Verbs + Other Verbs (#1

Verbs + Other Verbs (#1):

Verb + to + Verb It often happens, when writing or speaking in English,

that you need two or more verbs, one after another.

When this is the case, there are often questions about

the form of the second (third, etc.) verb. Should it be

an infinitive (to + simple form)? Should it be a gerund

(-ing form)? Should it be a base (simple) form? If there

is an object, where does the object go? etc.

We hope to provide some answers for these questions

in the next several Hints of the Day.

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Verb + to + Verb

In English, verbs often connect to other verbs by using to:

I need to try to continue to work very hard.

In the sentence above, three verbs--try, continue, and

work--connect to need by using to. There are many

English verbs that connect to other verbs in this way.

Here are some of the the most common ones:

afford

agree

appear

arrange

ask

attempt

be

beg

can't bear

expect

fail

forget

get

hate

hesitate

hope

intend

learn

refuse

regret

remember

seem

start

stop

strive

struggle

swear

can't stand

beg

begin

care

choose

claim

consent

continue

decide

demand

deserve

desire

like

love

manage

mean

need

offer

opt

plan

prefer

prepare

pretend

profess

promise

tend

threaten

try

venture

volunteer

wait

want

wish

would like

yearn

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Special Notes:

1. All of the verbs above may be followed by to +

another verb. Some of them (attempt, can't bear,

begin, continue, forget, hate, like, love, prefer,

regret, remember, can't stand, start, try) may also

be followed by a gerund (an -ing form).

2. To make verbs connected by to negative, use an

auxiliary + not for the first verb, but make the

"connected" verbs negative by using only not:

Examples:

He doesn't (didn't, won't) need to try to

continue to work so hard. / He hasn't (hadn't)

needed to try to continue to work so hard.

He needs to try not to continue to work so hard.

He needs to try to continue not to work so hard.

3. When verbs are connected with to, the first verb

can be in any tense, but the others are in simple

form because they follow to:

Examples:

I'm planning to arrange to take some time off.

I plan to to arrange to take some time off.

I planned to to arrange to take some time off.

I planned to to arrange to take some time off.

I've planned to arrange to take some time off.

I'd planned to arrange to take some time off,

but I had to change my plans.

I'll want to arrange to take some time off

next Spring.

4. Some of the verbs above have special meanings

or uses when they follow to:

be to ( + verb) = be expected to + verb;

get to ( + verb) = be permitted to + verb;

opt to ( + verb) = choose to + verb.

Examples:

You're to be here no later than 10:30 AM.

It's too bad that you didn't get to go to the party.

He opted to take an early-morning flight so that

he could get a lower price.

5. Some of the verbs above have different meanings

when they are followed by to + verb and when

they are followed by a verb + -ing:

regret to (verb) = be sorry to (verb), but

regret (verb + -ing) = be sorry about (verbing);

remember to (verb) = not forget to (verb), but

remember (verb + -ing) = have a memory of

(verb + -ing).

stop to (verb) = stop in order to (verb), but

stop (verb + -ing) = quit (verbing) / no longer (verb).