B1 · Vocabulary

Applied Grammar: Verb Patterns

Lesson Handout

Verb Patterns — Reference

Some verbs take a gerund (-ing), some take an infinitive (to + verb), and some take both — sometimes with a change in meaning. These patterns are tested heavily in B1 exams.

Verb	Pattern	Example
enjoy	takes gerund ONLY: enjoy + -ing	I enjoy cooking at the weekend.
want	takes infinitive ONLY: want + to + verb	She wants to learn Spanish.
start	takes BOTH gerund and infinitive with no meaning change	It started raining / It started to rain.
stop	GERUND = cease the action; INFINITIVE = pause in order to do something else	He stopped smoking. / He stopped to smoke.
remember	GERUND = recall a past action; INFINITIVE = remember to do something future	I remember meeting her. / Remember to call him.

B1 · Vocabulary

Applied Grammar: Verb Patterns

Worksheet

Name: ___________________________ Date: _______________

Choose the correct form (6 points)

1. "I can't imagine ___________ in a big city." (a) to live (b) living (c) live (d) lived

2. "He stopped ___________ the paper on his way home." (to buy = purpose) (a) buying (b) to buy (c) buy (d) bought

3. Which is correct? (finish + gerund) (a) She finished to eat. (b) She finished eating. (c) She finished eat. (d) She finishes eating.

4. Complete: "I don't mind ___________ late occasionally." (work — gerund form)

5. "I remember ___________ this song as a child." (recall past action) (a) to sing (b) singing (c) sing (d) sung

6. "She decided ___________ a new language." (decide + infinitive) (a) learning (b) to learn (c) learn (d) learned

B1 · Vocabulary

Applied Grammar: Verb Patterns

Answer Key

1. living — imagine + -ing: Verbs of feeling/mind (imagine, enjoy, mind, avoid) are followed by the gerund (-ing form).

2. to buy — stop + to-infinitive = stop in order to do something. 'He stopped to buy the paper' = he stopped (walking) in order to buy it.

3. She finished eating. — finish + -ing: Verbs like finish, enjoy, practise, avoid are always followed by the gerund, never the infinitive.

4. working — mind + -ing: The verb 'mind' always takes the gerund. Never 'mind to work'.

5. singing — remember + -ing = recall a past action. 'Remember + to-infinitive' means remember to do something in the future.

6. to learn — decide + to-infinitive: Verbs of decision (decide, want, hope, plan, agree) are followed by the infinitive with 'to'.