Participle 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 -ing form, or the Active Participle.

Notice how these are not random verbs, but ones that can be categorized in certain ways. Most of these categories reflect activities or states that are already in action at the same time the main verb takes place. Try filtering or sorting by a category, such as ‘awareness’ or ‘operation’.

Main Verb	Preposition	Indirect Object?	Category		Speech Verb?
accept		object optional	Awareness
account	for	object optional	Accounting
admit	to		Retrospection		speech
adore		object optional	Preference
advise			Influence	‡	speech
advocate		object optional	Influence		speech
affect			Behavior
agree	to		Intent	‡	speech
allow		object optional	Influence	‡
anticipate		object optional	Awareness
apologize	for		Retrospection		speech
appreciate		object optional	Preference
attempt			Operation	‡
avoid			Operation
bar		object optional	Influence
be interested	in	object optional	Preference
be keen	on	object optional	Preference	‡
be used to	*		Persistence
begin			Operation	‡
begrudge		object optional	Preference
bluff			Behavior
can't bear			Preference	‡
can't help			Persistence
can't stand			Preference	‡
carry on	*		Persistence
cause			Influence	‡
cease			Operation	‡
chance		object optional	Intent
cite			Discussion		speech
commence			Operation
complain	about		Discussion		speech
complete			Operation
conceal			Behavior
condone			Influence
confess	to		Retrospection		speech
consent	to		Intent		speech
consider		object optional	Intent
consist	of	object optional	Accounting
contemplate		object optional	Awareness
continue			Persistence	‡
debate			Discussion		speech
decide	on		Intent	‡
defer			Operation
delay			Operation
demonstrate			Behavior
deny			Retrospection		speech
depict			Behavior
describe		object optional	Discussion		speech
despise			Preference
detect		object optional	Awareness
deter	from	object optional	Influence
detest		object optional	Preference
discuss		object optional	Discussion		speech
dislike		object optional	Preference
disregard			Accounting
don't bother			Intent	‡
don't mind		object optional	Preference
dread		object optional	Preference
eliminate			Operation
embrace			Behavior
emulate			Behavior
enable		object optional	Influence	‡
encourage			Influence	‡	speech
endorse		object optional	Influence		speech
endure			Persistence
enforce			Influence
enjoy		object optional	Preference
entail		object optional	Accounting
envision		object optional	Awareness
escape			Persistence
eschew			Operation
exaggerate			Behavior
excuse		object optional	Accounting
exemplify			Behavior
expect		object optional	Awareness	‡
experience			Awareness
explain			Discussion		speech
fail	at		Operation	‡
fake			Behavior
fancy		object optional	Preference
fantasize	(about)	object optional	Awareness
favor			Preference
fear		object optional	Preference
feel		object required	Awareness
feel like			Preference
feign			Behavior
finish			Operation
forbid		object optional	Influence	‡
forget	(about)	object optional	Retrospection	‡
forgive		object optional	Accounting
get away with	*		Persistence
give up	*	object optional	Operation
hamper		object optional	Influence
hate			Preference	‡
hear		object required	Awareness
ignore		object optional	Accounting
imagine		object optional	Awareness
imitate		object optional	Behavior
implement			Operation
incite			Influence	‡
include		object optional	Accounting
indicate			Discussion
induce			Influence
inquire	about		Discussion		speech
insist	on		Influence		speech
inspire			Influence	‡	speech
intend	on		Intent	‡
introduce			Operation
involve		object optional	Accounting
justify		object optional	Accounting
keep (on)			Persistence
keep from			Persistence
lament		object optional	Retrospection
learn	(about)		Operation	‡
like			Preference	‡
loathe			Preference
look forward	to	object optional	Intent
love			Preference	‡
mandate			Influence		speech
mention			Discussion		speech
mime			Behavior
mimic		object optional	Behavior
mirror		object optional	Behavior
miss		object optional	Retrospection
model			Behavior
necessitate		object optional	Accounting
neglect			Persistence	‡
notice		object required	Awareness
observe		object required	Awareness
omit		object optional	Accounting
overhear		object required	Awareness
pause			Operation
permit		object optional	Influence	‡	speech
picture		object optional	Awareness
plan	on	object optional	Intent	‡
portray			Behavior
postpone			Operation
practice			Behavior
preclude		object optional	Accounting
prefer			Preference	‡
prevent			Influence
prohibit			Influence
prompt		object optional	Influence	‡
propose			Influence	‡	speech
put off	*		Operation
question			Discussion		speech
quit			Operation
recall		object optional	Retrospection
recognize		object optional	Awareness
recollect		object optional	Retrospection
recommend			Influence		speech
reflect	on	object optional	Retrospection
regard		object optional	Awareness
regret		object optional	Retrospection	‡
rehearse			Behavior
relish		object optional	Preference
remember		object optional	Retrospection	‡
reminisce	about	object optional	Retrospection
repeat			Operation
replicate			Operation
report			Discussion		speech
require		object optional	Accounting
resent		object optional	Preference
resist			Persistence
restrict			Influence
resume			Operation
risk		object optional	Operation
see		object optional	Awareness
sense		object optional	Awareness
shun			Influence
simulate		object optional	Behavior
spend time			Persistence
start		object optional	Operation	‡
stomach			Persistence
stop			Operation	‡
study		object optional	Awareness
succeed	in		Operation
suggest			Influence		speech
support		object optional	Accounting
take pride	in	object optional	Awareness
take to	*		Preference
think	about	object optional	Awareness
tolerate		object optional	Influence
try			Operation	‡
underscore			Discussion		speech
understand		object optional	Awareness
urge			Influence	‡	speech
visualize		object optional	Awareness
warrant		object optional	Accounting
waste time			Persistence
watch		object required	Awareness
witness		object required	Awareness
wonder	about	object optional	Awareness

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Footnotes:

Some of these phrases include words that may be qualified as Prepositions. However, we've only listed prepositions in the second column if they can be separated from the main verbs and serve to link the main verb to what comes after. If instead there is an *, it means that the so-called preposition (featured instead in the first column) is a part of a Phrasal Verb, which means it cannot be separated from the main verb without altering it's meaning.
The verbs featuring this icon are also on the Infinitive 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 Participle 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 enjoys living in Europe.” “I don’t remember asking for your input.” “He couldn’t stomach watching another horror flick.” And here are a couple more examples with indirect objects included: “I can’t risk them uncovering the surprise.” “Did you notice her leaving in the middle of the night?”

There are many more words than the ones featured here that can be followed by a preposition and then a Gerund (which is a noun in the -ing form and a variation of the Active Participle). For verbs accompanied by prepositions, we’ve only included them if the prepositions would come before the indirect object (as in “They cleverly planned on him betraying the team.”) and not after the indirect object (as in “We prohibited her from handling the dangerous materials.”). It’s debatable whether the latter counts as a Verb Pattern (and anyway including such verbs would make this already long list several times longer).

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 majority should indicate either an action in the moment or an ongoing action/state.

Topics featuring Verb Patterns

Verb Patterns

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

See Topic

Causatives

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

See Topic

Participle Verb Patterns

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Topics featuring Verb Patterns

Verb Patterns

Causatives

Check out these related word lists:

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