A pupil knows the verb enjoy and writes, “I enjoy to read.” Another knows decide and writes, “We decided going home.” A third writes a sentence that is grammatical but changes meaning: “I stopped to talk” instead of “I stopped talking.”
Verb patterns tell us what kind of structure can follow a verb. Sometimes the pattern is fixed. Sometimes two patterns are possible but the meaning changes.
This guide extends Grammar Cloze, Editing and Sentence Control, Phrasal Verbs, Idioms and Fixed Expressions and Prepositions and Fixed Collocations.
Quick answer: learn the verb with its next structure
Do not store only enjoy = like. Store enjoy + -ing.
Do not store only decide = choose. Store decide + to-infinitive.
A compact routine is HEAD VERB → POSSIBLE PATTERN → MEANING → SENTENCE CHECK.
The 2026 PSLE boundary
Verb-pattern control supports Grammar, Grammar Cloze, Editing and Synthesis/Transformation in Paper 2, and accurate expression in Paper 1. These patterns are part of English grammar; the examples below are original eduKate teaching material and not official examination items.
Official reference routes: SEAB PSLE Formats Examined in 2026 and the 2026 PSLE English Language document.
Verb + -ing
Common verbs followed by an -ing form include:
- enjoy reading;
- avoid rushing;
- finish writing;
- consider changing;
- keep trying;
- suggest moving;
- practise speaking;
- admit making a mistake;
- mind waiting.
These are useful pattern families, not a complete list.
Verb + to-infinitive
Common verbs include:
- decide to leave;
- hope to improve;
- plan to revise;
- learn to use;
- agree to help;
- promise to return;
- refuse to move;
- manage to finish;
- choose to wait.
Verb + object + to-infinitive
Some verbs need an object before the infinitive:
- ask someone to help;
- tell someone to wait;
- remind someone to bring a form;
- encourage someone to continue;
- allow someone to enter;
- want someone to succeed.
Compare:
“The teacher reminded the pupils to bring their forms.”
Not: “The teacher reminded to bring their forms” when the intended receiver must be stated.
Verb + object + bare infinitive
Some structures use the base verb without to:
“The teacher made the pupils wait.”
“Let me explain.”
“We heard the bell ring.”
After modal verbs, use the base form:
“You should check.”
Not: “should to check”.
Help can vary
“The map helped visitors find the hall.”
“The map helped visitors to find the hall.”
Both are possible in standard English.
Preposition + -ing
After a preposition, an -ing form is common when a verb follows:
“Thank you for helping.”
“She is interested in joining the club.”
“Before leaving, check the lights.”
Look forward to + -ing
“I look forward to meeting you.”
Here to is a preposition inside the fixed expression, not the infinitive marker.
Be used to + -ing or noun
“I am used to waking early.”
This means the situation is familiar.
Compare with:
“I used to wake early.”
This describes a past habit that is no longer necessarily true.
Used to versus be used to
used to + base verb: past habit/state.
be used to + noun/-ing: accustomed to something.
These two patterns look similar but mean different things.
Stop + -ing
“I stopped talking.”
Meaning: I ended the activity of talking.
Stop + to-infinitive
“I stopped to talk to Maya.”
Meaning: I stopped another activity in order to talk to Maya.
The pattern changes the meaning.
Remember + -ing
“I remember locking the door.”
Meaning: I have a memory of the completed action.
Remember + to-infinitive
“Remember to lock the door.”
Meaning: do not forget a future action.
Forget + -ing / to-infinitive
“I will never forget meeting her.” — memory of an experience.
“I forgot to bring my form.” — required action was not done.
Try + -ing
“Try moving the sign closer to the entrance.”
Meaning: test this method as a possible solution.
Try + to-infinitive
“I tried to move the box, but it was too heavy.”
Meaning: I attempted the action, possibly unsuccessfully.
Regret + -ing / to-infinitive
“I regret speaking so sharply.” — regret a past action.
“We regret to inform you…” — formal expression used when giving bad news.
The second pattern is uncommon in ordinary pupil writing and should not be forced.
Continue, start and begin
These verbs often allow both forms:
“She began to read.”
“She began reading.”
Differences are often small in simple contexts.
Like, love, hate and prefer
These can often take -ing or to-infinitive structures, with differences in nuance depending on context.
“I like reading.” — enjoyment of the activity generally.
“I like to read before bed.” — can emphasise habit or preference.
Do not teach one pattern as the only possible form when standard English allows both.
Prefer
“I prefer walking to taking the bus.”
“I prefer to walk rather than take the bus.”
Keep the comparison structure parallel.
Suggest
Natural:
“She suggested moving the sign.”
“She suggested that we move the sign.”
Weak: “She suggested us to move the sign.”
Recommend
“I recommend checking the source.”
“I recommend that you check the source.”
Avoid mechanically forcing recommend someone to do in standard school English when the intended pattern is different.
Advise
“The teacher advised us to check the source.”
“The teacher advised checking the source.”
Both can work with different structures.
Allow
“The teacher allowed the pupils to leave.”
Passive:
“The pupils were allowed to leave.”
Make
Active:
“The rain made us change the route.”
Passive:
“We were made to change the route.”
The passive pattern includes to.
See, hear, watch + object + base verb / -ing
“I saw Maya cross the road.” — often presents the event as complete.
“I saw Maya crossing the road.” — focuses on the action in progress.
Do not overstate the distinction in every context, but recognise that aspect changes the viewpoint.
Original Workshop 1
Choose the natural pattern.
