LESSON 15

1. Complex sentences are those in which a dependent clause is joined to an

independent or main clause.
2. Verb completers: Transitive verbs require a completer. When this completer is
a noun phrase, we call it a direct object. Besides the noun phrase, however, there
are three other verb completers.

- 27. 1.
“Decide” is one of those verbs which can take another verb forms as objects.
These verbs are called “catenative verbs” because they form a “chain” or
group of verbs.

“They decided to try to stop complaining” – Contains three catenatives:

1. “decided” introduces an object clause formed by the “chain” “to try to
stop complaining.
2. “try” introduces another object formed by “to stop complaining”
3. “stop” is followed by the verb “complaining”, which also acts as an
object.

The problem with catenatives is that the type of construction used after them
is not always the same.

“I have decided not to go on studying anymore” – “decided” is followed by

a TO-INF because both the main clause and the subordinate clause (“not to
go on studying anymore” have the same subject. However, when the subject
is not the same, “decide” is followed by a THAT-CLAUSE:

“They decided that I should help them with the homework”

a. A THAT-CLAUSE is a finite clause introduced by the subordinating

conjunction “that” and contains a subject and a full verb.

i. While a THAT-CLAUSE can function as a subject, it is normally

delayed by an anticipatory subject.
(e.g. That the test was difficult was obvious – It was obvious that the test
was difficult)
27.10.
When the THAT-CLAUSE functions as the object, the conjunction
“that” is usually dropped: “I have realised that it’s no good my putting
up with boring lecturers – I have realised it’s no good my putting…”

This construction is often followed by a subjunctive or with the modal

auxiliary “should”: e.g. It’s funny (that) you should say that

29.10
 In a formal style, “should” is often used in THAT-CLAUSES after
adjectives like “necessary, important, essential, unlikely, unfair” and
after such verbs as “insist, suggest and propose”. The pronoun “it” is
often used as an anticipatory subject when the “real” subject of the main
clause is another clause:
“It is very unlikely that anyone should find me there” the real subject of
the main clause is “that anyone should find me there”.

ii. A THAT-CLAUSE is more likely to complete a transitive verb,

functioning as a direct object (e.g. I wish that you would reconsider)

33.13 He wished he had worked with women. This is a “wish” clause

where the verb “wish” combines with a past perfect because it expresses
a regret about a past situation.

34. 5. The construction “wish” followed by a THAT-CLAUSE can be

used to express regret, dissatisfaction or exasperation. This construction
can contain a past simple, a past perfect or a simple conditional.

The same meaning may be expressed more emphatically using the

construction “if only”.
“I wish the authorities would act differently” – “If only the authorities
would act differently” (this construction is more emphatical)

b. A gerund (-ing form) also known as a verbal noun, may also complete a
transitive verb (e.g I like riding horses)

29.5 She does not allow drinking

The catenatives “allow” and “permit” are followed by:
a. An ING-FORM, either alone (example) or preceded by a possessive or an
object (e.g. Mum allowed our/us staying outdoors)
b. OBJECT + TO-INF (e.g. Mum allowed us to stay outdoors)

These two verbs can be followed by a TO-INF only when there is an explicit
object. We cannot say *Mum allowed to stay outdoors *She does not allow to
drink.

Gerunds commonly function as subjects (e.g. Riding horses is a wonderful

leisure activity) as well as objects of a preposition (e.g. A strong back is good
for riding horses)

28. 1 LESSON 14

29. 8 I admitted to buying some cans

The verb “admit” is followed by an –ing form, either with or without “to”
(admitted doing so). When the subject of the subordinate clause is different, the -
ING FORM is preceded by a possessive adjective or an object form (She
admitted to me/my telling her)

In the example, we can also say “I admitted to having bought some cans” but as
it is plain that you bought the cans before you admit it, the cumbersome “having
+ past participle” is simplified to “buying”. Also is possible “I admitted that I
have bought”

The verb “confess” behave the similar way: “He confessed to kidnapping/having
kidnapped the children”

29.17 I really must please her by visiting her as often as I can

The preposition “by” is often used to introduce the notion of method (the way of
doing something). Like all prepositions, it is followed by a noun phrase, a
pronoun, or an –ING FORM.

i. When a gerund completes a verb, the subject of the full verb is the
assumed agent of the verbal action expressed in the gerund.
(He enjoys flying gliders)

ii. If, however, the agent of the full verb is different from that of the gerund,
this new agent must be stated, thus creating a non-finite clause.

