When we use two verbs together, the first one often Complete the sentences about

determines the form of the second one. See the chart

The Merchant of Venice
below.
with the correct verb pattern:
The verbs in red have different meanings according to
the form of the verb that follows them. The verbs in blue
1. Sadness ……………………………………… ( make)
can only accept the pattern indicated in the 3rd column.
The verbs in black have two patterns with no difference Antonio ………………(feel) stupid in the first Act.
in meaning. The verbs in green have objects. The verb 2. He …………………………………………………….(avoid)
help has two patterns. The purple verbs are modals or
………………………(think) about his ships in the
behave like modals.
ocean.
3. Salerio ………………………………..(try) ……………………..
1 avoid, regret, * try, stop, remember, +
end up, keep, enjoy, miss, don’t mind, (cheer) him up.
VERB – ING
begin,start, continue, prefer, like, 4. Bassanio …………………………….(decide)
hate, love
‘ ……………………….(tell) Antonio that he owes a lot
Why don’t try telling stories to improve of money.
your fluency?
5. Antonio would prefer …………………………..(waste)
refuse, need, hope, expect, pretend, + all his money than ……………………. (deny) his
2 seem, plan, decide, forget, stop,try, INFINITIVE friend some hope.
remember, begin, help, continue, WITH TO
prefer, like, hate, love 6. Bassanio ……………………..(hope)……………………(get)
some money to impress Portia.
She stopped to make a phone call.
7. Nerrissa …………………………(persuade) Portia
make, help, let + OBJECT + …………….(be) more optimistic about her future.
3 INFINITIVE
She made him apologise for his 8. She would rather …………………………(have) less
behaviour. money and ………………(be) happier.
9. Portia had better …………………………(tell) her
4 allow, force, encourage, expect, + OBJECT +
persuade, ask,teach, pay, help INFINITIVE admirers that she as in love with Bassanio.
WITH TO
She paid the gardener to mow the lawn.
10.Portia’s father forced her ……………………...(ask)
5 might, can, will, could, must, would + her admirers to choose the correct box
rather, should,had better INFINITIVE
before they could marry her.
‘I’d rather waste all my money than 11.Antonio ends up ……………………………(accept) a
offend me with your doubts’, he said.
dangerous agreement with Shylock.
12.Shylock will refuse ……………………..(receive)
* TRY – STOP - REMEMBER :
a)Try to do something = make en effort to do something more money from Bassanio. He needs
Try doing something = experiment/test an idea to see ………………………… (take) revenge against the man
if it works
who despised him.
b) Stop to do something = stop something in order to do
something else 13.Antonio encourages Bassanio ……………………
Stop doing something = stop something you were doing (not worry) about his debts and propose to
c) Remember to do something = remember before you
Portia.
do it.
Remember doing something = remember after you do 14.Shylock enjoys …………………………..(have) the
it (something about the chance to get a pound of Antonio’s flesh as
past).
payment for his loan.
 15.Portia says that her destiny doesn’t allow her
………………….(follow) her heart’s desire.
16. Jessica regrets …………………………….(have) to leave
her home but she can’t stand the way he treats
her.
17. Portia will try ………………………………..(convince)
Shylock that he should accept more money as
payment for the agreement but he’ll keep
…………………….(say) that he prefer ………………
(have) a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
18.Antonio can’t remember ………………………………….…(spit)
on Shylock’s face.
19. Shylock never stops ………………………………(complain)
about his daughter running away and taking jewels
and money with her.
20.Shylock seems ……………………………………(be) a cold and
greedy character,
21.Why don’t you try …………………………………(be) more
sensible and …………………….(show) more
kindness?”, asked the young lawyer.
22.Portia made Shylock ………………………………..(believe)
she respected him.
23.The rich heiress teaches Shylock ……………………(be)
wiser next time.
24.Antonio and his friends expected the Jew
……………………………(accept) their offers.
25.The Christian merchant avoided ……………………………….
(offend) Shylock when he asked for a loan.

A.M. de Almeida 2013

  Verbs in the
1. Sadness *MADE ( make) Antonio …FEEL (feel) stupid in the first Act. Past Simple could also be
used in the Present Simple
2. He …AVOIDED….(avoid) (think) about his ships in the ocean.
3. Salerio TRIED .(try) (cheer) him up.
4. Bassanio DECIDED (decide) TO TELL .(tell) Antonio that he owes a lot of money.
5. Antonio would prefer TO WASTE/WASTING .(waste) all his money than TO DENY/DENYING (deny) his
friend some hope.
6. Bassanio HOPED ( hope)…TO GET (get) some money to impress Portia.
7. Nerrissa PERSUADED (persuade) Portia TO BE (be) more optimistic about her future.
8. She would rather HAVE …(have) less money and BE (be) happier.
9. Portia had better …TELL (tell) her admirers that she as in love with Bassanio.
10. Portia’s father forced her TO ASK (ask) her admirers to choose the correct box before they could marry
her.
11. Antonio ends up ACCEPTING (accept) a dangerous agreement with Shylock.
12. Shylock will refuse TO RECEIVE (receive) more money from Bassanio. He needs TO TAKE (take) revenge
against the man who despised him.
13. Antonio encourages Bassanio NOT TO WORRY (not worry) about his debts and propose to Portia.
14. Shylock enjoys HAVING (have) the chance to get a pound of Antonio’s flesh as payment for his loan.
15. Portia says that her destiny doesn’t allow her TO FOLLOW (follow) her heart’s desire.
16. Jessica regrets HAVING (have) to leave her home but she can’t stand the way he treats her.
17. Portia will try TO CONVINCE .(convince) Shylock that he should accept
more money as payment for the agreement but he’ll keep SAYING.
(say) that he prefers TO HAVE (have) a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
18. Antonio can’t remember HAVING SPAT/ SPITTING (spit) on Shylock’s face.
19. Shylock never stops COMPLAINING (complain) about his daughter running away and taking jewels and
money with her.
20. Shylock seems TO BE (be) a cold and greedy character,
21. Why don’t you try BEING (be) more sensible and SHOWING (show) more kindness?”, asked the young
lawyer.
22. Portia made Shylock BELIEVE (believe) she respected him.
23. The rich heiress teaches Shylock TO BE (be) wiser next time.
24. Antonio and his friends expected the Jew TO ACCEPT (accept) their offers.
25. The Christian merchant avoided OFFENDING .(offend) Shylock when he asked for a loan.