Verb + object + TO-infinitive

Verbs followed by an object and the to-infinitive

advise command hire persuade threaten

allow convince instruct prepare urge
ask enable invite promise want
beg encourage need remind warn
cause expect order require wish
choose force permit tell would like
My GP advised me to see a specialist.
Could you ask her to copy this letter for me?
She begged him not to leave her.
The colonel commanded his men to charge.
How can we encourage a baby to use the toilet rather than his potty?
Do you expect me to believe you?
The teacher instructed the students to line up in pairs.
I've invited Jill to come to dinner on Saturday.
After days of pointless fighting, the general ordered the marines to withdraw.
I tried to persuade them to stay, but they said they were too tired.
I reminded Andy to bring a bottle of wine and some snacks.
The doctor told me to give up smoking.
The opposition urged the government to take action immediately.
The professor warned us to be diligent with our weekly assignments.
Verbs followed by an object and a to-infinitive can also be passive:
The students were instructed to line up in pairs.
After days of pointless fighting, the marines were ordered to withdraw.
I was told to give up smoking.

Verb + TO-infinitive
Verbs followed by the to-infinitive
afford care grow neglect start
agree cease guarantee offer swear
aim choose happen omit tend
appear claim hate plan threaten
arrange come have prefer train
ask continue hesitate prepare try
attempt dare hope pretend turn out
be decide intend promise used
be dying demand learn propose vow
beg deserve like refuse wait
begin dread long regret want
can't bear expect love remember wish
can't stand fail manage seek would like
can't wait forget need seem yearn
I can't afford to own a car.
We all agreed to cancel next week's meeting.
He will attempt to break the national record for the 1,500 metres.
Why did you choose to study arts?
In a recent poll, 31% of the female workers claimed to have been harassed at work.
She decided to set out at once.
I demand to know the truth.
Tony has failed to show up at work on time again.
I hope to see you soon.
We managed to cross the valley.
Ben offered to take me home.
Preparing to die is present in most spiritual paths and traditions.
He promised to change his behaviour, but I knew he wouldn't.
Jack refused to fight in such an immoral war.
The owner threatened to sue us for trespassing.
I can't wait to be with you again.

HAVE, GET, LET, MAKE + object + infinitive

Have, let and make are followed by an object + bare infinitive:
I'll have her copy the document right away. (I'll ask/tell her to copy the document right away.)
In the end, the terrorists let the hostages go. (The terrorists allowed the hostages to go.)
The teacher made Jack rewrite the composition. (The teacher forced Jack to rewrite the composition.)
Get is followed by a to-infinitive:
Finally, we got a mechanic to repair the elevator.
In the passive, make takes a to-infinitive:
Jack was made to rewrite the composition.
But let takes a bare infinitive:
In the end, the hostages were let go.

Verb + gerund
Verbs followed by a gerund
admit delay forgive permit resent
advise deny hate postpone resist
allow despise imagine practice risk
anticipate discuss involve prefer save
appreciate dislike justify prevent start
avoid don't mind keep propose stop
begin dread like quit suggest
can't bear encourage love recall tolerate
can't help enjoy mean recollect try
can't stand escape mention recommend understand
cease excuse mind regret urge
consider fancy miss remember
continue finish need report
defend forget neglect require

