Verb + object + to-infinitive
English reporting verbs like tell, warn, remind and encourage, are often followed by an object and then an infinitive with ‘to’, like this:
Elena: Well, I told him to be nice to everybody
I told you to do it. The negative infinitive is formed with not – I told you not to do it.
subject | verb | object | (not) to + infinitive | |
Marco’s mother | ordered | him | to get into | the car. |
Elena | told | the children | not to touch | the glasses. |
Verb + object + to-infinitive | Verb + object + that clause after | Verb + object + that clause after | Want,
would like/love/hate would prefer + object + infinitive (+ that clause) |
Verb + for + object + to-infinitive | Verb + object +infinitive without TO | Verb + object + ing-form |
Advise, allow, ask, beg, cause command, encourage Enable, expect, forbid Intend, invite, Mean, oblige, order, permit recommend take (time), teach
Example: (*) Could you help me to look for my car keys? I can’t find them anywhere. |
Advise
Persuade Remind Teach Tell
Example:
He persuaded me that I should buy a new car |
Recommend
Example:
He recommended that I take a few days off of work |
Examples:
I want you to help me with this I would like you to come to dinner |
Arrange
Ask Plan Wait
Example: Could you arrange for someone to collect me at the airport? |
Verbs of perception (see, hear, watch, notice,…)
Let, make and help
Make is followed by infinitive with to in the passive
Example: (*) Could you help me look for my car keys? I can’t find them anywhere. They were made to return their tickets. |
Some of the verbs that are followed by –ing – see page below – (e.g. can’t stand, dislike, imagine, involve, mind, miss, put off and risk) can be used with a new subject before the -ing form. If the new subject is a pronoun, it is in the object form (me, him, her, us, them):
Examples: We just couldn’t imagine Gerry/him singing in public. Do you mind me being here while you’re working? I don’t want to risk him losing his job. |
Most verbs of perception (e.g. hear, see, watch, notice) are followed by object + infinitive (without to).
- I heard him cry. (NOT I heard him to cry.)
- I watched them play. (NOT I watched them to play.)
- I saw her cross the road. (NOT I saw her to cross the road.)
Most of these verbs can also be followed by –ing forms. Note that there is usually a difference of meaning:
infinitive forms after these verbs are used to say that we hear or see the whole action or event.
- I once heard him give a talk on international politics. (I heard the whole talk.)
-ing forms suggest that we see or hear an action in progress.
- As I walked past his cabin, I heard him talking with his secretary. (I didn’t hear the whole talk.)
An –ing form is not usually used to refer to a momentary action or event.
- I saw the bomb explode. (NOT I saw the bomb exploding. The action mentioned here (explosion) doesn’t last for more than a few moments.)
Sometimes an –ing form can suggest repetition.
- I saw the children throwing stones at the dogs. (= The children kept throwing stones.)
Verbs followed by -ing
Some common verbs that are normally followed by the -ing form:
Admit, appreciate, avoid, consider, delay, deny, detest, dislike, enjoy, feel like, finish, forgive, give up, (can’t) help, imagine, involve, keep (on), mind, miss, postpone, practice, put off, resist, risk, (can’t) stand, suggest, understand
Examples: I always enjoy cooking, She keeps changing her mind about the wedding, We haven’t finished eating yet.
Verb + (object) + ing-form
Some of the verbs listed above, and some others, can be followed by object + ing-form: detest, dislike, dread, envisage, hate, imagine, like, love, mind (in questions and negatives), miss, recall, regret, resent, risk, spend, start, stop, stand, remember…
Examples:
They can’t stand him driving his old car.
I remember you buying that jumper.
I dislike people telling me what to think.
I can’t imagine him working in an office.
Nobody can stop him doing what he wants to.
Prevent something (from) happening – Cleanliness experts say hygienic cleaning will help prevent germs spreading in the home.
Prevent somebody (from) doing something – She hid the car keys to prevent him (from) driving in such terrible weather conditions
Verbs change their meaning when they are followed by a Gerund or an Infinitive
Some verbs have different meanings when they are followed by a gerund or an infinitive.
+ To infinitive | + -ing form | |
Remember and forget | The remembering is before the action
I must remember to post this letter today. The clothes are dirty because I forgot to switch on the machine.
|
The action is before the remembering
I can remember posting the letter. I posted it on Friday morning. I’ll never forget flying over the Grand Canyon. It was wonderful. |
Regret | Regret to do something means to be sorry for something you are doing
We regret to inform you that we are not taking on any new staff at present. |
Regret to do something means to be sorry of something that happened in the past
I regret spending all that money. I’ve got none left.
|
Try | Try to do something means to attempt something, to do your best.
I’m trying to run this computer program. |
Try doing something means to do something which might solve a problem.
I tried clicking on the box, but it doesn’t work. |
Stop | Stop to do something means to stop so that you can do it.
An old man walking along the road stopped to talk to us. |
Stop doing something means to end an action, to finish doing it.
There’s too much noise. Can you all stop talking, please? |
Mean | Mean to do something is the same as to intend to do it.
I think Nick meant to break that glass. It didn’t look like an accident. |
Means doing something expresses the idea of one thing resulting in another.
I’m applying for a visa. It means filling in this form. |
Go on | Go on to do something means to do something else, to do the next thing.
The teacher introduced herself and went on to explain about the course. |
Go on doing something means to continue doing it.
The teacher told everyone to be quiet, but they just went on talking. |
Need | I need to clean my shoes.
This means that I must clean my shoes, I have to clean them. |
My shoes need cleaning.
This means that my shoes need to be cleaned |
Interesting links:
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/gerund_infinitive_difference.htm
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/verb-patterns-verb-infinitive-or-verb-ing
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/gerunds-and-infinitives/