Verb Patterns

Upper Intermediate ClassThe Warehouse Madrid

avoid, end up, regret, begin, prefer, keep, start, don’t mind, continue, finish, love like, hate, miss, enjoy

+ verb+ ing(doing)

1. I avoid eating broccoli whenever I can.2. I always end up buying more things than I intended to when I go to the mall.3. I regret not studying as much when I was younger.4. I’ll begin working as a reporter next week.5. I don’t mind sharing my cupcake with you.6. I’ll continue working as a teacher even though I’ll begin working as a reporter

next week.7. I’ll finish planning the layout of the new office space next week.8. I love taking long walks on the beach.9. I hate calling people on the phone. I prefer talking to people in person.10.I’ll start taking classes at the community center next week.11.I miss talking to her every day.12.I enjoy working with you.

refuse, begin, need, hope, pretend, manage, prefer, start, seem, continue, forget, love, like, hate, plan, decide.

+infinitive with to (to do)

1. I refuse to believe that he would sabotage us like that. 2. He’s begun to feel a little out of place at the office.3. I need to believe that you are going to try harder.4. He hopes to start a career in advertising. 5. I pretended not to notice him when he walked in the room.6. I managed to escape that meeting.7. I prefer to listen to someone before deciding if I agree with him/her or not.8. He started to walk away but then he stopped, turned around and told me he

loved me.9. He seemed to smile a little bit before he boarded the plane.10. I continue to believe that he’s innocent.11. He forgot to check to see that he had his passport before he left the house.12. I love to talk about sports.13. He likes to pretend he’s not interested in the arts.14. I hate to think he did that on purpose.15. I planned to leave him out of the ceremony.16. He decided to rent a boat for Christmas vacation.

make, help, let +object + infinitive+ (sb/sth do)

1. I made him take out the trash.2. I helped him (to) fold the clothes. 3. I let him think he was smarter than me.

allow, force, encourage, expect, persuade, ask, teach, help, pay, convince

+object + infinitive+ with to (sb/sth to do)

1. I allowed him to hold my hand at dinner.2. I forced him to help me plot against my boss.3. I encouraged him to start dating again.4. I expected my son to follow in my footsteps, but he became an actor

instead.5. I persuaded Ellen to but a bigger car than the one she has now.6. They asked me to teach at the local university.7. I taught them to write their first names in cursive.8. I helped her to write her first poem.9. He paid me to walk his dog every day.10. I convinced her to let me have Mondays off.

Might, can, will, could, would rather, should, had better

+ infinitive (do)

1. He had better listen to me when I talk to him.2. I might go to London on holiday this year.3. He can argue with me all he wants, I am not buying him a new TV.4. I will go visit some friends this weekend, I think.5. I could care less what she thinks. She’s not the boss of me.6. I would rather go to London than to Wales. It’s more cosmoplitan.7. I should think she’d care what I think about her!