After being stopped by the police, George admitted having drunk two pints of beer.
We anticipated having difficulty in finding candidates with the right qualifications.
We do appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to come to Berlin.
He tried to avoid meeting her eyes.
How can you stand living so far away from your home country?
The next morning I was really tired, so I delayed getting up as long as possible.
The man denied stealing the camera.
We have already discussed moving to the countryside.
I dislike being treated like a child.
The two sons left the country to escape being conscripted into the army.
What do you fancy eating?
Finish washing up and then you can use the computer.
Forgive my saying so, but your attitude to work has changed for the worse.
Leadership involves setting an example that others want to follow.
Why do you keep teasing me?
You mentioned going to Italy last summer. How was it?
Take your time, I don't mind waiting.
I really miss taking photos with an analogue camera.
We had to postpone flying to Thailand.
In this course, we will practise writing formal letters, among other things.
I wanted to prevent ending up in the same situation again.
Why did she quit working as a nurse?
The witness said he couldn't recall seeing that car before.
Do you recollect borrowing money from her?
One in five workers in the country reported being very or extremely stressed by their work.
Tim resented having been taken advantage of.
I couldn't resist eating another cinnamon bun.
So as not to risk being fired, the workers ended the strike.
Register your profile in our customer database to save filling out your shipping information each time you order.
The guide suggested visiting the Royal Palace.
Could you tolerate being alone for an entire week?
I can't understand people behaving like that.

TO-infinitive or gerund: BEGIN, START, CONTINUE, CEASE, DREAD, INTEND, LOVE

These verbs can be followed by either a to-infinitive or a gerund with almost no difference in meaning:
I began to learn languages when I was ten.
He began using this software three years ago.
I started wondering what would happen if I lost my job.
After a while, I started to wonder why she'd said that.
Kate continued wearing her wedding ring after her husband's death.
You continue to surprise me!
Two days later, the screen ceased to function.
They ceased fighting when the commander was killed.
I dread to think what could have happened. (used exclusively in the expression I dread to think/imagine when we don't
want to think about something distressing or unpleasant)
I dread asking you this question, but... (I'm afraid to ask you this question, but...)
The list of things he intended to do was getting longer and longer.
We intend contacting the company before taking any action.

TO-infinitive or gerund: ADVISE, RECOMMEND, ALLOW, PERMIT, FORBID, REQUIRE

These verbs can be followed by either (a) a gerund or (b) a noun phrase or pronoun + to-infinitive, with almost no
difference in meaning. Passive infinitives are also common:
The help desk advised checking the "Advanced Settings" option.
The help desk advised me to check the "Advanced Settings" option. (I was advised to check the "Advanced Settings"
option.)
The plumber recommended buying a new water heater.
The plumber recommended me to buy a new water heater. (I was recommended to buy a new water heater.) (the to-
infinitive after recommend is less common in everyday contexts)
In many countries, they don't allow smoking in public places. (In many countries smoking is not allowed in public
places.)
In many countries, they don't allow people to smoke in public places. (In many countries people aren't allowed to smoke
in public places.)
The rules do not permit keeping pets on the premises. (Keeping pets is not permitted on the premises.)
The rules do not permit tenants to keep pets on the premises. (Tenants are not permitted to keep pets on the
premises.)
The authorities forbade entering the park because of a bush fire.
The authorities forbade everyone to enter the park because of a bush fire. (It was forbidden to enter the park because
of a bush fire.)
The project required working closely with other schools.
The project required us to work closely with other schools. (We were required to work closely with other schools.)
SEE, WATCH, HEAR, LISTEN, FEEL, SMELL, NOTICE, OBSERVE + object + bare infinitive
After verbs of perception (see, watch, hear, listen, feel, smell, notice, observe etc.), the infinitive expresses a
completed action:
I felt the ground shake once. (I felt it as the ground shook once.)
I saw the burglar climb over the fence and break into the house. (I saw that the burglar climbed over the fence and
broke into the house.)
I have never heard them play that song before. (I have never heard that song played by them before.)
In the passive voice, we use a to-infinitive:
The burglar was seen to climb over the fence.
A present participle after these verbs refers to an action continuing over a period of time:
I felt the ground shaking for about half a minute. (I felt that the ground was shaking.)

