Micro-listening
Verbs followed by infinitives: choose the next verb
Which verbs take 'to' plus a verb?
Verbs such as want, need, decide, plan, hope, agree, promise and learn take 'to' plus a base verb. For example, 'We decided to replace the old printer.' The verb after infinitive 'to' stays unchanged, even when the first verb is past tense or has a third-person singular ending.
Key points
- The first verb controls the following verb pattern.
- Use 'to' plus the base verb after common intention verbs.
- The verb after infinitive 'to' stays in the base form.
- Other verbs, including avoid, require an -ing form.
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At a glance
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| want, need, decide + to | Expresses desire, necessity or a decision. | I need to check the figures. |
| enjoy, avoid, suggest + -ing | Uses a gerund after these governing verbs. | They avoided discussing the problem. |
| try to + base verb | Shows effort or an attempt despite difficulty. | She tried to repair the lock. |
| try + -ing | Suggests testing a method or possible solution. | Try restarting the computer. |
The full explanation
An infinitive phrase with to names an event, state, or objective that follows the initial verb. In sentences expressing desire, planning, necessity, or mutual consent, the first verb establishes the speaker's attitude or mental stance, while the infinitive specifies the activity toward which that stance is directed.
Elena plans to inspect our new office space on Monday morning.
Why it works: Plans controls the pattern and takes to inspect, with inspect in its base form.
2 more examples
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Marcus agrees to share the client feedback during the staff briefing.
Agrees requires to plus the base verb share to express consent.
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Both coordinators need to submit their equipment lists by noon.
Need is followed by to submit, without any inflections on submit.
Read the full guide
Try the listening exercise
Check the first verb to set the pattern
Whenever two verbs appear side by side in a clause, the first verb dictates the structure of what follows. Many common verbs that point toward a future outcome or purpose demand to plus a base verb. If you identify want, decide, or plan as the governing verb, you can immediately prepare the infinitive pattern for the incoming action without guessing.
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Kenji wants to hire an assistant for the summer project.
Why it works: Wants is the primary verb, requiring to hire.
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The committee decided to reschedule the public hearing.
Why it works: Decided controls the clause and takes the infinitive to reschedule.
A verb complement pattern depends entirely on the first verb, not the noun that comes before it.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly pairs the lead verb with an infinitive?
Answer: The supervisor decided to approve the overtime request.
Show the answer
Answer: The supervisor decided to approve the overtime request.
Decide takes to plus the base verb approve, making to approve the correct complement.
Keep the base form after to
Learners frequently feel tempted to add verb endings to the second verb, especially when writing about the past or talking about a third-person singular subject. In the infinitive structure, the word to must be followed by an uninflected base verb. No matter what tense or subject appears earlier in the sentence, never add an s, ed, or ing suffix to that second action.
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She hopes to join our design group next month.
Why it works: Hopes carries the third-person s, but join remains in its base form.
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The company promised to refund every ticket holder yesterday.
Why it works: Promised indicates past time, while refund remains an uninflected base verb.
Infinitive particles freeze the following verb into its dictionary shape.
You can practise this again in 28 Phrasal Verbs With Take and English Verb Forms: Choose the Right Time.
Your turn
Choose the sentence that preserves the base form correctly.
Answer: Tariq hopes to obtain a transfer to the regional warehouse.
Show the answer
Answer: Tariq hopes to obtain a transfer to the regional warehouse.
The verb after to must remain in the plain base form obtain, without ing or s.
Express plans and decisions clearly
Verbs that describe making up your mind or organizing future actions regularly take to plus a base verb. Common verbs in this category include plan, decide, choose, and prepare. When you discuss career moves, travel schedules, or weekly tasks, using this pattern signals that a deliberate choice has been reached before the action occurs.
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We plan to review the supplier contracts before Friday.
Why it works: Plan sets up the future intention, followed by to review.
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Claire chose to study accounting during her evening hours.
Why it works: Chose indicates a past decision followed by the infinitive to study.
