Unit 1 – VERB COMPLEMENTATION

Verbs in English can be followed by many different complements. For example:

I like pasta  the verb “like” is followed by the direct object “pasta”. (Remember that direct
objects always represent a thing). Complementation exists so that verbs can make sense. If I say “I
like” that sentence is ungrammatical, because it is clearly incomplete.

In this lesson we’ll discuss some forms of verb complementation:

 Verbs + ING VERBS

 Verbs + TO INFINITVE VERBS
 Verbs + INDIRECT OBJECT + BARE INFINITIVE VERB
 Verbs + ING or TO INFINITIVE VERBS (WITH NO CHANGE IN MEANING)
 Verbs + ING or TO INFINITIVE VERBS (WITH A CHANGE IN MEANING)

Before we begin, it is important to understand that there is no grammatical reason why some
verbs are followed by one complement or another. It’s just what it is, and the best way to learn
them is to memorise them. In a way, the fact that there is no reason why verbs take one
complement or the other makes them similar to irregular verbs: there’s no reason really why the
past tense of “make” is “made”, and not “maked”.

List of verbs + ING VERBS

Admit, appreciate, avoid, can’t help, can’t face, consider, deny, discuss, dislike, enjoy, fancy, feel
like, imagine, involve, mention, mind, miss, practice, put off, succeed, suggest, understand.

Example:

I suggest visiting Italy if you’re interested in architecture. (“SUGGEST” + ING VERB)

I suggest to visit Italy

I really enjoyed dancing when I was a child. (ENJOY + ING)

I have been putting off practicing my English for a long time. (PUT OFF + ING VERB)

Notice that all these verbs “suggest” “enjoy” “have been putting off” are conjugated. The verb we
use before the “-ing verb” can be conjugated in any tense. Don’t think that you will just find them
in the present simple. (As is the case with the first sentence with “suggest”).

⚠ Some of these verbs and phrases can be followed by a possessive form (your- my- her – him –
our – their – its) (more formal) or an object (me – her – him – them – us – it – their- you) (more
informal) before –ing: Do you mind my borrowing your dictionary?// Do you mind me borrowing
your dictionary?

⚠ Verbs and phrases with prepositions are often followed by –ing: She’s interested in talking to
you about your experience // Stephen didn’t succeed in convincing his parents// Thanks for
showing me how to solve that problem.
List of verbs + TO INFINITIVE VERBS

Aim, be able to, afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, attempt, choose, decide, hope, manage, offer,
plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, seem, tend, want, would like, would prefer.

Examples:

She appears to be a good mother.

I refuse to go to bed before nine o’ clock.

When I was a child I refused to eat my vegetables.

Some of these verbs can be followed by an object before the to infinitve: His mum and dad want
him to go to university. // His mum and dad want Steve to go to university.

I want to go to university next year.

List of verbs + OBJECT (person) + BARE INFINITVE VERB (a verb in the infinitive without “to”)

Feel, hear, let, make, see, watch

I will let you go to the party // I hear Tina talk and I get nervous.

I will let you to go to the party

List of verbs + ING or TO INFINITIVE VERBS (WITH NO CHANGE IN MEANING)

Some verbs can be followed by a verb in the ING or TO INFINITIVE, without a difference in meaning

Begin, continue, hate, intend, love, prefer, start, like.

I hate to cook = I hate cooking

I prefer to stay at home = I prefer staying at home.

List of verbs + ING or TO INFINITIVE VERBS (WITH A CHANGE IN MEANING)

Some verbs are followed by either an ING or TO infinitive verb, but the meaning of the sentence is
completely different. Let’s have a look at the chart

REMEMBER TO INF Think of something you have

done or should do.

Did you remember to collect

the dry cleaning?

ING Think about an event or

situation before the time of
speaking.

Do you remember going to

school for the first time?
FORGET TO INF Think of something you have
done or should do.

Don’t forget to lock the door.

ING Think about an event or
situation before the time of
speaking.

I’ll never forget meeting him.

GO ON TO INF To stop one action and
change to another.

After opening the hospital the

Prince went on to meet the
staff.
ING Continue.

They went on playing for

hours.
MEAN TO INF Have/ don’t have the
intention of doing something.

I didn’t mean to hurt you.

ING One thing involving another.

Flying to another continent

usually means spending a lot
of time travelling.
REGRET TO INF Say sorry that something has/
 hasn’t happened. Used in very
formal situations only.

I regret to inform you that you

will no longer work for the
company.
ING I regret eating so much
because now I feel bad.

Special verbs: PREFER, WOULD PREFER, WOULD RATHER, HAD BETTER

PREFER

 We use “prefer” to talk about general preferences

I prefer tango to salsa  In general I can say it’s the case for me.