The "subject" of the gerund

The doer of the action expressed by the gerund can be:
 the subject of the sentence:
I like getting up early in summer. He apologised for not writing for so long.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. My mom insisted on tidying my room.
Would you mind opening the window?
 the noun/pronoun or possessive preceding the gerund:
Irina doesn't like people telling her what to do. Sally's constant arguing is getting on my nerves.
I objected to him/his calling me a liar. My mom insisted on me/my tidying my room.
Would you mind me/my opening the window?
(The possessive is more formal, and it is less common in everyday conversation.)
 an indefinite or generalised subject (you, one, we, people etc.):
In those days, being a student meant spending long hours in the library.
 unexpressed and understood only from the context:
Going home seemed to be the best idea.
Verb + preposition + gerund

Verbs followed by a preposition and a gerund

(dis)agree with boast about depend on look forward to succeed in

(dis)approve of care for dream about/of object to talk about/of
admit to complain about feel like pay for think about/of
agree with concentrate on get on with put off vote for
aim at confess to get used to put up with worry about
apologise for cope with give up rely on
believe in count on insist on resort to
benefit from decide against laugh about specialize in
 After being stopped by the police, George admitted to having drunk two pints of beer.
She apologised for not introducing herself sooner.
He is always boasting about having met the president.
The students complained about being made to wear a uniform to school.
The suspect never confessed to killing his wife.
Could you give up smoking?
Nick insisted on calling an ambulance.
We laughed about having to do such silly things.
I objected to him calling me a liar.
Do you put off going to the dentist?
My sister is always talking about having her hair dyed.
Do you ever think about getting married and having children?
Many verbs in English are followed by the infinitive with to. Some of these verbs take the pattern:
 Verb + to + infinitive
We planned to take a holiday. She decided to stay at home.
Others verbs take the pattern:
 Verb + noun + to + infinitive
She wanted the children to learn the piano. I told him to ring the police.
Two very common verbs – make and let – are followed by the infinitive without to. They take the pattern:
 Verb + noun + infinitive
My parents made me come home early. They wouldn't let me stay out late.
The verb dare can be followed by the infinitive with or without to:
 Verb (+ to) + infinitive I didn't dare (to) go out after dark.
verb + to + infinitive
Some verbs are followed by the infinitive with to:
I decided to go home as soon as possible. We all wanted to have more English classes.
Common verbs with this pattern are:
 verbs of thinking and feeling: verbs of saying: others
choose hate like prefer Agree, refuse
decide hope love remember Promise, arrange fail manage try
expect intend mean want threaten attempt help tend
forget learn plan would like/love
verb + noun + to + infinitive
Some verbs are followed by a noun and the infinitive with to:
She asked him to send her a text message. He wanted all his friends to come to his party.
Common verbs with this pattern are:
 verbs of saying: verbs of wanting and liking: others:
advise invite persuade tell
hate like mean want allow expect get teach
ask order remind warn*
intend love prefer would like/love enable force
encourage
* Note that warn is normally used with not: The police warned everyone not to drive too fast.
Many of the verbs above are sometimes followed by a passive infinitive (to be + past participle):
I expected to be met when I arrived at the station.
They wanted to be told if anything happened.
I don't like driving myself. I prefer to be driven.
Level: intermediate
make and let
The verbs make and let are followed by a noun and the infinitive without to:
They made him pay for the things he had broken.
The doctor made me wait for almost an hour.
They let you go in free at the weekend.
Will you let me come in?
But the passive form of make is followed by the infinitive with to:
He was made to pay for the things he had broken. I was made to wait for almost an hour.
let has no passive form. We use allow instead:
We were allowed to go in free at the weekend. I was allowed to go in.
 dare
The verb dare is hardly ever found in positive sentences. It is almost always used in negative sentences and
questions.
When it is used with an auxiliary or a modal verb, dare can be followed by the infinitive with or without to:
I didn't dare (to) disturb him. Who would dare (to) accuse him?
But when there is no auxiliary or modal, dare is followed by the infinitive without to:
Nobody dared disturb him. I daren't ask him.
Level: beginner
Common verbs followed by the -ing form are:
 verbs of liking and disliking: detest dislike enjoy fancy hate like love
I love swimming but I hate jogging. They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
 phrases with mind:
wouldn't mind (= would like) don't mind (= I am willing to) would you mind (= will you please …?)
I wouldn't mind having some fish and chips.
I don't mind waiting for a few minutes.
Would you mind holding this for me?
 verbs of saying and thinking: admit consider deny imagine remember suggest
Our leader suggested waiting until the storm was over. Everyone denied seeing the accident.
 others: avoid begin finish keep miss practise risk start stop
I haven't finished writing this letter. Let's practise speaking English.
verb + noun + -ing form
Some verbs are followed by a noun and the -ing form:
 verbs of the senses: see hear listen to smell watch etc.
We saw everybody running away. I could hear someone singing.
 others: catch find imagine leave prevent stop
I caught someone trying to break in to my house. We couldn’t prevent them getting away.
Many of the verbs above are sometimes followed by a passive form of -ing (being + past participle):
I don't like being interrupted. Our dog loves being stroked under the chin.
Verbs + Objects + Infinitive /Gerund/Clause
Verb + object + to-infinitive
English reporting verbs like tell, warn, remind and encourage, are often followed by an object and then an infinitive
with ‘to’, like this:
Elena: Well, I told him to be nice to everybody
I told you to do it. The negative infinitive is formed with not – I told you not to do it.
subject verb object (not) to + infinitive

