verb patterns

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if you want to learn different verb patterns, then you are at the right place because, in this article, you will learn verb patterns with examples 

Table of Contents

 VERB PATTERNS

The way we create sentences can be a real mystery to learners of English as a language. We learn about the different types of sentences that exist in a language, but there are also many different types of verbs. Some verbs are regular, but there are also irregular verbs. Some verbs have two or more different forms. Some verbs have a person/number/verb pattern that we don’t find in other languages. And then there are sometimes really interesting things like past tense and past participle


Table of content

Subject + verb

it is the simplest of verb patterns. The subject is followed by an intrinsic verb which is expressed complete without the help of any other words.

Subject

Verb

Birds

fly

Fire

Burns

The moon

Is shining

The baby

Is crying

The bell

Has rung

The sun

Rose

Kamala

Was singing

 

Subject + verb + subject complement

 

Subject

Verb

Subject complement

1

This

is

A pen

2

His brother

Became

a solider

3

It

is

Me

4

That book

is

Mine

5

Gopal

looks

Sad

6

My father

grew

Angry

7

The children

kept

quiet

8

The milk

Has turned

Sour

 

The complement usually consists of a noun (examples 1 and 2 ), a pronoun ( 3 and 4 ), or an adjective ( 5 6 7 AND 8)

Subject + verb + direct object

 

Subject

Verb

Direct object

1

I

know

his address

2

The boy

 Has lost

His pen

3

Andrew

Opened

The door

4

who

broke

The door

5

Mr. ALI

Has bought

A car

6

You

Must wash

Yourself

7

we

Should help

The poor

 

Subject + VERB + Indirect object + direct object

 

Subject

Verb

Indirect object

Direct object

1

I

lent

her

My pen

2

The teacher

Have paid

him

the money

3

We

Have paid

him

The money

4

The old man

told

us

The whole story

5

You

Must tell

The police

The truth

6

i

Have bought

My sister

A watch

7

He

Did not leave

us

any

8

—————-

show

me

Your hands

 

Subject + verb + direct object + preposition + prepositional object

 

Subject

Verb

Direct object

preposition

Prepositional object

1

I

lent

My pen

To

A friend of mine

2

The teacher

gave

homework

to

All of us

3

we

Have paid

The money

to

The proprietor

4

He

told

The news

to

Everyday in the village

5

He

Promised

The money

to

Me ( not to you)

6

I

Have bought

A watch

For

My sister

7

Mr . Andrew

sold

His car

To

A man form karachi

8

she

made

coffee

for

All of us

We can use some verbs in both pattern 4 and pattern 5. Pattern 5 is preferred when the direct object is less important or when the indirect object is longer than the direct object.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun+ adjective

 

Subject

Verb

Noun / pronoun

Adjective

1

The boy

Pushed

The door

Open

2

The smith

beat

it

Flat

3

she

Washed

The plates

Clean

4

The theif

Broke

The safe

Open

5

He

turned

Thr lamp

Low

6

you

Have made

Your shirt

Dirty

7

I

like

My coffee

Strong

8

we

found

The trunk

Empty

In example 1______6, the adjective denotes a state that results from the action expressed by the verb. In the last two examples, the noun and the adjective combine to be the object of the verb

Verbs used in this pattern include getting keep beat drive make paint leave turn find like wish

Subject + VERB + Preposition + prepositional object

 

Subject

Verb

preposition

Prepositional object

1

We

Are waiting

for

Suresh

2

He

agreed

To

Our proposal

3

You

Can’t count

on

His help

4

These books

belong

to

Me

5

His uncle

met

with

An accident

6

she

complained

of

His rudeness

7

he

failed

in

His attempt

 

Subject + verb + to-infinitive (as object of the verb)

 

Subject

Verb

To-infinitive(object of the verb

1

She

wants

To go

2

I

forgot

To post the letter

3

he

fears

To speak in public

4

They

intend

To postpone the trip

5

Ramesh

proposes

To go into business

6

we

Would like

To visit the museum

7

i

hopes

To get a first class

8

he

decided

Not to go there

The commonest verbs used in this pattern are love, prefer, begin, start, agree, try, attempt, choose, continue, intend, propose, desire, wish, want, hate, dislike, hope, expect, promise, refuse, fear, forget, offer, learn.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

To-infinitive etc

1

I

Would like

you

To stay

2

we

asked

him

To go

3

He

helped

me

To carry the box

4

The doctor

ordered

Andrew

To stay in the bed

5

they

warned

us

Not to be late

6

I

Can’t allow

you

To smoke

7

she

advised

him

To study medicine

8

Who

Taught

you

To swim

 

 The chief verbs used in this pattern include asking to tell, order, command, persuade, encourage, urge, want, wish, request, intend, expect, force, tempt, teach, invite, help, warn, like, love, hate, allow, permit, remind, cause, mean, dare.

