Micro-listening
English Infinitives: When to Use To
When do you use the to-infinitive?
Use the to-infinitive after verbs such as want, hope, plan and decide, but use the base verb after modals, make and let. For example, 'Nina might join us later.' Certain verbs, including ask, remind, tell and advise, take an object before to. Use to for purpose and -ing after prepositions.
Key points
- Planning verbs usually take to plus the base verb.
- Modal verbs take the base verb without to.
- Make and let take an object plus the base verb.
- Certain verbs take an object plus to before the action.
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At a glance
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to-infinitive after planning verbs | Follows verbs expressing plans, wishes or decisions. | I decided to check the figures. |
| base verb after modals | Follows can, should, must and other modals. | We must finish the report. |
| object plus to-infinitive | Follows certain verbs such as ask or advise. | She asked Tom to wait. |
| object plus base verb | Follows make and let without to. | They let us use the printer. |
| to-infinitive of purpose | Explains why someone does an action. | He called to confirm the booking. |
| -ing after a preposition | Follows prepositions such as about, by and without. | She left without saying goodbye. |
The full explanation
An infinitive names an action without being tied to a specific time or person. The main verb in the sentence carries the tense, while the infinitive completes the thought. In 'She wants to travel,' the verb 'wants' shows the present tense, and 'to travel' identifies what she wants.
Marcus agreed to review the schedule before noon.
Why it works: The verb agree pairs with a to-infinitive to state what Marcus accepted.
3 more examples
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You should call the delivery driver right away.
The modal verb should takes a base verb without to.
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Our supervisor let everyone leave thirty minutes early.
The verb let is followed by a person and a base verb without to.
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Elena stopped at the store to buy fresh coffee.
The to-infinitive explains the purpose of stopping.
Read the full guide
Try the listening exercise
Choose Between the To-Infinitive and Base Form
Every verb has a dictionary form known as the base verb, such as go, send, or finish. English uses this base verb in two distinct ways when linking ideas. You can use the to-infinitive, which places the word to before the base verb, or you can use the base form alone without to. Choosing the correct form always depends on the word that comes immediately before it in your sentence.
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They plan to visit the new office tomorrow.
Why it works: Plan connects to the next action with to.
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They might visit the new office tomorrow.
Why it works: Might connects directly to the base verb without to.
Your turn
Which sentence uses a to-infinitive correctly after the verb hope?
Answer: We hope to open our new branch in October.
Show the answer
Answer: We hope to open our new branch in October.
The verb hope takes a to-infinitive to introduce the planned action.
Connect Intention and Decisions with To
Many standard verbs that express plans, decisions, agreements, or desires require a to-infinitive. When you speak about things you want, arrange, or intend to do, treat the verb and to as a natural pair. Common verbs in this group include decide, expect, hope, need, plan, promise, refuse, and want. Notice that the first verb changes for tense, while the to-infinitive never changes its form.
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David decided to accept the morning shift.
Why it works: The past tense verb decided takes to plus the base verb accept.
-
We promise to deliver your furniture before five.
Why it works: Promise pairs with to deliver to express an agreement.
You can practise this again in Infinitives: When to Use To and For example: planning a shared kitchen.
Your turn
Which option correctly completes the sentence: 'Sarah refused ___ the unsigned contract'?
Answer: to sign
Show the answer
Answer: to sign
Refuse requires a to-infinitive, making 'to sign' the only correct choice.
Remove To After Modal Helping Verbs
Modal verbs express concepts like ability, necessity, advice, and possibility. The most frequent modals in daily English are can, could, may, might, must, should, will, and would. A modal verb is always followed directly by the base verb without to. Adding to after a modal is a frequent error for learners who memorize pairs like want to and then accidentally apply to everywhere.
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You should inspect the brake pads before driving.
Why it works: Should is a modal auxiliary, so inspect remains in the base form without to.
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Daniel can speak three languages comfortably.
Why it works: Can expresses ability and connects directly to the base verb speak.
Your turn
Which sentence uses the modal verb must correctly?
Answer: Visitors must show a photo pass at reception.
Show the answer
Answer: Visitors must show a photo pass at reception.
Modal verbs such as must require a base verb alone without to.
Direct Someone Else by Adding an Object Before To
When you want someone else to perform an action, certain verbs place an object between the main verb and the to-infinitive. Common verbs using this pattern are ask, remind, tell, advise, expect, and invite. The object can be a person's name or an object pronoun such as me, him, her, or us. The pattern is always verb plus object plus to plus base verb.
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The coordinator asked Maria to submit the invoices.
Why it works: Asked is followed by the object Maria and the to-infinitive to submit.
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Please remind me to call the dental clinic.
Why it works: Remind takes the pronoun me followed by to call.
Your turn
Select the sentence that follows the correct verb-object-infinitive pattern.
Answer: The mechanic advised us to replace the battery.
Show the answer
Answer: The mechanic advised us to replace the battery.
Advise requires a direct object followed by a to-infinitive.
Use Base Verbs After Make and Let
Unlike verbs such as tell or ask, the verbs make and let do not use to when followed by an object. Make means to require or force someone to act, while let means to give permission. In both cases, the pattern is verb plus object plus base verb without to. Mixing up allow with let causes mistakes: allow takes to, but let never does.
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The harsh glare made Carlos close the blinds.
Why it works: Made takes the person Carlos and the base verb close without to.
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The security team let us enter through the side door.
Why it works: Let takes the object us followed by the base verb enter.
Your turn
Which sentence shows natural grammar with let?
Answer: The store owner let him borrow the ladder.
Show the answer
Answer: The store owner let him borrow the ladder.
Let takes an object and the base verb without to.
