(U23) Verbal complements

I. Verb + ing_form
Sue admitted feeling rather upset.
admit carry on detest escape give up mind resent
adore compare discuss face include miss resist
advocate consider dislike fancy involve postpone risk
appreciate contemplate end up feel like justify practise suggest
avoid delay endure finish keep (on) put off take up
can't help deny enjoy foresee mention recommend

Watch out !
 Many verbs are followed by a preposition + -ing form.
Damien insisted on going to the party.
I’m looking forward to meeting your brother.
 The verbs feel, hear, see, notice, overhear and watch can also be followed by an object + the
bare infinitive M (without to).
I saw Martha cross the road. (= I saw all of it.)
I saw Martha crossing the road. (= I saw part of it.)
 When the verb and the gerund refer to different subjects, we can use an object pronoun or a
possessive pronoun to make it clear.
Do you mind me/my going out with your sister?

II. Verb + object + ing_form

They caught him taking money from the till.
catch find hear observe see watch
feel glimpse notice overhear smell

III. Verb + full infinitive

Can you afford to buy that car?
afford attempt decide help offer resolve vote
agree beg demand hesitate opt rush wait
aim cease deserve hope plan seem want
appear choose desire learn prepare strive work
apply claim expect manage pretend tend yearn
arrange come fail need promise undertake
aspire dare happen neglect refuse volunteer

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IV. Verb + object + full infinitive
My sister advised me to tell Jim the truth.
advise cause decide expect intend order raise signal
allow challenge defy force invite permit recommend teach
ask choose desire free lead persuade recruit tell
assign command employ help motivate pick remind tempt
assist compel empower hire move prepare request trust
authorise convince enable inspire need prompt select want
beg dare encourage instruct nominate qualify send warn

V. Verb + object + bare infinitive

The teacher let the class leave early.
help let make feel hear notice overhear see watch

Watch out !
 In passive forms, make is followed by the full infinitive.
Mum made me apologise to my sister.
I was made to apologise to my sister.
 The verbs dare and need can be used as modals, in which case they are followed by the bare
infinitive.
I don't dare tell Simone what happened.
You needn’t invite Ralph if you'd rather not.

VI. Verb (+ object) + infinitive or ing_form with little or no change in meaning

begin can't bear/stand hate love start
bother continue intend prefer

VII. Verb (+ object) + infinitive or ing_form with a change in meaning

verb (+ object) + infinitive verb (+ object) + -ing
consider/ coi là / tin là cân nhắc về việc gì
imagine I've always considered him to be a friend. We’re considering getting engaged.

forget quên phải làm gì quên đã làm gì

I forgot to ask Brian about the wedding. I'll never forget asking Helen to marry
me.
go on chuyển qua một chủ đề khác tiếp tục
We chatted about the football for a while How can you go on living with Michael?
and then he went on to tell me about his
divorce.

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like thích (như 1 thói quen / cho rằng st là đúng) thích
I like to eat with my family once a week. I don’t like being spoken to in such a
rude manner.
mean có ý định có nghĩa là
I’m sure Rania didn’t mean to upset you. Being in love means never having to say
you’re sorry.
regret lấy làm tiếc (phải nói / thông báo điều gì) hối tiếc đã làm gì
We regret to inform you that the hotel is Do you regret splitting up with Alec?
full.
remembe nhớ phải làm gì (theo kế hoạch) nhớ đã làm gì (trong quá khứ)
r Did you remember to order the flowers? I don’t remember asking for your
opinion.
stop dừng lại để làm gì (làm 1 việc khác) dừng / thôi / bỏ làm gì (việc đang làm)
Why didn't you stop to think before you Will you please just stop telling me what
acted? to do?
try cố gắng làm gì thử làm gì
Try not to forget her birthday. You could try buying her some flowers.

VIII. Preparatory it (tân ngữ giả)

With some verbs, such as find, think or consider, it is often possible to use “it” as a preparatory
object.
 I consider it incredible that James and Alice are still together.
IX. Subjunctive (thức giả định)
The subjunctive is a verb form which does not take -s in the third person singular.
It is possible to use the subjunctive in that clauses after words suggesting that something is necessary
or preferable.
 The doctor suggested that Sam take some time off work.
 It is very important that Greg not know about this.
The subjunctive forms for be are I be, you be, etc.
 It's absolutely essential that I be informed as soon as the President arrives.
We can also use should.
 The doctor suggested that Sam (should) take some time off work.

EXERCISES
A. Circle the correct word or phrase.
1 I don’t know how you could even contemplate to allow / allowing Vicky to go on holiday with
her friends.
2 The interviewer somehow managed to get / getting the politician to admit his mistake.
3 Did you mention to have / having to book the restaurant when you saw Angie?
4 We missed our flight so we ended up to sleep / sleeping on the floor in the airport.