Marco’s mother ordered him to get into the car.

Elena told the children not to touch the glasses.

Want,
would
Verb + Verb like/love/hate Verb +
object + + object + would prefer Verb + for + object
Verb + object + that clause that clause + object + infinitive object + to- +infinitive Verb + object
to-infinitive after after (+ that clause) infinitive without TO + ing-form

Advise Recommend Verbs of Some of the

Advise, allow, as Persuade Arrange perception verbs that
k, beg, cause Remind Ask (see, hear, are followed
command, Teach Plan watch, by –ing – see
encourage Tell Wait notice,…) page
Enable, expect, Let, make below– (e.g.
forbid and help can’t stand,
force, help, dislike,
instruct Make is imagine,
Intend, invite, followed by involve, mind,
Mean, oblige, infinitive wi miss, put off
order, permit th to in the and risk) can
persuade passive be used with
recommend Example: Example: Examples: a new subject
remind, Example: before the -
take He persuad He recommen I want you to help me Could you ing form. If
(time), teach ed me that I ded that Itake with this arrange for the new
tell, want, warn should buy a few days off I would like you to someone to Example: subject is a
a new car of work come to dinner collect me at (*) Could pronoun, it is
Example: the airport? you help me in the object
(*) Could look for my form (me,
you help me to car keys? I him, her, us,
look for my car can’t find them):
keys? I can’t find them Examples:
them anywhere. anywhere. We just
They were couldn’t
made to imagine Gerry
return their /himsinging in
tickets. public.
Do you
mind me being
here while
you’re
working?
I don’t want to
risk himlosing
his job.
Most verbs of perception (e.g. hear, see, watch, notice) are followed by object + infinitive (without to).
 I heard him cry. (NOT I heard him to cry.)
 I watched them play. (NOT I watched them to play.)
 I saw her cross the road. (NOT I saw her to cross the road.)
Most of these verbs can also be followed by –ing forms. Note that there is usually a difference of meaning:
infinitive forms after these verbs are used to say that we hear or see the whole action or event.
 I once heard him give a talk on international politics. (I heard the whole talk.)
-ing forms suggest that we see or hear an action in progress.
 As I walked past his cabin, I heard him talking with his secretary. (I didn’t hear the whole talk.)
An –ing form is not usually used to refer to a momentary action or event.
 I saw the bomb explode. (NOT I saw the bomb exploding. The action mentioned here (explosion) doesn’t
last for more than a few moments.)
Sometimes an –ing form can suggest repetition.
 I saw the children throwing stones at the dogs. (= The children kept throwing stones.)
Verbs followed by -ing
Some common verbs that are normally followed by the -ing form:
Admit, appreciate, avoid, consider, delay, deny, detest, dislike, enjoy, feel like, finish, forgive, give up,
(can’t) help, imagine, involve, keep (on), mind, miss, postpone, practice, put off, resist, risk, (can’t) stand,
suggest, understand
Examples: I always enjoy cooking, She keeps changing her mind about the wedding, We haven’t finished eating yet.
Verb + (object) + ing-form
Some of the verbs listed above, and some others, can be followed by object + ing-form: detest, dislike, dread,
envisage, hate, imagine, like, love, mind (in questions and negatives), miss, recall, regret, resent, risk,
spend, start, stop, stand, remember…
Examples:
They can’t stand him driving his old car.
I remember you buying that jumper.
I dislike people telling me what to think.
I can’t imagine him working in an office.
Nobody can stop him doing what he wants to.

