Verb Complementation in English
Verb complementation refers to the grammatical structures that follow a verb to complete its meaning. Understanding which verbs take which complements is essential for fluent English. Some verbs are followed by gerunds (-ing forms), others by infinitives (to + verb), and some can take both with different meanings.
This lesson will explore all major verb complementation patterns, providing you with the knowledge to use verbs correctly and naturally in English.
1. Overview of Verb Complement Types
Verbs in English can be followed by different structures. Here are the main complement types:
| Complement Type | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | Verb + -ing form | I enjoy reading books. |
| To-infinitive | Verb + to + base verb | She wants to travel abroad. |
| Bare infinitive | Verb + base verb (no 'to') | I heard him sing. |
| That-clause | Verb + that + clause | He said that he was tired. |
| Wh-clause | Verb + wh-word + clause | I know where she lives. |
| Object + infinitive | Verb + object + (to) infinitive | She told me to wait. |
2. Verb + Gerund (-ing form)
Many verbs are followed by a gerund (verb + -ing). The gerund functions as a noun in these cases.
Common Verbs Followed by Gerunds
| Verb | Example | Meaning/Usage |
|---|---|---|
| admit | He admitted stealing the money. | Confess to doing something |
| avoid | She avoids eating junk food. | Stay away from doing something |
| consider | We're considering moving to Spain. | Think about doing something |
| delay | Don't delay sending your application. | Postpone doing something |
| deny | He denied breaking the window. | Say you didn't do something |
| enjoy | I enjoy playing tennis. | Like doing something |
| finish | Have you finished reading the book? | Complete doing something |
| imagine | Can you imagine living there? | Picture doing something |
| keep | He keeps forgetting his keys. | Continue doing something |
| mind | Do you mind waiting a moment? | Object to doing something |
| miss | I miss talking to her. | Feel sad about not doing something |
| practice | You need to practice speaking English. | Do something repeatedly to improve |
| quit | He quit smoking last year. | Stop doing something |
| suggest | I suggest leaving early. | Propose doing something |
Memory Tip: Many verbs that express enjoyment, avoidance, or completion take gerunds. Think of gerunds as activities that are ongoing or have been experienced.
3. Verb + To-Infinitive
Many verbs are followed by the to-infinitive form. These often express intentions, desires, or future actions.
Common Verbs Followed by To-Infinitive
| Verb | Example | Meaning/Usage |
|---|---|---|
| agree | She agreed to help us. | Say yes to doing something |
| decide | They decided to stay home. | Make a choice to do something |
| expect | I expect to arrive by noon. | Think something will happen |
| fail | He failed to mention the problem. | Not succeed in doing something |
| hope | We hope to see you soon. | Want something to happen |
| learn | She's learning to drive. | Acquire the ability to do something |
| manage | Did you manage to finish? | Succeed in doing something difficult |
| offer | He offered to pay for dinner. | Volunteer to do something |
| plan | They plan to renovate the house. | Intend to do something |
| promise | She promised to call me. | Say you will definitely do something |
| refuse | He refused to answer. | Say no to doing something |
| seem | She seems to be happy. | Appear to be/do something |
| want | I want to travel the world. | Desire to do something |
| wish | I wish to complain. | Express a desire (formal) |
Memory Tip: Verbs followed by to-infinitive often relate to the future, intentions, or desires. They point forward to actions not yet completed.
4. Verb + Bare Infinitive (without 'to')
Some verbs, particularly modal verbs and verbs of perception, are followed by the bare infinitive (base form of the verb without 'to').
Verbs Followed by Bare Infinitive
| Category | Verbs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Modal Verbs | can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would | She can speak three languages. You must arrive on time. |
| Perception Verbs | see, hear, watch, notice, feel | I saw her leave the building. Did you hear him sing? |
| Let & Make | let, make | Let me help you. They made us wait for hours. |
| Help | help (can use both bare and to-infinitive) | Can you help me carry this? Can you help me to carry this? |
Important Note: When perception verbs are used in the passive voice, they take the to-infinitive:
- Active: I saw him steal the money.
- Passive: He was seen to steal the money.
5. Verb + Object + Infinitive Patterns
Many verbs can be followed by an object and then an infinitive. Some take the to-infinitive, others the bare infinitive.
Verb + Object + To-Infinitive
| Verb | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| advise | advise + object + to-infinitive | I advised him to see a doctor. |
| allow | allow + object + to-infinitive | They allowed us to leave early. |
| ask | ask + object + to-infinitive | She asked me to wait. |
| encourage | encourage + object + to-infinitive | The teacher encouraged students to participate. |
| expect | expect + object + to-infinitive | I expect you to be on time. |
| force | force + object + to-infinitive | They forced him to resign. |
| invite | invite + object + to-infinitive | She invited me to stay for dinner. |
| order | order + object + to-infinitive | The general ordered troops to advance. |
| persuade | persuade + object + to-infinitive | We persuaded her to join us. |
| remind | remind + object + to-infinitive | Remind me to call John. |
| teach | teach + object + to-infinitive | He taught me to play chess. |
| tell | tell + object + to-infinitive | She told him to be quiet. |
| want | want + object + to-infinitive | I want you to listen carefully. |
| warn | warn + object + to-infinitive | They warned us not to go there. |
6. Verbs That Take Both Gerund and Infinitive
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive. Sometimes the meaning changes, sometimes it doesn't.