Traditionally, the agent of a gerund was a possessive form, either a

possessive determiner (e.g. She objected to my telling the story) or an s-
genitive (e.g. She objected to her husband’s telling the story). But
commonly, gerund agents are expressed through an object pronoun (e.g
She objected to me telling the story) or a simple noun phrase (e.g. She
objected to her husband telling the story)

27.9. I am quite accustomed to his giving me good advice

Verbs followed by –ING FORMS show an interesting pattern regarding
the agent of the subordinate clause. Since the –ING FORM is a verbal
noun, it may be preceded by a possessive, as in the example, or in
colloquial contexts by an object form (“accustomed to him giving”).

The structures “be accustomed to” and “be used to” both take an -ING
FORM, not an infinitive, because “to” in these constructions is a
preposition. Another verb which is followed by “to” and an ING FORM
is “object” (e.g. David objected to him/his swearing all the time)

c. An infinitive phrase (to+inf) will frequently function as verb completer:

 29.3 PRETEND
“Pretend” is a false friend, it doesn’t mean “pretender”, it means “intend”.
When the subject of the subordinate clause is the same as that in the main
clause, either the infinitive or a THAT-CLAUSE may be used (e.g. Although
she pretends that she is the only descendant).
When the subject is not the same, only the that-structure is possible (e.g. She
pretended that her mother was a member of the Royal Family)

33. 12 AGREE
“Agree” can be followed by a TO-INFINITIVE (e.g. They would probably
not agreed to go) or by a THAT-CLAUSE (e.g. Everybody agrees that
language students should spend some time abroad during their university
studies).
“Agree” is one of the verbs that cannot combine with OBJECT + TO-INF
when two subjects are involved. It uses other combinations: (.e.g We agreed
to have/let them come)
Other verbs which have the same restriction are “try” and “decide”.

Infinitive phrases can also function with an anticipatory subject (e.g. It is

important to buckle your seat belt before driving) Or a noun phrase
completer in postmodification (e.g. a machine to sell peanuts)

27. 11 It’s no good my putting up

Sentences that start with an anticipatory “it” are usually followed by a TO-
INF, a THAT-CLAUSE or a WH-/HOW CLAUSE. However, “it’s no good”
is an exception, it is followed by an –ing clause. Other exceptions: “it’s no
use” and “it’s (not) worth”.
In these constructions, “it” is an anticipatory subject, but it can also function
as an object, as in “I take it that you won’t come with us””I find it hard to
write compositions”.
29. 10

i. By default, the subject of the full verb is the agent of the infinitive (e.g. I
wanted to go). If, however, a new agent is introduced, it will always be
an object pronoun (e.g. I wanted him to go for me) or a simple noun
phrase (e.g. I wanted Bill to go for me):

(This is another example of a non-finite clause)

27. 3 My parents intended me to study science

 Catenative verbs like “intend”, “want” or “order” are followed by
OBJECT + TO-INF when they introduce a subordinate clause whose
subject is different from that of the main clause:
“I want them listen to me” “She ordered me to do a handstand”

After the verb “intend” we can use the following structures:

a. When a subordinate clause has the same subject as the main clause, it
can be followed by either a TO-INF or an –ING FORM (“I intend to
go/going with you)
b. When the subordinate clause has a different subject (example), it can
be followed by either OBJECT + TO-INF or a THAT-CLAUSE with
or without “should” (“Intended me to study science” (formal) /
“They intend that I (should) study science)

Remember that a THAT-CLAUSE is not possible in these situations (e.g

*I would like that you visit us – I would like you to visit us). The
OBJECT + TO-INF construction is always the best option (27.3)

ii. Some verbs (“agree”, “decide”, “try”) cannot be followed by OBJECT +

TO INF directly. A construction with “make” or “get” is necessary (e.g.
She tried to get him to tell her his secret)

27.4 I tried to make him understand

In Spanish “intentar” may have an object clause with the same subject as
the main one (“intenté ayudarle”) or a different one (“Intenté que mi
suegra me ayudará).