Prevent something (from) happening – Cleanliness experts say hygienic cleaning will help prevent germs spreading in
the home.
Prevent somebody (from) doing something – She hid the car keys to prevent him (from) driving in such terrible
weather conditions
Verbs change their meaning when they are followed by a Gerund or an Infinitive
Some verbs have different meanings when they are followed by a gerund or an infinitive.
+ To infinitive + -ing form
 The remembering is before the action
I must remember to post this letter today.
The clothes are dirty because I forgot to
Remember and switch on the machine.
forget
The action is before the remembering
I can remember posting the letter. I posted
it on Friday morning.
I’ll never forget flying over the Grand
Canyon. It was wonderful.

Regret to do something means to be

Regret to do something means to be sorry
for something you are doing
We regret to inform you that we are not
Regret taking on any new staff at present.
sorry of something that happened in
the past
I regret spending all that money. I’ve got
none left.

Try doing something means to do

something which might solve a
Try to do something means to attempt problem.
something, to do your best. I tried clicking on the box, but it doesn’t
Try I’m trying to run this computer program. work.

Stop to do something means to stop so Stop doing something means to end an

that you can do it. action, to finish doing it.
An old man walking along the road stopped There’s too much noise. Can you all stop
Stop to talk to us. talking, please?

Mean to do something is the same as to Means doing something expresses the

intend to do it. idea of one thing resulting in another.
I think Nick meant to break that glass. It I’m applying for a visa. It means filling in
Mean didn’t look like an accident. this form.

Go on doing something means to

Go on to do something means to do continue doing it.
something else, to do the next thing. The teacher told everyone to be quiet, but
The teacher introduced herself and went on they
Go on to explain about the course. just went on talking.

I need to clean my shoes. My shoes need cleaning.

This means that I must clean my shoes, I This means that my shoes need to be
Need have to clean them. cleaned
Interesting links:
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/gerund_infinitive_difference.htm
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/verb-patterns-verb-infinitive-or-verb-ing
http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/verbs/gerunds-and-infinitives/
Verb + object + gerund

