Infinitive Verb Patterns

Why do I need this? Verb Patterns are fairly common in everyday speech. A Verb Pattern is a combination of two verbs to convey a single action, event, or state (as opposed to verbs connected through a conjunction). The form of the second verb in a Verb Patterns depends on the meaning of the first verb (the main verb). Here is a list of main verbs that can be followed by another verb in the to- form, or the Full Infinitive.

Notice how these are not random verbs, but ones that can be categorized in certain ways. Most of these categories align with purpose and have future outcomes. Try filtering or sorting by a category, such as ‘influence’ or ‘endeavor’.

	Main Verb	Indirect Object?	Category		Speech Verb?
	adjure	object required	Influence		speech
	advise	object required	Influence	‡	speech
	agree		Endeavor	‡	speech
	aim		Endeavor
	allege		Appearance		speech
	allow	object required	Influence	‡
	appear		Appearance
	appoint	object required	Delegation
	arrange		Endeavor
	ask	object required	Influence		speech
	aspire		Endeavor
	assent		Endeavor		speech
	assign	object required	Delegation
	attempt		Endeavor	‡
	authorize	object required	Delegation
	be able		Opportunity
	be about		Endeavor
	be keen		Endeavor	‡
	beg	object required	Influence		speech
	begin		Endeavor	‡
	beseech	object required	Influence		speech
	bid	object required	Influence		speech
	campaign		Endeavor
	can afford		Opportunity
	can't bear		Inclination	‡
	can't stand		Inclination	‡
	cause	object required	Influence	‡
	cease		Endeavor	‡
	charge	object required	Delegation
**	choose	object required	Delegation
**	choose		Endeavor
	claim		Appearance		speech
	command	object required	Influence		speech
	commission	object required	Delegation
	compel	object required	Influence		speech
	consent		Endeavor		speech
	conspire		Endeavor		speech
	continue		Inclination	‡
	contrive		Endeavor
	convince	object required	Influence		speech
	counsel	object required	Influence		speech
**	dare		Endeavor		speech
**	dare	object required	Influence		speech
	decide		Endeavor	‡
	deign		Endeavor
	demand		Influence		speech
	deputize	object required	Delegation
	deserve		Opportunity
	designate	object required	Delegation
	desire		Desire
	don't bother		Endeavor	‡
	draft	object required	Delegation
	dream		Desire
	drive	object required	Influence
	elect	object required	Delegation
	embolden	object required	Influence
	empower	object required	Delegation
	enable	object required	Influence	‡
	encourage	object required	Influence	‡	speech
	endeavor		Endeavor
	enlist	object required	Delegation
	entitle	object required	Delegation
	entreat	object required	Influence		speech
	exhort	object required	Influence		speech
	expect	object optional	Influence	‡
	fail		Opportunity	‡
	forbid	object required	Influence	‡	speech
	force	object required	Influence
	forget		Endeavor	‡
**	get	object required	Delegation
**	get		Opportunity
	get a chance		Opportunity
	guide	object required	Influence
	handpick	object required	Delegation
**	hate		Endeavor
**	hate		Inclination	‡
	help	object required	Influence
	hesitate		Endeavor
	hire	object required	Delegation
	hope		Endeavor
	implore	object required	Influence		speech
	incite	object required	Influence	‡
	inspire	object required	Influence	‡	speech
	instruct	object required	Influence		speech
	intend		Endeavor	‡
	invite	object required	Influence		speech
	lead	object required	Influence
	learn		Endeavor	‡
	like		Inclination	‡
	liscense	object required	Delegation
	long		Desire
	love		Inclination	‡
	manage		Opportunity
	mean		Endeavor
	move	object required	Influence
	need	object optional	Desire
	neglect		Opportunity	‡
	nominate	object required	Delegation
	offer		Endeavor		speech
	ordain	object required	Delegation
	order	object required	Influence		speech
	permit	object required	Influence	‡	speech
	persuade	object required	Influence		speech
	petition	object optional	Influence		speech
	plan		Endeavor	‡
	prefer		Inclination	‡
	prepare		Endeavor
	pretend		Appearance
	prod	object required	Influence
	promise		Endeavor		speech
	prompt	object required	Influence	‡
	propose		Endeavor	‡
	provoke	object required	Influence		speech
	purport		Endeavor		speech
	push	object optional	Influence
	recruit	object required	Delegation
	refuse		Endeavor		speech
	regret		Endeavor	‡
	remember		Endeavor	‡
	remind	object required	Influence		speech
	resolve		Endeavor
	say		Influence		speech
	scheme		Endeavor
	seek		Endeavor
	seem		Appearance
	shoot		Endeavor
	spur	object required	Influence
	start		Endeavor	‡
	stop		Endeavor	‡
	strain		Endeavor
	strive		Endeavor
	struggle		Endeavor
	swear		Endeavor		speech
	teach	object required	Influence
	tell	object required	Influence		speech
	tempt	object required	Influence		speech
	tend		Inclination
	threaten		Endeavor		speech
	trust	object required	Delegation
	try		Endeavor	‡
	urge	object required	Influence	‡	speech
	used		Inclination
	volunteer		Endeavor
	vow		Endeavor		speech
	wait		Endeavor
	want	object optional	Desire
	warn	object required	Influence		speech
	wish		Desire
	would die/kill		Desire
	would hate		Desire
	would like	object optional	Desire
	would love	object optional	Desire
	would prefer	object optional	Desire
	yearn		Desire

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Footnotes:

Some verbs are featured twice on this list, in which case they have two different meanings and are used in two different ways. Compare "I hate to tell you this, but..." to "I hate to wake up early." For the other three instances - choose, dare, and get - one variation is volition for the speaker's action, while the other is the speaker's attempt to lead someone else to action.
The verbs featuring this icon are also on the Participle Verb Patterns list, usually with a slightly different but similar meaning (though a few of them, like remember or stop, have very different meanings).

This list of Main Verbs for Infinitive Verb Patterns is not exhaustive; it’s possible you may come across or think of other applicable verbs that are not featured here.

Here are a few examples of these words in action: “She wants to live in Europe.” “Don’t forget to pick up the dry cleaning.” “He chose to pursue a career in medicine.”

And here are a couple more options with indirect objects included: “I need you to listen carefully.” “Let’s appoint someone to manage the finances.”

Words on this list that show ‘speech’ in the last column are also Speech Verbs, or Reporting Verbs. You might use or notice them in Reported Speech and other ways to express what someone says.

We’ve placed these verbs into categories according to their general meaning, but our process was slightly subjective. If you were to group these words yourself, you might place a few of them in different categories from what we chose, give the categorize different names, or have more or fewer categories than what you see here. But the point is to see how the words on this list are not arbitrary; in fact, the vast majority (around 90% in our estimate) should in some way point to the future.

Topics featuring Verb Patterns

Verb Patterns

Learn more about how Verb Patterns (for both Active Participles and Full Infinitives) work.

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Causatives

There are more ways to express Delegation than just through Active Participles or Full Infinitives.

See Topic

Infinitive Verb Patterns

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Topics featuring Verb Patterns

Verb Patterns

Causatives

Check out these related word lists:

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