Same Meaning with Gerund or Infinitive
| Verb | With Gerund | With Infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| begin | It began raining. | It began to rain. |
| continue | He continued talking. | He continued to talk. |
| hate | I hate waiting. | I hate to wait. |
| like | She likes swimming. | She likes to swim. |
| love | They love traveling. | They love to travel. |
| prefer | I prefer reading. | I prefer to read. |
| start | She started crying. | She started to cry. |
Different Meanings with Gerund or Infinitive
| Verb | With Gerund (Past/General) | With Infinitive (Future/Specific) |
|---|---|---|
| remember | I remember locking the door. (I locked it and I remember that) |
Remember to lock the door. (Don't forget to lock it) |
| forget | I'll never forget meeting her. (I met her and won't forget it) |
Don't forget to meet her. (Remember to meet her) |
| regret | I regret saying that. (I said it and now I'm sorry) |
I regret to say that... (I'm sorry to tell you this) |
| stop | He stopped smoking. (He quit the habit) |
He stopped to smoke. (He paused to have a cigarette) |
| try | Try opening the window. (Experiment with this solution) |
Try to open the window. (Make an effort to open it) |
| mean | Success means working hard. (Working hard is what success involves) |
I meant to call you. (I intended to call you) |
Key Distinction: With verbs that change meaning, gerunds often refer to past or ongoing actions, while infinitives refer to future or intended actions.
7. Verb + That-Clause
Many verbs of saying, thinking, and feeling can be followed by a that-clause. The word "that" is often optional in informal English.
Common Verbs Followed by That-Clauses
| Category | Verbs | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Saying | say, tell, mention, explain, reply | She said (that) she was tired. He told me (that) he would be late. |
| Thinking | think, believe, know, suppose, imagine | I think (that) it's going to rain. We believe (that) he is innocent. |
| Feeling | hope, wish, fear, worry | I hope (that) you get the job. She fears (that) she might fail. |
| Showing | show, prove, demonstrate | Research shows (that) exercise is beneficial. He proved (that) the theory was correct. |
8. Verb + Wh-Clause
Many verbs can be followed by wh-clauses (clauses beginning with what, where, when, why, how, who, etc.).
Common Patterns
| Verb | Example | Wh-word Used |
|---|---|---|
| know | I know where she lives. | where |
| understand | I don't understand why he left. | why |
| wonder | I wonder what happened. | what |
| ask | She asked when we would arrive. | when |
| decide | We need to decide how to proceed. | how + infinitive |
| remember | I can't remember who told me. | who |
| explain | Can you explain how it works? | how |
| show | Show me what you did. | what |
9. Prepositional Verb Patterns
Some verbs require a preposition before their complement. After prepositions, we always use gerunds, never infinitives.
Verb + Preposition + Gerund
| Verb + Preposition | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| apologize for | He apologized for being late. | Say sorry for something |
| believe in | She believes in working hard. | Have faith in something |
| complain about | They complained about waiting so long. | Express dissatisfaction |
| concentrate on | I need to concentrate on studying. | Focus attention on |
| consist of | Success consists of never giving up. | Be made up of |
| depend on | It depends on having enough time. | Be determined by |
| dream of/about | She dreams of becoming a doctor. | Hope for/imagine |
| insist on | He insisted on paying the bill. | Demand to do |
| look forward to | I look forward to meeting you. | Anticipate with pleasure |
| object to | I object to being treated unfairly. | Oppose/disagree with |
| succeed in | She succeeded in passing the exam. | Manage to do |
| think of/about | I'm thinking of changing jobs. | Consider doing |
Common Mistake: After "to" as a preposition (not part of an infinitive), use a gerund:
- ✓ I look forward to seeing you. (NOT: to see)
- ✓ She's used to working late. (NOT: to work)
- ✓ He objects to being criticized. (NOT: to be)
10. Common Mistakes with Verb Complementation
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| I enjoy to swim. | I enjoy swimming. | "Enjoy" always takes a gerund. |
| She suggested me to leave. | She suggested that I leave. She suggested leaving. |
"Suggest" doesn't take object + infinitive. |
| He made me to wait. | He made me wait. | "Make" takes bare infinitive, not to-infinitive. |
| I'm looking forward to see you. | I'm looking forward to seeing you. | After "to" as a preposition, use gerund. |
| They want that I help them. | They want me to help them. | "Want" takes object + to-infinitive, not that-clause. |
| She avoided to answer. | She avoided answering. | "Avoid" always takes a gerund. |
| I heard him to sing. | I heard him sing. I heard him singing. |
Perception verbs take bare infinitive or gerund. |
| He stopped to smoke cigarettes. | He stopped smoking cigarettes. | "Stop + gerund" = quit; "stop + infinitive" = pause to do. |
Practice Test 1 - Basic Patterns
Choose the correct form to complete each sentence.
Practice Test 2 - Fill in the Blanks
Type the correct form of the verb in parentheses.
Practice Test 3 - Different Meanings
Choose the correct option based on the meaning.
Practice Test 4 - Object + Infinitive Patterns
Complete each sentence with the correct pattern.
Practice Test 5 - Mixed Patterns
Choose the correct form for each sentence.