In this kind of construction, the object of the main verb is the subject of the verb in the gerund form. The
following verbs can be used before object + gerund: dislike, hate, imagine, involve, keep, mind, prevent, not
like, remember, resent, risk, stop (See table with examples below)
Verbs with object + infinitive
Many verbs can be followed by object + infinitive.
Study the following sentences.
 He asked me to call the doctor.
 I believe him to be honest.
 She requested me to help her.
 He told me not to come back.
 We know him to be a criminal.
In most cases these structures can be made passive.
 I was asked to call the doctor. (Passive)
 He is believed to be honest.
 I was requested to help her.
 I was told not to come back.
 He is known to be a criminal.
In active structures, the verbs hear, see, make and help are followed by object + infinitive without to. In
passive structures, to-infinitives are used.
  I heard her sing a song. (NOT I heard her to sing a song.)
 She was heard to sing a song. (NOT She was heard sing a song.)
 I saw him get out of the train. (NOT I saw him to get out of the train.)
 He was seen to get out of the train. (NOT He was seen get out of the train.)
 They made him drink the milk.
 He was made to drink the milk.
 She helped me lift the box.
 I was helped to lift the box.
 They made her repeat the whole story.
 She was made to repeat the whole story.
Verbs followed by the infinitive
Level: beginner
Many verbs in English are followed by the infinitive with to. Some of these verbs take the pattern:
 Verb + to + infinitive
We planned to take a holiday.
She decided to stay at home.
Others verbs take the pattern:
 Verb + noun + to + infinitive
She wanted the children to learn the piano.
I told him to ring the police.
Two very common verbs – make and let – are followed by the infinitive without to. They take the pattern:
 Verb + noun + infinitive
My parents made me come home early.
They wouldn't let me stay out late.
The verb dare can be followed by the infinitive with or without to:
 Verb (+ to) + infinitive
I didn't dare (to) go out after dark.
verb + to + infinitive
Some verbs are followed by the infinitive with to:
I decided to go home as soon as possible.
We all wanted to have more English classes.
Common verbs with this pattern are:
 verbs of thinking and feeling:
choose hate like prefer
decide hope love remember
expect intend mean want
forget learn plan would like/love
 verbs of saying:
agree promise refuse threaten
 others
arrange fail manage try
attempt help tend
verb + noun + to + infinitive
Some verbs are followed by a noun and the infinitive with to:
She asked him to send her a text message.
He wanted all his friends to come to his party.
Common verbs with this pattern are:
 verbs of saying: verbs of wanting and liking: others:
advise invite persuade tell
hate like mean want allow expect get teach
ask order remind warn*
intend love prefer would like/love enable force
encourage
* Note that warn is normally used with not:
The police warned everyone not to drive too fast.
Many of the verbs above are sometimes followed by a passive infinitive (to be + past participle):
I expected to be met when I arrived at the station.
They wanted to be told if anything happened.
I don't like driving myself. I prefer to be driven.
Level: intermediate
make and let
The verbs make and let are followed by a noun and the infinitive without to:
 They made him pay for the things he had broken.
The doctor made me wait for almost an hour.
They let you go in free at the weekend.
Will you let me come in?
But the passive form of make is followed by the infinitive with to:
He was made to pay for the things he had broken.
I was made to wait for almost an hour.
let has no passive form. We use allow instead:
We were allowed to go in free at the weekend.
I was allowed to go in.
dare
The verb dare is hardly ever found in positive sentences. It is almost always used in negative sentences and
questions.
When it is used with an auxiliary or a modal verb, dare can be followed by the infinitive with or without to:
I didn't dare (to) disturb him.
Who would dare (to) accuse him?
But when there is no auxiliary or modal, dare is followed by the infinitive without to:
Nobody dared disturb him.
I daren't ask him.
Verbs followed by the '-ing' form
Level: beginner
Common verbs followed by the -ing form are:
 verbs of liking and disliking:
detest dislike enjoy fancy hate like love
I love swimming but I hate jogging.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
 phrases with mind:
wouldn't mind (= would like)
don't mind (= I am willing to)
would you mind (= will you please …?)
I wouldn't mind having some fish and chips.
I don't mind waiting for a few minutes.
Would you mind holding this for me?
 verbs of saying and thinking:
admit consider deny imagine remember suggest
Our leader suggested waiting until the storm was over.
Everyone denied seeing the accident.
 others:
avoid begin finish keep miss practise risk start stop
I haven't finished writing this letter.
Let's practise speaking English.
verb + noun + -ing form
Some verbs are followed by a noun and the -ing form:
 verbs of the senses:
see hear listen to smell watch etc.
We saw everybody running away.
I could hear someone singing.
 others:
catch find imagine leave prevent stop
I caught someone trying to break in to my house.
We couldn’t prevent them getting away.
Many of the verbs above are sometimes followed by a passive form of -ing (being + past participle):
I don't like being interrupted.
Our dog loves being stroked under the chin.
Verbs with to-infinitives
We use the to-infinitive after certain verbs (verbs followed by to-infinitive), particularly verbs
of thinking and feeling:
choose hate like prefer
decide hope love remember
 expect intend mean want
forget learn plan would like/love
They decided to start a business together.
Remember to turn the lights off.
and verbs of saying:
agree promise refuse threaten
We agreed to meet at the cinema.
Promise to call me every day.
Some verbs are followed by a direct object and then the to-infinitive:
advise intend remind would like/love
ask invite tell would prefer
encourage order want
expect persuade warn
He encouraged his friends to vote for him.
Remind me to give Julia a call.
Infinitive of purpose
We also use the to-infinitive to express purpose (to answer why?):
He bought some flowers to give to his wife.
He locked the door to keep everyone out.
We can also express purpose with in order to and in order not to:
We started our journey early in order to avoid the traffic.
They spoke quietly in order not to wake the children.
or so as to and so as not to:
We started our journey early so as to avoid the traffic.
They spoke quietly so as not to wake the children.
Infinitives after passives
Passive verbs are sometimes followed by infinitives and occasionally by -ing forms. In this post we look at some
examples.
 1. Verb + object + infinitive
 2. Infinitives after wh-words
 3. Infinitives of purpose, etc
 4. Infinitive forms
 5. Passive reporting structures
 6. Passives after preparatory it and there
 7. Actions after verbs of perception - see, hear etc
 8. Bringing it all together.