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5 The woman demanded to know / knowing who was in charge.
6 I can’t help to feel / feeling that I’ve forgotten something.
7 The board of directors opted to apply / applying to the bank for a loan.
8 What happened when Sandra applied to join / joining the army?
9 We don’t foresee to need / needing to employ anyone to replace Amy when she’s on maternity
leave.
10 I really wasn’t expecting to bump / bumping into Ken in Birmingham.
11 I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t volunteered to help / helping Sandra move house.
12 Please don’t hesitate to contact / contacting me if you require further information.

B. Circle the correct verb form.

Kathy: Erm ... hello. You must be Preston.
Preston: Yes, yes, I am. Kathy, is it? I have to admit (1) to be / to being a bit nervous. This is the
first blind date I’ve been on.
Kathy: Me too. I almost didn’t come (2) to see / seeing you, actually. But then you just have to
risk (3) to meet / meeting someone you don't like, don’t you?
Preston: Er... yeah. Do you mind (4) to sit / sitting by the window?
Kathy: No, that’s fine. It was my sister, Jane, who suggested (5) to meet / meeting you.
Preston: Right. Did she happen (6) to tell / telling you anything about me?
Kathy: She said you work together, but she refused (7) to say / saying anything else.
Preston: Oh. Well, I’ve been looking forward (8) to meet /to meeting you. Erm ... do you feel like
(9) to order / ordering? I’m starving.
Kathy: Okay. I think I fancy (10) to have / having seafood. What about you?
Preston: Seafood sounds good. Can you see our waiter?

C. Complete using the verbs in the box in the correct form. You may need to add a preposition.

allow • ask • buy • commit • promote • prove • put • recycle • rob • wait

1 How can you justify putting so many lives at risk like that?
2 Everyone voted to allow Mr Greenwood to join the golf club.
3 The government have undertaken to buy more than a dozen helicopters from the US military.
4 People who have been accused of committing serious crimes are usually sent to prison to await
their trial.
5 The man claimed to have been robbed by two young men, but something about him made me
suspicious.
6 We can’t afford to wait for everyone to agree or we’ll miss this opportunity.
7 We are trying to encourage all local people to recycle more of their rubbish.
8 Why do you keep (on) asking me about what Susan said?
9 I challenge you to prove those accusations!
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10 The assistant manager hoped to be promoted before too long.

D. One verb in each sentence is in the wrong form. Underline the incorrect form and rewrite it
correctly.
1 You deserve to be given a medal for all the work you dio when you volunteered to help Alan
finish to clear out the attic. clearing
2 The company has resolved to improve performance in the coming months and plans resisting
being forced to close any offices. to resist
3 Being married involves to make a lot of compromises and being prepared to learn to live with
other people’s faults. making
4 Alec often appears to want to join in discussions but he needs to avoid to be so shy or he’ll
never manage to get his opinion across. being
5 Health experts recommend taking up a sport, so consider joining a team or, if you can’t face to
exercise in front of so many people, plan to go running with a friend. exercising
6 I detest being kept waiting, and it tends happening at this hotel more than any other, so stop
giving me excuses. to happen
7 What prompted me applying to join the police force was that my parents expected me to find a
job which promised to offer security and good prospects. to apply
8 Many young people yearn to get involved in making films, but few are prepared to endure to
work for years to perfect their acting skills. working
9 I dislike having to pretend getting on with someone when they don’t attempt to get to know
me. to get
10 If you are considering applying to become a student at Central University, we recommend you
to contact the secretary, who needs knowing which course you are planning to follow. to know

E. Complete each sentence with a pair of verbs from the box in the correct form.

catch / wish • feel / follow • find / hide • glimpse / walk • hear / say
notice / try • observe / nteract • see / come • smell / burn • watch / climb

1 I couldn’t see clearly, but I thought I glimpsed Lily walking past the window.
2 Did you hear Nigel say/saying that he was thinking of moving to France?
3 During the experiment, we observed the animals interacting with each other.
4 Did you turn the oven off? I can smell something burning.
5 I looked everywhere for Johnnie and I finally found him hiding under the stairs.
6 We watched the burglar climb out of the window and then called the police.
7 I couldn’t help noticing Simon trying to get his car started, so I went to help him.
8 I thought I felt somebody following me, but when I turned round there was no one there.
9 Patrick caught himself wishing he had never accepted the job in the first place.
10 I saw/glimpsed Vanessa coming/walking towards me, so I quickly dived into the nearest shop

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 to avoid her.

F. Underline twelve verbs in the wrong form and rewrite them correctly.
Divorce
Legal and social changes in Britain have led to many more people choosing getting to get divorced
over the last three decades. The Divorce Reform Act (1969) let people to get get divorced far more
easily and, despite promising staying to stay together for life, over 160,000 couples ended up to get
getting divorced each year during the late 80s and early 90s, compared to just over 27,000 in 1961.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, divorce rates tended falling to fall, then started to rise
again over the first years of the twenty-first century.
When asked what motivated them getting to get divorced, people usually mention things like not to
feel feeling that the relationship was developing, or their partner making them to feel feel
inadequate. Whatever causes people separating to separate, it is often the children who have to
learn living to live in a different family setting. They often resent to have having to change their lives
because the adults involved can’t manage resolving to resolve their difficulties. Divorce has got easier
legally, but it hasn’t got any easier emotionally.