Intentional choices almost universally take infinitives when connecting to their target action.
Your turn
Which sentence accurately expresses a deliberate decision?
Answer: They chose to review each application by hand.
Show the answer
Answer: They chose to review each application by hand.
The verb choose takes to plus the base verb review to indicate a deliberate selection.
State needs, promises, and agreements
In professional and personal negotiations, you often discuss obligations, commitments, and mutual terms. Verbs such as need, promise, agree, and refuse link to subsequent actions using to plus a base verb. This structure clarifies who is bound to perform an action and what specific commitment has been accepted or rejected.
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The contractor agreed to install energy-efficient windows.
Why it works: Agreed is followed by to install to describe the accepted commitment.
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Our team needs to update the client roster before lunch.
Why it works: Needs takes to update to show necessity.
Verbs of commitment and necessity lock their complements into to plus a base verb.
Your turn
Select the correct sentence for stating a mutual commitment.
Answer: Both firms agreed to deliver the components by Thursday.
Show the answer
Answer: Both firms agreed to deliver the components by Thursday.
Agree takes to deliver to specify the action that both parties accepted.
Track changes in tense and subject
Tense markers and subject-verb agreement belong entirely on the governing verb, never on the infinitive. If a story moves from the present to the past, change want to wanted or decide to decided. The subsequent verb remains unchanged. Observing this division prevents awkward double-marking in sentences with compound time references.
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Last winter, Arthur wanted to open a small bakery downtown.
Why it works: Wanted shows the past tense, while open stays in the base form after to.
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Every morning, my neighbor hopes to catch the seven o'clock express train.
Why it works: Hopes agrees with neighbor, while catch remains uninflected.
Only the primary verb carries tense inflections in a verb plus infinitive structure.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly applies past tense to the governing verb only?
Answer: She wanted to submit the application before noon.
Show the answer
Answer: She wanted to submit the application before noon.
Wanted conveys past time, so the following verb must stay in the plain base form submit.
Distinguish infinitive verbs from ing patterns
Not every common English verb permits an infinitive. Verbs like enjoy, avoid, practice, and suggest require a gerund ending in ing instead. Mixing these two patterns is one of the most common errors at intermediate levels. Rather than assuming to works everywhere, you must check whether the lead verb belongs to the infinitive group or the gerund group.
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We decided to postpone the conference until September.
Why it works: Decide takes to plus base verb postpone.
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We considered postponing the conference until September.
Why it works: Consider requires the gerund postponing, showing a contrasting verb pattern.
Verbs like enjoy and avoid never take an infinitive complement in standard English.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly pairs the verb with its required complement?
Answer: He decided to answer the sensitive inquiry during the press briefing.
Show the answer
Answer: He decided to answer the sensitive inquiry during the press briefing.
Decide correctly takes an infinitive (to answer), whereas avoid would require an ing form.
Handle meaning shifts with try
A small group of verbs can take either an infinitive or an ing form, but the meaning changes distinctly. The verb try is a clear example. When you say try to do something, you mean making an effort to overcome a difficulty. When you say try doing something, you mean experimenting with a method to see if it solves a problem.
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I will try to reach the landlord before the office closes.
Why it works: Try to reach signifies an effort to achieve contact despite time limits.
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If the screen stays black, try restarting the tablet.
Why it works: Try restarting suggests an experimental method to test a solution.
Try to emphasizes effort and difficulty, while try plus ing emphasizes testing an experiment.
Your turn
Choose the sentence that describes making a strenuous physical effort.
Answer: The paramedic tried to lift the heavy beam off the floor.
Show the answer
Answer: The paramedic tried to lift the heavy beam off the floor.
Try to lift indicates exerting effort against physical resistance.
Catch the reduced to in connected speech
In natural spoken English, native speakers rarely pronounce to with a full vowel sound. Instead of a clear /tuː/, the word reduces to a weak /tə/ that attaches directly to the following verb. Because this syllable is unstressed, learners often fail to hear it and omit it in their own writing. Training your ear to catch this quick link ensures you transcribe sentences accurately.
