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Verb Patterns
Look at this sample situation:
Mateo talking about his school days
I always preferred walking to school instead of taking the bus. I hated doing homework, but I managed to pass all my exams in the end. I tried to understand physics, but it was too difficult - though sometimes I tried reading extra books to help me. Now I really regret not studying harder. It would have meant getting better results and maybe going to a different university.
You can see from these examples that some verbs are followed by -ing forms (prefer, walking),
Others are followed by the to-infinitive (managed to pass),
Finally, some can take both, but with a change in meaning (tried reading vs. tried to understand).
Structure & Verb Lists
Verb + -ing form
Some verbs are followed by the -ing form. They often describe likes/dislikes, habits, or completed actions.
Common verbs and expressions with this pattern include:
enjoy
I enjoy reading detective stories.
avoid
She avoids speaking in public.
suggest
He suggested going to the cinema.
recommend
They recommended trying the new restaurant.
admit
She admitted cheating in the exam.
deny
He denied stealing the bike.
fancy (informal for feel like)
Do you fancy going out tonight?
can’t stand
I can’t stand waiting in queues.
finish
They finished painting the house.
keep (on)
He keeps (on) talking during lessons.
consider
I’m considering studying abroad.
Verb + to-infinitive
These verbs are followed by to + base verb, usually for plans, decisions, promises, hopes and intentions.
Common verbs with this pattern include:
agree
She agreed to help me with my homework.
decide
I decided to study engineering.
promise
He promised to call later.
refuse
They refused to pay the bill.
learn
I’m learning to drive.
plan
We plan to visit Italy in summer.
hope
She hopes to pass the exam.
want
I want to improve my English.
would like
I’d like to join the team.
offer
He offered to lend me his car.
manage
She managed to finish on time.
fail
He failed to notice the mistake.
Verbs + object + to-infinitive
Some verbs need an object (someone or something) before the infinitive.
They are common in reported speech, advice, or instructions.
Common verbs with this pattern include:
advise
The doctor advised me to rest.
encourage
My parents encouraged me to apply for the job.
invite
They invited us to stay for dinner.
remind
She reminded him to bring his passport.
teach
My father taught me to drive.
tell
The policeman told the children to wait.
warn
She warned us not to be late.
expect
The teacher expects us to do our homework.
allow
They don’t allow people to smoke inside.
persuade
He persuaded me to join the team.
Note: The verb help can be used with or without to.
My neighbour helped me (to) plant the tree.
Verbs + object + bare infinitive
Apart form help there are also a few verbs that are followed by an object + infinitive without to.
make in the sense of force someone to do something.
The teacher made us stay late after class.
Note that to is added in the passive form:
We were made to stay late after class.
let as in allow someone to do something.
My parents let me go out last night.
Let is not usually used in passive forms: I was let go exists but has a different meaning of I was fired from a job. Normally, if you want to express the same idea in passive forms, you should use not allowed to instead. For example:
My parents didn't let me go out late at night.
becomes:
I wasn't allowed to go out late at night.
have in the sense of cause someone to do something for you, give instructions.
I had my brother fix my bike.
means I arranged for him to do it.
Verbs + both forms (with little or no difference in meaning)
Some verbs can take either form without much change in meaning.
like
I like reading in bed.
is the same as
I like to read in bed.
Note: to read sounds a bit more formal.
love
She loves skiing.
is the same as
She loves to ski.
hate
I hate waiting for buses.
is the same as
I hate to wait for buses.
prefer
I prefer walking to work.
is the same as
I prefer to walk to work.
Note: In everyday English, the -ing form is more common, but both are correct.
Verb + both forms (with a difference in meaning)
Some verbs can be followed by -ing or to-infinitive, but the meaning changes!
Have a look at the following verbs:
remember
Remember to lock the door.
is the same as saying don’t forget to do it. But
I remember locking the door.
means I have a memory of doing it.
forget
I forgot to send the email.
means I didn’t send it. But
I’ll never forget meeting you.
means I’ll always remember the experience.
stop
I stopped smoking.
is the same as I quit the habit. But
I stopped to smoke
is the same as I paused another activity in order to smoke; this means there was a change of actions, e.g. I stopped (driving, working or whatever I was doing) so that I could smoke.
try
Try to open the window.
means make an effort. But
Try opening the window.
means experiment, see if it helps.
regret
I regret telling him the truth.
means I feel sorry about something I did. But
We regret to inform you that your flight has been cancelled.
is a formal way of giving bad news.
mean
Doing well at school means working hard.
here means is the same as involves or requires. But
I meant to call you yesterday.
is the same as I intended to.
In the FCE Exam
Reading and Use of English
Part 2
You may need to supply the correct form after verbs like decide, enjoy, remember, regret, stop.
Part 4
Changing between forms in this part is very common:
He promised that he would help me with my homework.
TO
He _______________________ me with my homework.
Answer: promised to help
I regret telling him my secret.
WISH
I _______________________ him my secret.
Answer: wish I hadn’t told
I think it would be a good idea to go to the cinema tonight.
SUGGESTED
She _______________________ to the cinema tonight.
Answer: suggested going
Writing
Using a range of patterns makes your writing sound more advanced:
I would like to suggest visiting more museums during the trip
Many students decide to study abroad because they enjoy experiencing new cultures.
Speaking
Natural answers use both patterns:
Do you enjoy studying English?
Yes, I really enjoy learning new vocabulary, and I’d like to improve my pronunciation.