Verbs plus infinitives

Verbs + to

offer, decide, hope, deserve, attempt, promise, agree, plan, aim, afford, manage, threaten, refuse, arrange, learn, forget, fai l


If these verbs are followed by another verb, the structure is usually verb plus infinitive:

It was late, so we decided to take the bus home.

Sam was in a difficult situation, so I agreed to lend him some money.


Notice these examples with the negative not to…

We decided not to go out because of the rainy weather.

I promised not to be impatient.

You can also use to… after: seem, appear, tend, pretend, claim:

They seem to have plenty of friends.


There is also a continuous infinitive (to be doing) and a perfect infinitive (to have done):

I pretended to be reading a magazine. (I pretended that I was reading)

You seem to have lost weight.  (It seems that you have lost weight)

We say decide to do something, promise to do something etc.

In the same way, you say a decision to do something, a promise to do something etc.  (noun + to …):

I think his decision to give up his job was stupid.

Fernando has a tendency to talk about himself too much.


After dare you can use the infinitive with or without to:

I wouldn't dare to tell him.  Or I wouldn't dare tell him.

But after dare not, you must use the infinitive without to:

I dare not tell him what happened.  (not I dare not to tell him)

After the following verbs you can use a question word (what / whether / how etc.)  + to…:

ask decide know remember forget explain learn understand wonder

We asked how to get to the station.

Do you understand what to do?

Also: show / tell / ask / teach somebody what / how / where to do something.:

Can somebody show me how to change the tire on this car?

Ask Bob. He'll tell you what to do.

want ask help would like would love

expect beg mean (intend) would prefer would hate


These verbs are followed by to (infinitive).

The structure can be:

verb + to… or verb +object + to…

We expect to be late. We expected Tim to be late.

Be careful with want. Do not say want that…

Do you want me to come with you? (not Do you want that I come)


After help you can use the infinitive with or without to.

So you can say:

Can you help me to move this sofa? Or Can you help me move this sofa?

tell remind force enable teach

order warn invite persuade get (persuade, arrange for)

These verbs have the structure verb + object + to:

I didn't move the furniture by myself. I got somebody to help me.

In this example, the verb is passive:

I was warned not to touch the electric wire.

Infinitive without to

Some verbs are followed by a bare infinitive after an object:

He noticed him run away from the school.  (not …noticed him to run…)

Other verbs like this include feel, hear, observe, overhear, see, watch, have, let. However, in passive sentences with these verbs, we use a to-infinitive:

She was overheard to say that she hoped Joe would resign.

After some of these verbs (feel, hear, notice, observe, overhear, see, watch) we can use either the bare infinitive or the -ing form, but usually there is a difference in meaning.

A few verbs can be followed directly by a bare infinitive in fairly idiomatic phrases, including hear, tell, make, believe,and let (it) slip:

He made believe that he had caught the huge fish himself.  (pretended)

He let (it) slip that he's leaving. (said it unintentionally)

Note also the phrases make do and let go:

Jerry borrowed my new skateboard; I had to make do with my old one.  (it wasn't the one I wanted)