G. Complete by writing the verb in bold in the correct form in each pair of sentences.
1 I wish you’d stop telling us you’re going to get an A because it’s not certain, you know.
2 Miss Edwards was explaining some grammar to us but she had to stop to tell a couple of the
girlsto be quiet. tell

3 When you’re in town, remember to get some snacks for this evening.
4 I remember getting out of the car and I think I saw the motorbike, but everything after that is a
blank. get

5 We regret to announce that flight RA 721 has been cancelled.

6 I regret announcing thatI was going to resign because I changed my mind soon after. announce

7 The lecturer ignored the interruption and went on talking as if nothing had happened.
8 The lecturer described the social conditions in the 1930s and went on to talk about the effect of
the war. talk

9 You’re going to be angry, but I forgot to go to the bank to pay that cheque in.
10 Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten going to the Blue Mountains! It was only last summer. go

11 The air conditioner wasn’t working so I tried changing the batteries in the remote control, but it
didn’t make any difference.
12 There must be something wrong with the remote control because every time I try to change
channels, nothing happens. change

13 We like to have the car serviced at least once a year, just to be on the safe side.
14 No, don’t! I really don’t like having my feet tickled like that! have

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H. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the
word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and eight words,
including the word given.
1 After working for six hours, I finally managed to finish the report. in
I finally succeeded in finishing the report after working for six hours.
2 Oscar is qualified to teach Russian because he has a degree in it. to
Oscar’s Russian degree qualifies him to teach the language.
3 I couldn’t believe it when they suggested that I should speak to the head teacher about the
problem. nominated
I couldn’t believe it when they nominated me to speak to the head teacher about the problem.
4 I shared a bedroom with my brothers when I was young and I quite liked it. like
I used to quite like sharing a bedroom with my brothers when I was young.
5 Tim resolved that he would stay out of trouble when he left prison. to
On being released from prison, Tim resolved not to get into/never to get into trouble again.
6 Are you sorry that you invited Liam to join us on the trip? regret
Do you regret inviting Liam to join us on the trip?
7 The arrangement is that you are staying with Mr and Mrs Andrews. for
We have arranged for you to stay/ have made arrangements for you to stay with Mr and Mrs
Andrews.
8 What was your inspiration for creating such a fantastic character in your new novel? to
What inspired you to create such a fantastic character in your new novel?

I. Choose the correct answer.

1 When she suggested _______ over the weekend, I was so angry that I threatened to quit.
A. me to working B. me to work C. me work D. me working
2 The manager requested that all staff _______ present at the meeting.
A. have been B. be C. are being D. being
3 Didn’t you _______ that Martha wasn’t with Ashley?
A. think it strange B. think strange C. think strangely D. think it strangely
4 It’s very important that we _______ as soon as there’s any change in the patient’s condition.
A. be it notified B. being notified C. were notified D. be notified
5 I feel _______ to inform the committee that a number of members are very unhappy with the
decision.
A. my duty B. this my duty C. it my duty D. that my duty
6 After what the manager said this morning, I didn’t _______ him about the problems I’ve been
having.
A. dare telling B. dare it telling C. dare tell D. dare to telling
7 Don’t you _______ that Veronica and George are still together?
A. incredibly find B. find incredible C. find incredibly D. find it incredible

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8 You shouldn’t have let Kerry _______ without apologising for what you said to her.
A. leave B. to leave C. leaving D. to leaving
9 It was a bit embarrassing when the teacher caught us _______ during the test.
A. to cheat B. cheating C. cheat D. to cheating
10 It’s not fair to make the dog _______ in the car on such a hot day.
A. to wait B. waiting C. wait D. for waiting

J. Write one word in each gap.

Speed Dating
‘You’ve been trying (1) to find that certain someone for far too long, Debbie,’ they said. ‘Can’t you
feel (2) yourself getting older? Don’t you (3) find/think/consider it strange to be 25 and not married
yet?' they asked. They recommended (4) me to check out something called 'speed dating’. Two days
later I found (5) myself sitting in a club in central London with 100 other people with name badges on.
The idea with speed dating is that you have three minutes to chat, then a bell rings and you change
partners. You keep (6) on going like that all night, making a note of anybody you like. So, I sat there as
50 young men passed before my eyes. I didn’t (7) dare tell them that I worked for a young women’s
magazine, so I pretended to be a hairdresser. Everyone obviously found (8) it hard to know what to
say - well, what do you say to sell yourself in three minutes? The Kevins, Jonathans and Michaels
came and went, and I (9) started/began to feel like I couldn’t (10) stand/bear to hear another potted
biography. Speed dating might work for some, but I think I’ll stick to traditional methods to find Mr
Right.