Explain the Purpose of an Action with To
You can use a to-infinitive to answer the question why an action occurred. This structure functions as a shorter way of saying in order to. Learners often mistakenly use for plus a base verb or for plus an -ing verb to explain personal motivation. In standard English, use to plus the base verb when stating what you intended to accomplish by acting.
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Grace walked to the corner bakery to buy fresh rolls.
Why it works: To buy explains the purpose of walking to the bakery.
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I opened the window to let some cool air inside.
Why it works: To let explains why the speaker opened the window.
Your turn
Why is 'I stopped at the bank for get cash' incorrect in standard English?
Answer: For get cash is incorrect because purpose requires a to-infinitive like to get cash.
Show the answer
Answer: For get cash is incorrect because purpose requires a to-infinitive like to get cash.
English uses a to-infinitive to express purpose rather than for plus a base verb.
Place Not Correctly in Negative Patterns
When making an infinitive negative, place the word not directly before to. Do not use auxiliary verbs like do not or did not before the infinitive itself. If the main verb already has an auxiliary, keep that separate from the infinitive. For instance, notice the difference between deciding not to go and not deciding to go. In the first, the decision is to stay home.
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We chose not to renew the storage lease.
Why it works: Not sits right before to renew to show a decision against renewing.
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The nurse told James not to move his arm.
Why it works: Not stands directly before to move following the object James.
Your turn
Which sentence shows the correct negative infinitive pattern?
Answer: She promised not to call late at night.
Show the answer
Answer: She promised not to call late at night.
Standard negative infinitives place not immediately before to plus the base verb.
Recognize the Reduced Sound of To in Fast Speech
In rapid natural speech, native speakers rarely pronounce the word to with a long vowel sound. Instead of saying /tuː/, they reduce the vowel to a quick schwa sound, sounding like /tə/. When to follows a consonant, it blends smoothly into the next syllable. Recognizing this reduction prevents you from missing the tiny word to when listening to native speakers in fast workplace discussions.
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I need to confirm the reservation time.
Why it works: Need to often sounds like need-tə in fluent conversation.
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He wants to see the blueprint.
Why it works: Wants to blends into wants-tə with a brief schwa sound.
Your turn
How does the word to usually sound in natural, unhurried everyday speech?
Answer: It reduces to a weak schwa sound like /tə/.
Show the answer
Answer: It reduces to a weak schwa sound like /tə/.
In connected speech, unstressed function words like to reduce to a weak schwa /tə/.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
Leo can to repair the computer.Say: Leo can repair the computer.
Can is a modal, so it must be followed directly by the base verb.
-
Not this:
The manager let Priya to leave early.Say: The manager let Priya leave early.
Let takes an object and a base verb without to.
-
Not this:
I went upstairs for collect my coat.Say: I went upstairs to collect my coat.
A to-infinitive expresses the purpose of an action.
-
Not this:
She promised to don't change the schedule.Say: She promised not to change the schedule.
Place not before to; do not use an auxiliary inside the infinitive.
Before you go
Remember this
Check the word immediately before the verb. Follow modal verbs and causative verbs like make or let with a base verb. Use to plus the base verb after planning verbs, after person objects with verbs like tell, and when stating a purpose.
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We plan to open our new office soon.
Plan takes a to-infinitive: 'to 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
Listening 2 of 4
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Read the transcript
You must show your visitor badge here.
Must is a modal auxiliary, so it takes the base verb 'show' without to.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The final t or d is barely said before the next consonant.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
- 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 final t or d is barely said before the next consonant.
- 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 final t or d is barely said before the next consonant.
- In American English this t sounds like a quick, soft d.
- A small word like this is said quickly and softly, not as written.
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Listening 3 of 4
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Please remind Maria to bring our updated design proposal. She can email each page early so everyone remains ready.
Remind requires an object and a to-infinitive (remind Maria to bring), while modal can takes the base verb (can email).
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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Listening 4 of 4
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We chose early to reserve an auditorium downtown to welcome our regional guests. Our director wants to give our opening speech, but she told us to check each microphone carefully. Our technician will test every speaker system so nobody encounters any sound issues during our big presentation.
Chose, wants, and told take to-infinitives (with an object after told), while modal will takes the base verb test.
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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Use: english Infinitives: When to Use To
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Questions about "English Infinitives: When to Use To"
Can I use either a base verb or a to-infinitive after the verb help?
Yes, help is flexible in modern English. You can use an object followed by a base verb or an object followed by a to-infinitive without changing the meaning. Both forms are common and correct in both casual conversation and professional writing, though omitting to is slightly more frequent in spoken American English.
She helped me carry the heavy boxes into the warehouse.
She helped me to carry the heavy boxes into the warehouse.
Why do verbs like stop and remember change meaning with to or -ing?
Certain verbs change their sequence of events depending on the form. With remember, using a to-infinitive means you remember before performing the duty. Using an -ing form means you perform the duty and later recall the memory. Similarly, stop to buy coffee means pausing in order to buy coffee, while stop drinking coffee means ending a habit.
Please remember to lock the front gate before leaving.
I remember locking the front gate when I left this morning.
Can I place a to-infinitive directly after a preposition like about or in?
No, prepositions cannot be followed by an infinitive. When an action follows a preposition like about, at, by, for, in, or without, that action must take the -ing form. A common error is writing about to go or of to see. The only exception is the preposition to itself when it acts as part of the infinitive marker.
He is excited about starting his new position on Monday.
They improved their accuracy by practicing every afternoon.
Is it acceptable to place an adverb between to and the base verb?
Placing an adverb between to and the base verb is called a split infinitive, as in to clearly see. While old grammar rules discouraged this, modern standard English completely accepts it when it makes your sentence sound natural and clear. If separating the words creates awkwardness, move the adverb to the end of the clause.
You need to carefully review the safety instructions.
You need to review the safety instructions carefully.
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