Verb Patterns - Icollados's Blog



Verb Structures and Patterns

This guide provides a look at common verb structures and patterns used in English. Each structure is explained and an example of correct usage is given.

|Verb Type |Explanation |Examples |

|Intransitive |An intransitive verb does not take a direct object |They're sleeping. |

| | |They arrived late. |

|Transitive |A transitive verb takes a direct object. The direct object can be a noun, a |They bought the sweater. |

| |pronoun or a clause. |He watched them. |

|Linking |A linking verb is followed by a noun or adjective which refers to the subject|The meal looked wonderful. |

| |of the verb. |He felt embarrassed. |

Verb Patterns

There are also many verb patterns which are common in English. When two verbs are used, it is especially important to notice which form the second verb takes (infinitive - to do - base form - do - verb ing - doing).

|Verb Pattern |Structure |Examples |

|verb infinitive |This is one of the most common verb combination forms. |I waited to begin dinner. |

| | |They wanted to come to the party. |

|verb verb ing |This is one of the most common verb combination forms. |They enjoyed listening to the music. |

| | |They regretted spending so much time on the |

| | |project. |

|verb verb ing OR verb |Some verbs can combine with other verbs using both forms|She started to eat dinner. OR She started |

|infinitive - no change in |without changing the basic meaning of the sentence. |eating dinner. |

|meaning | | |

|verb verb ing OR verb |Some verbs can combine with other verbs using both |They stopped speaking to each other. => They|

|infinitive - change in meaning |forms. However, with these verbs, there is a change in |don't speak to each other anymore. |

| |the basic meaning of the sentence. |They stopped to speak to each other. => They|

| | |stopped walking in order to speak to each |

| | |other. |

|verb indirect object direct |An indirect object is usually placed before a direct |I bought her a book. |

|object |object when a verb takes both an indirect and direct |She asked him the question. |

| |object. | |

|verb object infinitive |This is the most common form when a verb is followed by |She asked her to find a place to stay. |

| |both an object and a verb. |They instructed them to open the envelope. |

|verb object base form |This form is used with a few verbs (let, help and make).|She made her finish her homework. |

|(infinitive without 'to') | |They let him go to the concert. |

| | |He helped him paint the house. |

|verb object verb ing |This form is less common than verb object infinitive. |I observed them painting the house. |

| | |I heard her singing in the living room. |

|verb object clause with 'that' |Use this form for a clause beginning with 'that'. |She told him that she would worker harder. |

| | |He informed him that he was going to resign.|

|verb object clause with 'wh-' |Use this form for a clause beginning with wh- (why, |They were instructed where to go. |

| |when, where) |She told me why she had done it. |

|verb object past participle |This form is often used when someone does something for |He had his car washed. |

| |someone else. |They want the report finished immediately. |



More examples of verb patterns are given here:

Verb Patterns.

1. subject - linking verb - subject complement: adjective (phrase)

The lesson was interesting.

The game became more exciting.

The beach looked deserted.

To go further was impossible.

The milk went sour.

The damage appears (to be) serious.

2. subject - linking verb - subject complement: noun (phrase)

David is my younger brother.

That appears to be the best answer.

This proved to be a good investment.

To stay out of sight seemed to be the wisest thing to do.

3. subject - intransitive verb - adjunct: adverb (phrase) of time, manner, etc.

The moon rose early.

John and Jane are arguing again.

The door opened slowly.

4. subject - intransitive verb - adjunct: prepositional phrase.

Helen is coming to dinner

People are complaining about the traffic.

You can’t rely on Martin

Mother can’t cope with the extra visitors

5. subject - intransitive verb - adjunct: adverbial particle.

A visitor came in.

The noise faded away.

We’ll have to calm down.

6. subject - intransitive verb - adjunct: noun phrase/prepositional phrase.

The meeting lasted for three hours

The book cost me ten dollars

The seafront extends for three miles

7. subject - intransitive verb - adjunct: non-finite clause ( to- infinitive )

Jane hesitated to phone the office.

I wouldn’t care to have a fight with him.

We all longed to get away for a family holiday.

8. subject - transitive verb - direct object: noun ( phrase ) /pronoun.

George was watching television.

The company paid a huge sum.

Peter doesn’t owe anything.

A small boy opened the door.

9. subject - transitive verb - direct object - adjunct: prepositional phrase

The speaker thanked the chairman for his kind remarks

The teacher referred the class to a a passage in the textbook.

The waiter served Sarah with a double helping.

The lecturer confused his name with mine.

10. subject - transitive verb - direct object - adjunct: adverbial particle.

Sally is tidying her room up

Bob asked Sally out.

Bill has a blue shirt on.

The nurse shook the medicine up.

11. subject - transitive verb - direct object: that- clause.

Officials believe that a settlement is possible.

We consider that Frank has been badly treated.

Doctors have noted that the disease was spreading.

The weatherman forecast that more snow is on the way.

12. subject - transitive verb - direct object: finite clause/non-finite clause.

Bill discovered who he had to give the money to/who to give the money.

The students haven’t learnt which tutors they can rely on/which tutors to rely on.

We hadn’t decided what we ought to do next/what to do next.

13. subject - transitive verb - direct object: non-finite clause (to- infinitive )

Bill liked to arrive early for meetings.

Jane wants to finish the job by tomorrow.

Peter expects to be promoted soon.

Tom loves to do the household chores.

14. subject - transitive verb - direct object: non-finite clause ( noun(phrase)/pronoun+to- infinitive )

The teacher wants her class/them to finish the job by Wednesday.

Tony prefers His wife/her to do the housework.

I expect the parcel/it to arrive tomorrow.

The boss liked the staff/them to arrive early for work.

15. subject - transitive verb - direct object: non-finite clause: ing- form

Peter enjoys playing football.

I remembered posting the letters

John denied stealing the stamps.

Jill hates working in the garden.

16. subject - double-transitive verb - indirect object - direct object: non-finite clause (to- infinitive )

We told Peter to see a doctor

John and Mary encouraged Simon to stay.

His teacher advised him to take up the piano.

The court forbade the father to see his children.

17. subject - double-transitive verb - indirect object - direct object: that- clause

Police warned drivers that the roads were icy.

The manager informed the audience that the show has been cancelled.

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