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Unit 04
Verb Patterns (Advanced)
gerund / infinitive with meaning change
Why Verb Patterns Matter
Many English verbs can be followed by a gerund (-ing), an infinitive (to + verb), or an object + verb form. At advanced level, the choice often changes the meaning, formality, or emphasis.
I stopped smoking. (= I quit the habit.) vs I stopped to smoke. (= I paused to have a cigarette.)
Verbs That Change Meaning
| Verb | + Gerund | + Infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| remember | Recall a past action: I remember locking it. | Not forget to do: Remember to lock it. |
| forget | Forget a past event: I forgot meeting him. | Forget to do: I forgot to call him. |
| stop | Quit an activity: She stopped eating sugar. | Pause to do sth: She stopped to buy bread. |
| try | Experiment: Try adding lemon. | Make an effort: Try to finish it. |
| regret | Be sorry for: I regret saying that. | Formal bad news: We regret to inform you... |
| go on | Continue same action: He went on talking. | Move to next: He went on to explain. |
| mean | Involve: This job means travelling a lot. | Intend: I didn't mean to hurt you. |
| need | Passive meaning: The car needs washing. | Necessity: I need to wash the car. |
Verb + Object + Infinitive
Common verbs: advise, allow, ask, encourage, expect, force, invite, order, remind, tell, warn, want, persuade.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb + object + to + verb | She told me to wait. |
| He advised me to rest. | |
| They reminded us to bring ID. | |
| She persuaded him to apply. |
Verb + Object + Bare Infinitive (No "To")
After let, make, help, see, hear, feel, watch, notice — use the base verb without "to".
| Verb | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| let | They let me go early. | permission |
| make | The teacher made us redo it. | obligation |
| help | She helped me (to) carry the bags. | "to" optional |
| see/hear/watch | I saw him leave. | perception verbs |
| be made TO | We were made to apologise. | passive needs "to" |
Verb + Object + Gerund (Prevention, Accusation, Emotion)
| Verb | Example |
|---|---|
| prevent ... from | They prevented me from leaving. |
| stop ... from | He stopped her from crying. |
| thank ... for | She thanked me for helping. |
| accuse ... of | They accused him of lying. |
| forgive ... for | I forgave her for shouting. |
Verb + Preposition + Gerund
- be used to + -ing: I'm used to getting up early.
- look forward to + -ing: I'm looking forward to seeing you.
- insist on + -ing: She insisted on paying.
- succeed in + -ing: He succeeded in solving it.
- object to + -ing: They objected to changing the rules.
Allow, Advise & Afraid
| Verb | Without a person | With a person |
|---|---|---|
| allow / permit | They don't allow smoking here. | They don't allow us to smoke here. |
| advise / recommend | I'd advise waiting. | I'd advise you to wait. |
| be afraid | afraid of + -ing = fear that something bad may happen: I'm afraid of falling. | afraid to + verb = too scared to do it: I was afraid to jump. |
No Change in Meaning
These verbs take either form with no real difference: begin, start, continue, love, like, hate, prefer.
- It began to rain / raining.
- She started to cry / crying.
- I like to read / reading before bed.
Common Mistakes
He made me to cry.
→
He made me cry.
"Make" takes the bare infinitive — no "to".
She let me to go.
→
She let me go.
"Let" takes the bare infinitive — no "to".
I saw him to leave.
→
I saw him leave.
Perception verbs take the bare infinitive.
He prevented me to go.
→
He prevented me from going.
"Prevent" takes from + gerund.
I am looking forward to see you.
→
I am looking forward to seeing you.
"To" here is a preposition → gerund.
They don't allow to smoke here.
→
They don't allow smoking here. / They don't allow people to smoke here.
allow + -ing OR allow + person + to.
I didn't mean hurting you.
→
I didn't mean to hurt you.
mean to = intend.