Verbs Followed by Infinitive

In this pattern, the first verb is the boss. It tells us the tense of the sentence. It can be past, present, or future. The second verb is the follower. It always stays in its base form. You simply put to right before it. This second verb doesn't care about the subject. It doesn't care if you are talking about yesterday or tomorrow. It just sits there, looking the same every time. Think of it like a passenger in a car. The first verb is driving and changing gears. The second verb is just enjoying the ride. This structure helps you express complex ideas. You can talk about your hopes, your needs, and your decisions. It adds depth to your conversations without adding too much complexity.

1. 1Building these sentences is like following a simple recipe. You only need four main ingredients.
2. 2Start with your Subject (I, You, She, The cat).
3. 3Add your Main Verb (The 'boss' verb like want or decide).
4. 4Place the word to immediately after the main verb.
5. 5Finish with the Base Verb (The 'follower' verb like eat or go).
6. 6For example: I (Subject) + decided (Main Verb) + to + leave (Base Verb). If you want to make it negative, just put not before the to. It looks like this: I decided not to leave. It is that simple! You don't need any fancy punctuation or extra words. Just follow the sequence and you are good to go.

We use this pattern in several real-world situations. First, use it for desires and hopes. Verbs like want, hope, and would like are classic examples. For instance, in a job interview, you might say, "I hope to grow with this company." Second, use it for plans and decisions. Verbs like plan, decide, and agree fit here. When talking to friends, you might say, "We decided to meet at the park." Third, use it for promises and offers. Verbs like promise, offer, and refuse are common. "He promised to help me move my heavy sofa." Finally, use it for needs and expectations. Verbs like need, expect, and seem work perfectly. "I need to find a bathroom right now!" It is a very versatile tool for your language toolbox.

Not every verb likes the to bridge. Some verbs are a bit more direct. You should never use this pattern after modal verbs. These are words like can, could, should, must, and might. You say I can swim, not I can to swim. That extra to will make native speakers tilt their heads in confusion. Also, be careful with verbs of perception. Words like see, hear, and feel usually take a different path. Finally, some verbs prefer the -ing form (the gerund). Verbs like enjoy, finish, and avoid are in this group. You enjoy dancing, you don't enjoy to dance. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means go with to, but red means stop and use something else.

Even smart people trip over these tiny words sometimes. The biggest mistake is simply forgetting the to. People often say I want go instead of I want to go. It sounds a bit like a caveman speaking! Another common error is adding -ing to the second verb. I plan to going is incorrect. Keep that second verb clean and simple. Some people also try to use for instead of to. They might say I came here for to study. In modern English, that for is unnecessary and sounds very old-fashioned. Lastly, watch out for the third-person 's'. Remember, only the first verb gets the 's'. She wants to eats is wrong. It should be She wants to eat. One 's' per pair is plenty!

You might wonder: "When do I use -ing instead?" This is the classic B1 struggle. Usually, verbs followed by to look toward the future. They involve things that haven't happened yet, like a plan or a hope. Verbs followed by -ing often feel more like a general experience or a current hobby. For example, I like to swim usually means you have a specific intention or habit. I like swimming sounds more like you enjoy the general activity. Some verbs, like forget or remember, can use both, but the meaning changes. I remembered to lock the door means you did it. I remembered locking the door means you have a memory of doing it. It is like a tiny time-travel trick hidden in your grammar.