Transcript Intermediate 5C Verb Patterns

Use to + infinitive
• After question words (who, what, when,
where, why, how):
I didn’t know what to do next.
He always knows where to go to have a good
time.
Use to + infinitive
• When you want to express a reason for
something (infinitive of purpose):
I went to the supermarket to buy some food.
I visited my friends to have a good time.
Use to + infinitive
• After adjectives:
This recipe is difficult to make.
English is very easy to learn.
Use to + infinitive
• After some verbs:
• Can’t afford, agree, decide, expect, forget,
help, hope, learn, need, offer, plan, pretend,
promise, refuse, remember*, seem, try*,
want, would like (see SB p. 138)
Use -ing
• After prepositions:
I’m good at playing tennis.
He is fed up with waiting for the bus.
Use -ing
• In –ing clauses
(i.e., when a clause beginning with an –ing
verb is the subject of another sentence):
[Eating out] is expensive.
[Going to the dentist] is never a good
experience.
Use -ing
• After some verbs:
• Enjoy, hate, finish, like*, love*, mind, practise,
spend, stop*, suggest, phrasal verbs such as
go on, give up...
Like, love, hate
• These verbs accept both to + inifinitive or the
gerund, with slightly different emphases:
• I like dancing. (general)
• I liked to dance with you at the party.
(specific)
• I love swimming. (general)
• I love to swim under the moonlight,
surrounded by schools of fluorescent fish.
(specific)
Verbs that accept both possibilities with no
change in meaning
• Begin, start, prefer, continue:
I began working here in 2008. 
I began to work here in 2008. 
• But
It’s starting to rain. 
It’s starting raining.  (it sounds awful)
Verbs that accept both possibilities
• Remember:
• Remember to lock the door before going to
bed.
• I remember seeing Richard this morning.
Verbs that accept both possibilities
• Forget
• I forgot to lock the door and someone stole
my guitar.
• I’ll never forget watching the 2002 World Cup
Final.
Verbs that accept both possibilities
• Try
• Are you stressed? Try listening to heavy metal
to relax a little.
• I tried to memorize all the verb patterns, but
it was too difficult.
Verbs that accept both possibilities
• Need
• I need to clean my car.
• =
• My car needs cleaning.
Verbs that accept both possibilities
• Stop
• I stopped smoking.
• I stopped (working, for example) to smoke.
Make, let
• make [someone] do something
• let [someone] do something
The teacher made us memorize a lot of verb
patterns.
My grandmother didn’t let me eat candy before
meals.