In English “try” cannot be followed by a subordinate clause with a

different subject, and therefore it is necessary to use some kind of
causative structure, with “make” and “get” is necessary: “I tried to
get/make my mother-in-law to help me”

33.2 Subordinate clauses following “decide” can accept several formats.

When the subject of the main clause coincides with that of the
subordinate clause, we have three possibilities:

1. Decide + to-inf (e.g. He had decided to go with them)

2. Decide on + ing form (e.g. They decided on having a snack)
3. Decide + THAT-CLAUSE (e.g. Peter decided that he should work
somewhere else)

If two different subjects are involved, we use THAT-CLAUSE (29.4) or

resort to more complex constructions using verbs such as “make”
followed by OBJECT + BARE INFINITIVE (e.g. I decided to make my
 students work harder”) or “get” followed by OBJECT + TO INF (e.g.
The manager had decided to get her employees to assume more
responsabilities in the firm)

The same happens with the verb “try” (e.g. Maggie tried to make her
husband give up smoking; The doctor tried to get his patients to
participate in sporting activities)

33.12

iii. Certain verbs (know, show, etc) require an interrogative particle (how,
where or what) before the infinitive phrase (e.g. I didn’t know how to tell
her) (e.g. She knows where to stay).
In verbs like “teach” and “learn” this particle is optional (e.g. She taught
them how to sew = She taught them to sew). The interrogative particle
“how” may be omitted in more formal contexts.

iv. A purpose infinitive completes a verb by stating why the verbal action
was carried out (e.g. I stopped (doing something else) to eat) the gerund
completer, functioning as the direct object, I stopped eating).

Purpose infinitives may also complete causes (e.g. She made a worksheet
to help her classmates). They are also introduced by “for” when there is
an agent expressed: “They got an Internet connection for their grandkids
to be able to use social media”. (purpose clauses in l. 16)

v. An infinitive phrase may be left implicit (ellipsis) when its meaning is

supplied by the context. The auxiliary “to” functions as an auxiliary
creating ellipsis (e.g. I didn’t go because I didn’t want to)

18.15 Although subordinate clauses may be omitted after verbs like

“want, love, like, hate, try” the infinitive particle “to” is often retained
(e.g. It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to) (e.g. I went there because a
friend of mine asked me to (avoids the subordinate clause “to go there”)

3. Catenative verbs must be learned, since there is no way to predict the type of
completer they will take based on their form. In general, however, it is important to
recognize that TO-INF completers are more common than –ing form completers.

a. “Begin”, “continue”, “enjoy”, “hate”, “like”, “start” can take different

completers with no change in meaning (e.g. I like swimming in the sea = I like to
swim regularly) (27.2)
Other verbs may change completer when an agent is added.

27. 5 I preferred to do law

 “Prefer” can be used in two constructions:
- When the main clause has the main subject as the subordinate clause,
“prefer” is followed by a TO-INF or an –ING FORM (e.g I prefer to
do/doing it now) with no difference in meaning.
- When the subject of the subordinate clause is different, is followed by
OBJECT + TO-INF or a THAT-CLAUSE (e.g. I prefer them to do it now; I
prefer that they should do it now)

Another possibility is using a possessive, or in colloquial texts, an object form

and an –ING FORM (e.g. I prefer their/them doing it now). After the conditional
form would + prefer an infinitive is always used (e.g. I would
like/love/hate/prefer to have a sarong)

27.7

“Suggest” has two constructions:

- ING FORM “She suggested doing it differently

- THAT-CLAUSE “My uncle suggested that I should study electronics” (this
construction can contain a present or past tense, an infinitive preceded by
“should”, or in a formal style a subjunctive form “She suggests that he do it
differently”.

