agree with apologize to...for approve of argue about believe in blame...for care about complain about concentrate on consist of deal with decide on depend on disapprove of dream about/of feel like forget about forgive...for hear about |
hear of insist on listen to look at look for look forward to object to plan on prevent...from rely on speak about succeed in suspect...of take care of talk about thank...for think about wait for warn...about worry about |
The dots (...) indicate than an object is needed: "She thanked the man for helping her carry her groceries."
Adjective + Preposition
|
accustomed to afraid of amazed at/by angry about/at ashamed of aware of bored with/by capable of concerned about different from excited about famous for fond of glad about good at grateful to...for guilty of happy about
|
interested in lazy about mad about mad at opposed to proud of responsible for sad about satisfied with sick of sorry about sorry for sure of surprised at tired of upset about used to worried about |