Prefer + (object)+ ing I prefer swimming in the

ocean
Prefer + (object) + to infinitive I prefer to swim rather than
to play football
I prefer to swim to play
football
I prefer to swim
Prefer + noun I prefer the sea to the
swimming pool.
I prefer the sea.

WOULD PREFER

 We use “would prefer” to talk about specific preferences

I would prefer to talk things over  In this occasion, that’s what I want to do.

Would prefer+(object)+ to I would prefer (us) to go to

infinitive the cinema on Saturday.
Would prefer+ noun I would prefer the cinema on
Saturday.

WOULD RATHER

 We use “would rather” + object + bare infinitive to talk about specific preferences

I would rather talk things over  In this occasion, that’s what I want to do.
 Would rather + (object)+ bare
infinitive
Subject1 + would rather +
different subject (2)t+ past
tense
I would rather go to the
theatre.
I would rather you didn’t
touch my things without
asking.

Meaning: we prefer someone

else to do/ not do something

HAD BETTER

 “Had better” expresses that it would be a good idea to do/ not to do something.

I had better go to bed because I have a test tomorrow morning  It would be a good idea to go to
bed.

Had better + bare infinitive We had better arrive on time

tomorrow morning.

“Would rather” and “had better” can be contracted:

I’d rather go to bed (‘d = WOULD)

I’d better go to bed because I have a test tomorrow morning. (‘d= HAD)

 Negatives are formed in the following way:

PREFER I prefer not to study at weekends.

WOULD PREFER I would prefer not to go there.
WOULD RATHER+ bare infinitive I would rather not go to his party tomorrow.
WOULD RATHER + different subject + past I would rather you did not touch my things
tense
HAD BETTER You had better not tell him.

GLOSSARY

Admit: to agree that something is true, especially unwillingly. (She admitted killing her husband)

Afford: to be able to buy or do something because you have enough money or time (I can’t afford
to buy a new car right now // I can afford to go on holiday this year because I’ve worked very hard)

Agree: to decide something together (We agreed to call our daughter “Susana”).

Aim: to intend or plan to achieve something. (I aim to be a millionaire by the time I'm 35)
Appear: to seem or look like a particular way. (She appears to be a nice person, but she’s not)

Appreciate: used when you are thanking someone or showing that you are grateful (I appreciate
your making an effort to come) *Notice that “appreciate is one of those verbs that may take a
possessive or object form before the “-ing” verb.

Arrange: to plan, prepare for, or organize something (They arranged to have dinner the following
month)

Attempt: to try to do something, especially something difficult (He attempted to escape through a
window.)

Avoid: to stay away from someone or something (I’ve been avoiding seeing my ex)

Be able to: have the ability to do something (I was able to open the door to enter my house
without calling the locksmith)

Can’t face: to not want to do something because it is too difficult or unpleasant (I just can’t face
attending another conference.)

Can’t help: used for saying that someone cannot stop themselves doing something (She couldn’t
help laughing when she saw it.)

Deny: to say that something is not true (Neil denies breaking the window.)

Fancy: to want to have or do something (I didn't fancy swimming in that water)

Feel like: to want to have or do something (I feel like going to get ice cream – want to come?)

Hope: to want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it
might (They hope to visit us next year)

Intend: to have as a plan or purpose (We intend to go to Australia next year.)

Involve: If an activity, situation, etc. involves something, that thing is a part of the activity, etc.
(The operation involves putting a small tube into your heart.)

Manage: to succeed in doing or dealing with something, especially something difficult (Did you
manage to get any bread?)

Mention: to speak about something quickly, giving little detail or using few words (My wife
mentioned seeing you the other day.)

Mind: (used in questions and negatives) to be annoyed or worried by something (I don't mind
having a dog in the house so long as it's clean)

Miss: to feel sad that a person or thing is not present (I haven't missed smoking like I expected to.)

Offer: to ask someone if they would like to have something or if they would like you to do
something (My father offered to take us to the airport)

Plan: a set of decisions about how to do something in the future (I plan to sell the house and buy
an apartment)
Pretend: to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in order to
deceive people or as a game (Were you just pretending to be interested?)

Put off: postpone an event, activity, etc. (I can’t put off going to the dentist any longer)

Refuse: to say that you will not do or accept something (On cold mornings the car always refuses
to start)

Seem: to give the effect of being; to be judged to be (I seem to know more about him than anyone
else)

Succeed: If you succeed, you achieve something that you have been aiming for, and if a plan or
piece of work succeeds, it has the results that you wanted (The campaign has certainly succeeded
in raising public awareness of the issue)

Tend: to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic (We tend to get
cold winters and warm, dry summers in this part of the country.)