Unit 6 Grammar A: Object + infinitive patterns
Use an object before to-infinitives and bare infinitives.
Some verbs are followed by an object and a to-infinitive: advise someone to act, allow someone to act, ask someone to act, encourage someone to act, expect someone to act, invite someone to act, teach someone to act, tell someone to act, want someone to act, and would like someone to act. The object names the person expected or encouraged to perform the infinitive action. In active sentences, make and let use an object followed by a bare infinitive without to: make someone clean, let someone leave. The first verb carries tense, agreement, and ordinary negation.
Key terms
| First verb | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| advise / ask / invite | verb + object + to + base | They invited us to join. |
| expect / want / would like | verb + object + to + base | She expects him to arrive. |
| make | make + object + bare base | The coach made us practise. |
| let | let + object + bare base | The coach let us rest. |
- 1Find the first verb: The sentence uses made.
- 2Select its pattern: Active make takes object + bare infinitive.
- 3Complete the form: The teacher made us revise.
In the teacher asked Leyla to speak, Leyla is the object of asked and the performer of speak.
Use made him clean and let him leave in these active patterns.
Rules
- 1Use verb + object + to + base verb after advise, allow, ask, encourage, expect, invite, teach, tell, want, and would like.
- 2Use an object pronoun before the infinitive: ask him to help, invite them to join.
- 3Put tense and agreement on the first verb: she expects them to arrive; she asked them to wait.
- 4Use ordinary finite negation on the first verb: did not allow him to leave.
- 5Use make + object + bare infinitive in active sentences: made us clean.
- 6Use let + object + bare infinitive in active sentences: let them go.
Practice
4 easy · 4 medium · 4 hard
Up to 10 random questions per test