This document discusses verbs that can be followed by different types of clauses in English, including to-infinitive clauses, -ing clauses, and that clauses. It provides examples of common verbs that take each type of clause. For to-infinitive clauses, common verbs include verbs of thinking, feeling, saying and other verbs like arrange, attempt, help. For -ing clauses, common verbs are verbs of liking/disliking, saying/thinking, and verbs like avoid, begin, practise. For that clauses, common verbs are verbs of thinking, saying, and some nouns can take that clauses to provide more information.

1. verbs followed by to + infinitive
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1 Some verbs are followed by the to-infinitive:
I decided to go home as soon as possible.
We all wanted to have more English classes.
Common verbs followed by the to-infinitive are:
Verbs of thinking and feeling:
• choose
• decide
• expect
• forget
• hate
• hope
• intend
• learn
• like
• love
• mean
• plan
• prefer
• remember
• would like

2. • would love
Verbs of saying:
• agree
• promise
• refuse
Other common verbs are:
• arrange
• attempt
• fail
• help
• manage
• tend
• try
• want
2 Some verbs are followed by a noun and the
to-infinitive:
She asked him to send her a text message.
He wanted all his friends to come to his
party.
Common verbs with this pattern are:
Verbs of saying:

3. • advise
• ask
• encourage
• invite
• order
• persuade
• remind
• tell
• warn *
*Note: The verb warn is normally used with not
The police warned everyone not to drive too
fast.
Verbs of wanting or liking:
• expect
• intend
• would
• prefer
• want
• would like
Other verbs with this pattern are:
• allow
• enable

4. • force
• get
• teach
3. Passive infinitive
Many of these verbs are sometimes followed
by a passive infinitive
(to be + past participle):
I expected to be met when I arrived at the
station.
They wanted to be told if anything
happened.
I don’t like driving myself. I prefer to be
driven.
Activity 1(pop-up): Match the 'to infinitive'
clauses to the sentence beginnings.
Activity 2(pop-up): Match the 'to infinitive'
clauses to the sentence beginnings.
Activity 3(pop-up): Match the 'to infinitive'
clauses to the sentence beginnings
verbs followed by -ing clauses
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5. Common verbs followed by –ing nouns are:
Verbs of liking and disliking:
• detest
• dislike
• enjoy
• hate
• fancy
• like
• love
I love swimming but I hate jogging.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
A: Do you fancy going for a walk?
B: I wouldn’t mind
Phrases with mind:
• wouldn’t mind (= would like)
• don’t mind (= I am willing to)
• would you mind (= will you please…?)
I wouldn’t mind having some fish and
chips.
I don’t mind waiting for a few minutes.
Would you mind holding this for me?

6. Verbs of saying and thinking:
• admit
• consider
• deny
• imagine
• remember
• suggest
Our guide suggested waiting until the storm
was over.
Everyone denied seeing the accident.
Other common verbs are:
• avoid
• begin
• finish
• keep
• miss
• practise
• risk
• start
• stop
I haven’t finished writing this letter.
Let’s practise speaking English.

7. Passive form of -ing
Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by
the passive form of -ing: being + past participle
I don’t like being interrupted.
Our dog loves being stroked under the chin.
Noun + -ing clause
Some verbs are followed by a noun and an -ing
clause:
Verbs to do with the senses:
• see
• watch
• hear
• smell
• listen to
• etc.
We saw everybody running away.
I could hear someone singing.
Other common verbs:
• catch
• find

8. • imagine
• leave
• prevent
• stop
I caught someone trying to break into my
house.
We couldn’t prevent them getting away
verbs followed by that clause
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With "that"
We can use clauses with that:
• after verbs of thinking:
• think
• believe
• expect
• decide
• hope
• know
• understand
• suppose
• guess
• imagine

9. • feel
• remember
• forget
I hope that you will enjoy your holiday.
She didn’t really think that it would happen.
I knew that I had seen her somewhere
before.
• after verbs of saying:
• say
• admit
• argue
• reply
• agree
• claim
• deny
• mention
• answer
• complain
• explain
• promise
• suggest
They admitted that they had made a mistake.
She argued that they should invest more in

10. the business.
The children complained that they had
nothing to do.
Note: tell and some other verbs of saying must
always have a direct object (see clauses,
sentences and phrases):
• tell
• convince
• persuade
• inform
• remind
We tried to tell them that they should stop
what they were doing.
The police informed everybody that the
danger was over.
• as postmodifiers after nouns to do with
thinking or saying:
• advice
• belief
• claim
• feeling
• argument

11. • hope
• promise
• report
• guess
• opinion
• idea
He made a promise that he would do all he
could to help.
I had a funny feeling that something was
wrong.
• after some nouns to say more about the noun:
• fact
• advantage
• effect
• possibility
• chance
• danger
• evidence
• problem
• difficulty
She pointed out the danger that they might
be left behind.
There was a chance that we would succeed

12. Note: We often use a that clause to define
one of these nouns after the verb be :
• danger
• problem
• chance
• possibility
• fact
The danger is that we will be left behind.
The fact is that it is getting very late.
• after some adjectives which describe feelings
to give a reason for our feelings:
• pleased
• sorry
• happy
• unhappy
• sad
• excited
• glad
• disappointed
• afraid
I am sorry that you can’t come.
Everybody was pleased that the danger was

13. past.
It is lucky that you were able to drive us
home.
No "that"
NOTE: We can always use a clause without the
word that:
They admitted [that] they had made a
mistake.
The police informed everybody [that] the
danger was over.
I am sorry [that] you can’t come.
There was chance [that] we would succeed