1. We decided ___ the meeting indoors. (move / to move / moving)
2. Mei enjoys ___ historical stories. (read / reading / to reading)
3. The teacher reminded us ___ our passes. (bring / to bring / bringing)
4. Please avoid ___ the same point twice. (repeat / repeating / to repeat)
5. The rain made us ___ the route. (change / to change / changing)
Workshop 1 answers
1. to move. 2. reading. 3. to bring. 4. repeating. 5. change.
Original Workshop 2: meaning changes
Explain the difference.
A. “Daniel stopped talking.”
B. “Daniel stopped to talk to the teacher.”
A. “Maya remembered locking the drawer.”
B. “Maya remembered to lock the drawer.”
Answers
In the first pair, A means Daniel ended his speech; B means he stopped another activity in order to speak.
In the second pair, A refers to a memory of a completed action; B means she did not forget the required action.
Verb patterns in Grammar Cloze
Original passage:
“The class considered ___ the signs closer to the entrance. After discussing the problem, they decided ___ a second map instead.”
Answers: moving; to add.
Verb patterns in Editing
Deliberate errors:
“The teacher suggested to move the table. Daniel agreed helping with the chairs. Mei reminded him bringing the labels.”
Corrections:
suggested moving.
agreed to help.
reminded him to bring.
Verb patterns in Synthesis
Original:
“The teacher said, ‘Please wait outside.’”
Reported:
“The teacher asked the pupils to wait outside.”
The reporting verb controls the complement structure.
Verb patterns in composition
Natural pattern control improves flow:
“I considered hiding the mistake, but decided to tell the teacher.”
The contrast is clearer because each verb takes the structure it naturally selects.
Verb patterns in Situational Writing
“We hope to organise the workshop next Friday.”
“We would appreciate receiving your reply by Tuesday.”
“We ask pupils to register in advance.”
Preposition + -ing in formal writing
“Thank you for considering our request.”
“We apologise for changing the date.”
These are common functional patterns worth learning as complete chunks.
Verb patterns and meaning preservation
Weak transformation:
“Maya stopped talking” → “Maya stopped to talk.”
Grammar remains valid, but meaning changes.
This is why Synthesis checking must include meaning, not only form.
Verb patterns and register
“I want you to reply.” can sound direct.
“I would like you to reply.” is softer.
“We would appreciate receiving your reply.” is more formal.
Grammar interacts with tone.
Original Workshop 3: fix the pattern
1. “I look forward to meet you.”
2. “She avoided to answer the question.”
3. “The teacher made us to rewrite the sentence.”
4. “We agreed helping with the event.”
5. “He is used to wake up early.”
Corrections
1. look forward to meeting.
2. avoided answering.
3. made us rewrite.
4. agreed to help.
5. is used to waking up early.
Common false rules
False: “After every verb, use to.”
False: “Gerunds are only nouns.” In school grammar, -ing forms can participate in several structures; what matters here is the complement pattern.
False: “If both -ing and to-infinitive are grammatical, they always mean the same thing.”
How to learn verb patterns efficiently
Store the verb with a small frame:
- decide to do;
- avoid doing;
- ask someone to do;
- make someone do;
- look forward to doing;
- be used to doing;
- stop doing / stop to do — meaning changes.
Learn in contrast families
Pair verbs that look similar but behave differently:
suggest doing versus advise someone to do.
allow someone to do versus let someone do.
remember doing versus remember to do.
Original transfer passage
“The class considered moving the registration table closer to the entrance. The teacher asked two pupils to test the new position before the next event. After watching visitors walk through the doorway, the pupils suggested placing the sign even earlier in the route. The class agreed to try the change for one week and promised to review the results.”
Questions:
1. Why does considered take moving?
2. What structure follows asked?
3. Why is watching visitors walk natural?
4. What pattern follows suggested?
5. What pattern follows agreed and promised?
Transfer answers
1. Consider commonly takes an -ing complement when discussing an action option.
2. object + to-infinitive: asked two pupils to test.
3. A perception verb can take object + base verb to present the observed event as a whole.
4. -ing: suggested placing.
5. to-infinitive: agreed to try; promised to review.
Three pupil profiles
The translation builder: imports a complement pattern from another language. Repair whole English frames.
The to-infinitive overuser: writes enjoy to read, suggest to move. Repair verb families.
The meaning-blind transformer: changes -ing/to form without noticing meaning shifts. Repair contrast pairs such as stop, remember and try.
A four-week verb-pattern cycle
Week 1: verb + -ing / to-infinitive. Week 2: object + infinitive / bare infinitive. Week 3: meaning-changing pairs. Week 4: cloze, editing, synthesis and writing transfer.
What parents can observe
- Can the pupil recall the verb with its pattern?
- Can the pupil distinguish stop doing from stop to do?
- Can the pupil use suggest, advise, allow and make accurately?
- Can the pupil spot preposition + -ing structures?
- Can the pupil preserve meaning during transformation?
Secondary 1 bridge
Secondary English adds more complex clause and complement structures. The Primary 6 habit to carry forward is lexical grammar: verbs come with structural preferences, and those preferences can carry meaning.
Continue with Secondary 1 Sentence Craft.
Continue Batch 12
Use Tense and Aspect for time relationships, Subject–Verb Agreement for grammatical ownership, and Oral on Unfamiliar Topics for spontaneous communication.
Return to the Secondary English Learning Hub.
The quiet return
Vocabulary tells you what a verb means. Verb patterns tell you what the verb permits next.
Learn the word with its structure. Compare patterns that change meaning. Then use the pattern naturally enough that grammar disappears into communication.