Subject + verb + gerund

 

Subject

verb

Gerund, etc

1

She

began

Singing

2

he

Has finished

Talking

3

I 

hate

Borrowing money

4

you

Must not

Seeing him

5

Mr Andrew

loves

Teaching

6

My brother

enjoys

Playing cricket

7

I

suggest

Burning that letter

8

—–

Don’t keep

Saying that

 In this pattern, the gerund is the object of the verb. The chief verbs used in this pattern, include, begin, to start, love, hate, stop, finish, enjoy, prefer, fear, remember, forget, mind, miss, suggest, practice, try, understand, keep, help, advise, admit, Avoid, consider, intend, delay, and deny.

Subject + VERB + NOUN/PRONOUN + PRESENT PARTICILPE

 

SUBJECT

VERB

NOUN/PRONOUN

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

1

I

saw

him

Crossing the bridge

2

we

smell

something

Burning

3

we

noticed

The boy

Walking down the street

4

She

caught

him

Opening you letters

5

they

found

him

Playing cards

6

she

kept

The fire

Burning

7

———

(Please)start

The clock

going

 

 Verbs used in this pattern include see hear smell, feel , watch, notice , find , observe , listen , get , catch ,keep , leave ,set and start.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + plain infinitive

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

Plain infinitive

1

I

saw

him

go out

2

She

watched

him

Steal the watch

3

we

Heard

her

sing

4

The theif

felt

someone

Touch his arm

5

 

Let

him

Go

6

we

made

tom

Behave well

7

he

bade

them

Leave the house

The chief verbs used in this pattern are seen, watch, observe, hear, feel, make, let, and help bid.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + past participle

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

Past participle

1

I

heard

My name

Called

2

I

want

This letter

Typed

3

she

Felt

herself

Lifted up

4

You

Should get

That tooth

Pulled up

5

He

had

His suit

Cleaned

6

We

found

The house

deserted

The verbs used in this pattern are, see, hear, find, feel, want, wish, like, make, prefer, get, and have.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + (to be) complement

The complement may be an adjective, adjective phrase or noun

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

(to be) complement

1

I

consider

The plan

(to be) unwise

2

we

thought

him

(to be) foolish

3

People

supposed

him

(to be) a patriot

4

they

reported

Robert

(to be) a reliable person

5

The court

appointed

her

Guardian of the orphan child

6

The club

chose

Mr. andrew

Treasure

7

She

called

him

A fool

The chief verbs used in this pattern are, appoint, choose elect, make, call, name, nominate, crown, and christen.

Subject + verb + that clause (object of the verb)

 

subject

verb

That clause (object of the verb)

1

I

suppose

(That) he is not at the home

2

I

Expect

(that) it will rain

3

we

hoped

(That)you would succeed

4

He

says

(That) he has met your uncle

5

The teacher

said

He was very busy

6

Andrew

suggested

That we should go to the park

7

He

admitted

That he had written the letter

8

they

complained

That they had not been fairly treated

That is often omitted, especially after, say, think, suppose, hope, expect

The important verbs used in this pattern are said, think, suppose, imagine, know, believe, admit, confess, declare, suggest, complain, hope, expect, fear, feel, hear, intend, show, show, understand and wonder.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + that-clause

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

That-clause

1

He

told

Me

(that)he was coming on sunday

2

I

warned

Him

That there were pickpockets in the crowd

3

She

Has assured

me

That he is ready to help

4

Andrew

promised

me

That he would be there at five

5

we

Have informed

him

That we are leaving this afternoon

6

he

satisfied

me

That he could do the work well

 The chief verbs used in this pattern are, tell, inform, promise, warn, remind, teach, assure, and satisfy.

 Subject + verb + interrogative + clause

 

Subject

Verb

Interrogative+ clause

1

I

asked

Where he was going

2

Nobody

knows

When he will arrive

3

I

wonder

What he wants

4

She

showed

How annoyed she was

5

Tom

Could not decide

What he should do next

6

I

Cant imagine find out

Why she has behaved like that when the train is due

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The important verbs used in this pattern are asked to ask, wonder, know, believe, imagine, decide, discuss, understand, show, reveal, find, out, suggest, and tell.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + interrogative + clause

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

Interrogative + clause

1

She

asked

me

When you had gone

2

 

tell

us

What it is

3

I

showed

them

How they should do it

4

can

You tell

me

Where he lives

 The chief verbs used in this pattern are, tell, ask, show, teach, advise, and inform

Subject + verb + interrogative + to-infinitive

 

Subject

Verb

Interrogative + to-infinitive

1

I

Don’t know

How to do it

2

I

wonder

Where to spend the weekend

3

she

knows

How to drive a car

4

He

forgot

When to turn

5

tom

Couldn’t decide

What to do next

6

 

Remember

How to do it

The commonest verbs used in this pattern are, know, understand, wonder, remember, forget, decide, settle, find, out, enquire, see, explain, guess, learn, and consider.

Subject + verb + noun/pronoun + to-infinitive

 

Subject

Verb

Noun/pronoun

Interrogative +to-infinitive

 

I

Shall know

you

How to operate it

 

He

Has taught

me

How to play chess

 

They

informed

us

Where to turn off the road

 

 

Advise

me

What to do

 

We

asked

him

Where to get tickets

 

The chief verbs used in this pattern are those illustrated in the table

so that is all about verb patterns if you any question you can ask comment sections below

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