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They plan to open the medical clinic early tomorrow.
Why it works: Plan to open sounds like plan-tuh-open in ordinary spoken conversation.
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He hopes to interview candidates throughout next week.
Why it works: The to is shortened and weakened between hopes and interview.
In rapid speech, the infinitive marker to weakens to a schwa and links tightly to the base verb.
Your turn
What happens to the word to between two verbs in everyday speech?
Answer: It reduces to a weak sound like /tə/ and blends into the following verb.
Show the answer
Answer: It reduces to a weak sound like /tə/ and blends into the following verb.
In fluent speech, to is unstressed and reduces to a schwa sound /tə/.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
He decided going by train.Say: He decided to go by train.
Decide takes to plus a base verb, not an -ing form.
-
Not this:
They hope to arrives before lunch.Say: They hope to arrive before lunch.
The verb after infinitive to stays in its base form.
-
Not this:
We avoided to mention the delay.Say: We avoided mentioning the delay.
Avoid requires a gerund ending in -ing.
-
Not this:
I promised to helped with the move.Say: I promised to help with the move.
Promise takes to plus the base verb, not its past form.
Before you go
Remember this
Check the governing verb before forming the second action. Verbs that express choices, needs, promises, and future intentions typically take to plus a base verb. The second verb remains unchanged regardless of subject or tense. Where verbs like try appear, identify whether the sentence describes an effort or an experiment to select between to and ing.
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Listening 1 of 4
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Maria plans to open our new office in August.
The verb plans requires to plus the base verb open.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Listening 2 of 4
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Simon needs to call a technician right away.
Needs takes to plus the base verb call to express necessity.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 4
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Our team leader chose to invite six senior engineers because everyone agrees to organize a workshop on Monday.
Both chose and agrees take an infinitive: to invite and to organize.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
Listening 4 of 4
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Read the transcript
Our director plans to upgrade our main storage area next month. Several supervisors chose to inspect each loading dock early, so they promise to assist every driver during morning deliveries. Because everyone agrees to obey safety instructions, our staff expects to arrange all structural repairs without any sudden delays.
Plans, chose, promise, agrees, and expects all require an infinitive complement.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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Describe a project or event you want to organize at work, school, or in your community. Explain what you plan to do, what resources you need to gather, and what you hope to achieve by the end of the project.
Use: verbs followed by infinitives: choose the next verb
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Questions about "Verbs followed by infinitives: choose the next verb"
Why does the second verb stay in the base form even when talking about the past?
In English, tense and person markers belong exclusively on the finite verb, which is the first verb in the sequence. The particle to introduces an infinitive, and infinitives are non-finite forms that cannot carry past tense endings or subject agreements. Adding an ending to the second verb creates an ungrammatical double marking.
She wanted to visit the gallery yesterday.
He decided to call his supervisor last night.
Can I drop the word to after verbs like want or need?
No, you cannot omit to after verbs like want, need, decide, or hope when connecting them to another action. Leaving out to produces an incomplete structure in standard English. Only a small group of modal verbs, such as can, must, or should, connect directly to a base verb without to.
I want to ask a question.
They need to leave before sunset.
How do I know whether to use try to do or try doing?
Use try to do when you want to highlight effort, struggle, or an attempt to overcome a barrier. Use try doing when you are suggesting or testing an experiment or technique to see whether it produces a desirable result.
We tried to open the rusted gate, but the hinges were frozen.
If your throat feels dry, try drinking warm herbal tea.
How can I tell if a verb takes an infinitive or an ing form?
There is no single universal rule that predicts complement choice from spelling alone. However, verbs expressing plans, decisions, agreements, and expectations typically take an infinitive. Verbs expressing ongoing enjoyment, avoidance, or suggestion usually require an ing form. It is best to learn each verb as a fixed combination.
They agreed to sponsor the charity run.
They avoided driving during the blizzard.
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