1. Verb + object + infinitive

In active sentences some verbs follow the pattern:
 subject + verb + object + to-infinitive
The receptionist told me to wait.
They made him take a test.
In most cases these can be made passive. In the passive, all verbs (including make) are followed by to+ infinitive.
 subject + passive verb + to-infinitive
I was told to wait (by the receptionist).
He was made to take a test.
Verbs used like this include advise, allow, ask, expect, instruct, make, mean, order, require, teach, tell
Note 1. - let is not used this way in the passive; we need to use allow instead.
 We were let to stay up late
We were allowed to stay up late.
Note 2. - some verbs followed by an infinitive in active sentences are not used in the passive - like, dislike, hate,
prefer, love, wish, etc.
2. Infinitives after wh-words
These structures usually come after active verbs, eg - I don't know who to ask, but sometimes occur after passives,
especially with tell and show.
 We were told where to go.
 They were shown what to do and how to do it.
3. Infinitive of purpose etc
We can also use an infinitive to mean in order to or something like so that. These are usually in the active, but
passives are also possible.
 He was selected to represent his country.
 It has been designed to withstand high temperatures.
 The bushes were planted there to hide the rubbish bins.
Exercise 1 Make passive versions of the sentences, keeping in the same tense and omitting the agent (in
brackets). Use contractions where appropriate, but don't add any punctuation.
(They) ordered her to pack her bags and leave.
(They) encouraged her to apply for promotion.
(They) were just showing us what to do when it started to rain.
Does (he) really make the team run four miles before breakfast every day?
(They)'ll tell you what to do when you arrive.
(She)'s not asking them to do very much.

4. Infinitive forms
So far we have only used the standard to-infinitive, but Passive verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive in various
forms. See if you can remember them:
Exercise 2 Enter the six forms of the to-infinitive of the verb do.
standard
We were told it immediately.
continuous
He is thought it right now.
perfect
She was meant it already.
perfect continuous
They are thought it for hours.
passive
The task is scheduled before the end of the week.
passive perfect
The job was reported rather well.

