COMMON EXPRESSIONS AND VERBS FOLLOWED BY

INGFORMS

INFINITI
VES

Preposition combinations

Verbs followed immediately by

an infinitive

be excited
about
be worried
about
be nervous
about
complain
about/of
dream
about/of
talk about/of
think about/of
apologize for
blame smn for
forgive smn
for
have an
excuse for
have a reason
for
be responsible
for

afford to
agree to
appear to
arrange to
ask to
cant
bear** to
beg to
begin** to
care to
claim to
consent to
continue**
to
decide to
demand to
deserve to
expect to

thank smn for

keep smn from
prevent smn
from
prohibit smn
from
stop smn from
believe in
be interested
in
participate in
succeed in
be accused of
be capable of
for the
purpose of

be guilty of
instead of
take
advantage of
take care of
be tired of
insist on
be accustomed
to
in addition to
be committed
to
be devoted to
look forward
to
object to
be opposed to
be used to

Special expressions
have fun/a good time + V-ing
have trouble/difficulty + V-ing
have a hard time/ difficult time + Ving
spend + expression of time or money +
V-ing
waste + expression of time or money +
V-ing
sit + expression of place + V-ing
stand + expression of place + V-ing
lie + expression of place + V-ing
find + (pro)noun + V-ing
catch + (pro)noun + V-ing

Verbs
verbs with ** can be followed by either a
gerund or an infinitive without difference in
meaning
verbs with * can be followed by either a gerund
or an infinitive, BUT with a difference in
meaning

admit

finish

recollect

fail to
forget* to
hate** to
hesitate to
hope to
learn to
like** to
love** to
manage to
mean to
need to
offer to
plan to
prefer** to
prepare to
pretend to

promise to
refuse to
regret* to
remember*
to
seem to
cant
stand**
start** to
struggle to
swear to
threaten to
try* to
volunteer
to
wait to
want to
wish to

Verbs followed by a (pro)noun +

an infinitive
advise** to
allow to
ask to
beg to
cause to
challenge
to
convince to
dare to
encourage
to

expect to
forbid to
force to
hire to
instruct to
invite to
need to
order to
permit to

persuade
to
remind to
require to
teach to
tell to
urge to
want to
warn to

Adjectives followed by infinitives

advise*
anticipate
appreciate
avoid
cant
bear**
begin**
complete
consider
continue**
delay
deny
discuss
dislike
enjoy

forget*
hate**
cant help
keep
like**
love**
mention
mind
miss
postpone
practice
prefer**
quit
recall

recommen
d
regret*
remember*
resent
resist
risk
cant
stand**
start**
stop
suggest
tolerate
try*
understand

glad to
happy to
pleased to
delighted
to
content to
relieved to
lucky to
fortunate
to
sorry to
sad to
upset to
disappoint
ed to

proud to
ashamed to
ready to
prepare to
anxious to
eager to
willing to
motivated
to
determined
to
careful to
hesitant to
reluctant
to

afraid to
likely to
certain to
surprised
to
amazed to
astonished
to
shocked to
stunned to