Verb Patterns

Here are some verb patterns. Each pattern is arbitrarily numbered. These patterns apply when two verbs are next to each other in a sentence (v1 + v2). When I use the term “sentence” I mean statements, requests and questions. In some of these patterns there is only v1 not a v1 + v2 pattern.

Pattern 1

This is the most commonly occurring pattern.

Jazmin and Lalo wanted to dance.

v1 = wanted (any tense; affirmative or negative)

v2 = to dance (infinitive)

Pattern 2

Jorge isn’t working.

v1 = isn’t (any tense of “to be”; affirmative or negative)

v2 = present participle

Pattern 3

v1 = (any tense of “to have”; affirmative or negative)

v2 = been (always “been”)

v3 = present participle

He hasn’t been working since the third week of December.

Pattern 4

v1 = If v1 is one of these: avoid, deny, detest, enjoy, hate, like, love, mind, miss, understand. remember, thank you for, sorry for, stop, start, finish, end, to be dissuaded from

v2 = present participle

I hate the smell of cigarettes and marijuana

i.e. I hate smelling cigarettes and marijuana.

Pattern 5

v1 = promise, remind, show, tell, warn (any tense. affirmative or negative)

v1 + SOMEBODY THAT * independent clause.

I promised my children that we would take a trip together.

I didn’t tell my mother that a crazy man threatened me and rammed his car into mine.

Pattern 6

v1 + SOMEBODY + v2

v1 = advise, ask. allow, force, invite, persuade, remind, tell. warn (any tense: affirmative or negative)

v2 = an infinitive

I advise you to get the nicest place that you can afford.

Pattern 7

v1 + (that) + independent clause

v1 = believe, explain, feel, know, realize, see, show, say, sugges,, think

I think that Edwin's faith cannot be extinguished.

NOTE: an infinitive may be affirmative or negative. For example: to be vs not to be; to run vs not to run. In the Standard American English of my present lifetime we say:

I want to be at home. (used)

I want not to be at home. (not used)

I don;t want to be at home. (used(

Now to get to Milana's question:

Question: What does V1 have to be for us to use Pattern 4, instead of the most common Pattern 1?

Answer: If V1 is any of the following (in any verb tense) then V2 should be in the -ing form.

abhor

admit

apologize for

appreciate

avoid

carry on

can't help

can’t stand

consider

defer

delay

deny

detest

discuss

dislike

endure

enjoy

escape

excuse

face

fancy

feel

feel like

finish

forgive

give up

hate*

imagine

involve

keep on

keep on

leave off

like

like*

love*

mention

mind

miss

postpone

practice

put off

recall

report

resent

risk

suggest

understand