Notes: .
 Perfect infinitives are used for actions that happened before the reporting
 Passive perfect infinitives are sometimes used to emphasise that something is or isn't complete - It was to
have been done today, but they didn't manage.
5. Passives followed by an infinitive - reporting verbs
In active sentences reporting verbs usually follow the pattern:
 subject + reporting verb + that clause
They believe that the tourists are safe.
They reported that the suspect was dangerous.
In the passive, these verbs follow the same pattern with a to-infinitive as the causative verbs we've just been
looking at.
subject + passive verb + to-infinitive
The tourists are believed to be safe.
The suspect was reported to be dangerous.
This pattern is used with verbs such as say, believe, feel, consider, know, report, think, understand
Exercise 3 Enter a suitable verb in the appropriate form of the infinitive. Each infinitive is in a
different form.
arrive · injure · look for · plan · release · unveil
1.
Apple are expected their new iPhone next week.
2.
New crime figures are expected tomorrow.
3.
The company are thought this move for several months.
4.
Several people were reported in the crash.
5.
The club are currently understood a new manager.
6.
They are believed in Britain on a boat.
6. Structures with preparatory it and preparatory there
There are two other structures used with reporting and similar verbs:
 it + that-clause
It is said that
 there + to-infinitive
There are known to be
You can find out more about these, and practise with some exercises, at my post on passive reporting structures
(link below).
7. Actions after verbs of perception and certain other verbs
There are a couple of structures that can be used after verbs of perception, such as see, hear etc. We can use an -
ing form to suggest that something was in progress, or a bare infinitive to suggest that the person witnessed the
whole action. Notice what happens to these in the passive.
 Subj + verb perception + obj + -ing form
She saw a man climbing out of a window.
A man was seen climbing out of a window.
 Subj + verb perception + obj + bare infinitive
They heard someone shout a warning.
Someone was heard to shout a warning.
Notice the change to a to-infinitive in the passive infinitive version. In practice, only see, hear and observe are used
much in the passive.
There's also a small group of verbs used in a similar way, but that are used only with the -ing form - catch, discover,
find, keep (sb waiting), leave (sb doing sth)
Exercise 4 Make passive versions of the sentences, keeping them in the same tense, starting with the
words given in brackets and omitting the agents. Don't use any contractions, and don't add
any punctuation.
They caught Johnny smoking behind the bicycle sheds. (Johnny)
People saw a man with a gun get into a parked car. (A man)
Your people have kept me waiting long enough. (I)
They had found the little boy playing by himself near the canal. (The little boy)
They heard the woman shout a warning to her husband. (The woman)
They observed the young man breaking into a shop. (The young man)
Sometimes these are combined with passive reporting structures
 A man was reported to have been seen climbing out of a window.
 It was said that she had been overheard threatening her neighbour.
8. Bringing it all together
Exercise 5 Make passive versions of the sentences, keeping in the same tense, omitting the agent (in
brackets). Don't add any punctuation.
(They) chose her to represent them at the convention.
Have (they) told you what to do in an emergency?.
(Her friends) planned the party to be a surprise.
(Police) suspect that the stolen goods have already been sold.
(We) will expect you to follow the rules to the letter.
(They) had made us pay in advance.
In those days (they) built houses to last.
(We) are telling people not to expect too much at this stage.
(People) saw him jump out of a first-floor window.
(Neighbours) heard him the couple arguing late at night.
Exercise 6 Make passive versions of the sentences, keeping in the same tense, omitting the agent (in
brackets). Don't add any punctuation.
1.(Police) proved that his alibity was false.
2.(Experts) forecast that unemployment will drop later this year.
3.(Friends) have recommended that we try the new Thai restaurant.
4.(Observers) expect that an announcement will be made tomorrow.
5.(The manufacturer) makes these sweets to make your mouth water.
6.(They) are going to erect a monument to commemorate him.
7.(People) reported that he has been seen in the neighbourhood.
8.(They) had thought that she had married him for his money.
9.(The shopkeeper) had noticed him hanging round outside the shop earlier on.
10.(Officials) were advising tourists to avoid the area.