10 May 2014

Top 10 Verb+Verb Combination Mistakes




The following list shows the ten mistakes that advanced students most often make when they put one verb after another. In each case the form of the second verb is incorrect.


1. Main Verb: suggest
suggest (sb) to do sth
I suggest to send our kids on a similar course.
suggest (that) sb do sth
I suggest (that) we send our kids on a similar course.

2. Main Verb: recommend
recommend to do sth
I recommend to write your feelings down on paper.
recommend doing sth
I recommend writing your feelings down on paper.

3. Main Verb: look forward to
look forward to do sth
I look forward to hear from you.
look forward to doing sth

I look forward to hearing from you.

4. Main Verb: need
need do sth; need doing sth
We need resolve a lot of other important problems.
need to do sth
We need to resolve a lot of other important problems.

5. Main Verb: consider
consider to do sth
I would like you to consider to sell the house.
consider doing sth
I would like you to consider selling the house.

6. Main Verb: want
want do sth
If you want have the body you have always dreamed of, you must join a gym.
want to do sth
If you want to have the body you have always dreamed of, you must join a gym.

7. Main Verb: be used to
be used to do sth
✗ She was not used to speak Cantonese.
be used to doing sth
✓ She was not used to speaking Cantonese.

8. Main Verb: (would) like
would like do sth
I would like thank the families for their help.
would like to do sth
I would like to thank the families for their help.

9. Main Verb: can
can to do sth
We need to find new markets where we can to sell our products.
can do sth
We need to find new markets where we can sell our products.

10. Main Verb: help
help (sb) doing sth
My job was to help operating the rollercoaster.
help (sb) to do sth; help (sb) do sth
My job was to help (them) to operate the roller-coaster.
 My job was to help (them) operate the roller-coaster.


Which verb+verb combinations trouble you the most?

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