29. 2 “Request” is a catenative, “He has requested that I should keep her
company” (more formal) OR “He has requested me to keep her company”

“Decide” 29.4, 33.2, 33.8

b. Some verbs change their meaning when they are completed by a TO-
INFINITIVE or an –ING FORM:

29.9 “Remember” and “forget”

“We didn’t remember to lock the door” First, we didn’t remember, then we
didn’t lock the door. The main verb chronologically precedes the second.
“I don’t remember locking the door”. I did or I didn’t lock the door but now I
can’t remember. The main verb chronologically follows the second.

“I forgot to tell him”/ “I’ve forgotten telling you”

27.2 “Go”
When followed by an –ING FORM means “continue”, “I have decided not to go
on studying”.
When followed by a TO-INF it means “proceed to do something different”, “He
went on to tell us about his problems at home” (He was talking about something
else and then changed the subject to talk about his problems).
 The verb “continue” can take an –ing form or a to-ing form with no difference in
meaning, “He continued to teach/teaching maths for years”.

27. 6 “Mean” (29.6)

- TO-INF: means “intend, have the intention of”: “I didn’t mean to destroy their
hopes”.
- ING-FORM: means “entail, involve”: “As an extra job would mean seeing my
family only at the week-end.

20.19 “Stop”
- ING-FORM: means “finish an action”: “Have you stopped practicing now?”
- TO-INF: means “finish an action in order to do something else”: “No, we have
just stopped to take a break”.

27. 4 “Try”
- ING FORM: means “do something as an experiment”: “Try turning on and off
again”
- TO-INF: means “attempt to do something difficult”: “I’m not an electrician
but I’ll try to mend it”.

4. Verbs of perception are different from causative verbs in that they may be
followed by a BARE INFINITIVE (e.g. I’ve seen him cook a meal for 20!) or a
PRESENT PARTICIPLE (e.g. I heard them talking it over in the other room).

The difference between two is one of aspect. The BARE functions as a simple
aspect and the PRESENT PARTICIPLE functions as a progressive aspect
highlighting the extension of an activity over time.

Adjectival subordination: creates a complex sentence. Defining adjectival relative clause (no
commas).

Nominal subordination: I decided what?. We have a new clause, completer of the verb.

EXAMEN: What kinds of complex sentences we have? DON’T PREPOSITIONAL CLAUSE.

Completer: - NP- direct object (I decided it)

- That clause (I decided that I should go)

 - V ing (verb verbals LENGUA INGLESA I)
- To V

The most common completer after a Transitive Verb is NP (1) or that clause(2). More common
is the infinitive (3) least common is the gerund.

S V + (that + S V) Nominal relative clause. This happens, but we are not use to see What + S V.

Try, want, intend, order – NUNCA: We wanted that.

More formal: It is evident that the exam was easy.

Catenative: cadena. Catenative structures allow to have verb connected.

Bare infinitive: main verb “play”

Infinitive phrase: main verb “play”

Present participle : adjectival

We expect to find frequently the infinitive structure.

- He wanted to stop. Basic structure.

- New actor to the infinitive. They decided that I stop the car / They wanted me to stop
the car NOT They decided me to stop the car.

V + V ING

Never a preposition followed by an infinitive.

Constructions such as accustomed to/used to – ing form. Prepositions with ing forms.

V + POSSESSIVE + V ING

The ing form is not done by the subject, is done by the actor (´s) – I hated their losing the match
like that. ( I hate the fact that I lose the match) Not a possessive with ‘s but a possessive
determiner “their”. CORRECT CONSTRUCTION, formal academic English EXAMEN.

“I hated them losing the match” – I hated them.

CONSTRUCTION mixture of that two: I hated that they lost the match (sounds good, not an
strange interpretation)

I love reading books (general) / I love to read books (concrete) – but not a real distinction, we
pick. NO meaning difference at all with no difference verbs.

EXERCISES