Verbs: Complements¶
Verb |
NP |
Bare Inf |
To-Inf |
Gerund (-ing) |
That-clause |
Wh-clause |
NP + To-Inf |
NP + Adj/Participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
allow |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
ask |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
be |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
begin / start |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
can / could / may / might / must / shall / should / will / would |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
consider |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
continue |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
decide |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
deny |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
enjoy |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
expect |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
forget |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
get |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
give |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
hear |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
help |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
hope |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
know |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
let |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
like |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
love |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
make |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
need |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
notice |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
offer |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
persuade |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
plan |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
prefer |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
prove |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
remember |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
say |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
see |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
seem / appear |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
start / begin |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
stop |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
suggest |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
take |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
tell |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
think |
— |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
try |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
understand |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
— |
want |
✓ |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
watch |
✓ |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
will |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
wonder |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
✓ |
— |
— |
How to read the table¶
NP – can take a noun phrase object (see the movie)
Bare Inf – bare infinitive (can leave, let him go)
To-Inf – “to” infinitive (want to leave)
Gerund (-ing) – participial/gerund clause (enjoy reading)
That-clause – finite clause introduced by that (think that he left)
Wh-clause – content clause starting with a wh-word (know what he said)
NP + To-Inf – object + infinitive (persuade him to stay)
NP + Adj/Participle – object + adjective or participle (consider him reliable)
This table is a master reference for:¶
Writing with correct verb complements
Identifying modal, control, and perception verbs
Avoiding common errors with to-infinitives, gerunds, and passive constructions