Link verbs

I. Link verbs

Some verbs are followed by either a noun or an adjective:

She was a good friend.	=	N + V + N
She was very happy.	=	N + V + Adj.
He became headmaster.	=	N + V + N
He became angry.	=	N + V + Adj.

These verbs are called link verbs. Common verbs like this are:

·         Be, become, appear, feel, look, remain, seem, sound

She seemed an intelligent woman.
She seemed intelligent.
He looked hungry.
He looked a good player.

After appear and seem we often use to be:

She appeared to be an intelligent woman.
He seemed to be angry.

Some link verbs are followed by an adjective. Common verbs like this are:

·         Get, go, grow, taste, smell

He got hungry in the evening.
She grew stronger every day.

II. Double object verbs

1. Some verbs have two objects –an indirect object and a direct object:

Subject	Verb	Indirect object	Direct object
My wife	sent	me	an email
He	brought	his mother	some flowers
He	cooked	all his friends	a delicious meal

These clauses have the structure: V + N (indirect object) + N (direct object)

2. We can use a prepositional phrase with to or for with an indirect object:

Subject	Verb	Direct object	Prepositional phrase
My wife	sent	an email	to me
He	brought	some flowers	for his mother
He	cooked	a delicious meal	for all his friends.

These clauses have the structure : V + N (direct object) + Prepositional phrase (indirect object)

3. Common verbs with for and an indirect object are:

·         Book, buy, get, cook, keep, bring, make, pour, save, find

They booked a table for me at the restaurant.
We made toys for all the children.

4. Common verbs with to and an indirect object are:

·         Give, lend, offer, pass, post, read, sell, send, show, promise, tell

He gave his programme to the man sitting next to him.
They sent Christmas cards to all their customers.

5. If the indirect object is a long phrase we normally use to or for:

He showed his ticket to the policeman standing by the door.
We kept something to eat and drink for all the people who arrived late.

6. If the indirect object is a pronoun we normally use the N + V + N + N pattern:

I poured him another drink.
Their mother read them another story.

III. Verbs followed by that clause

With "that"

We can use clauses with that:

• after verbs of thinking:

·         Think, believe, expect, decide, hope, know, understand, suppose, guess, imagine, feel, remember, forget

I hope that you will enjoy your holiday.
She didn’t really think that it would happen.
I knew that I had seen her somewhere before.

• after verbs of saying:

·         Say, admit, argue, reply, agree, claim, deny, mention, answer, complain, explain, promise, suggest

They admitted that they had made a mistake.
She argued that they should invest more in the business.
The children complained that they had nothing to do.

Note: tell and some other verbs of saying must always have a direct object (see clauses, sentences and phrases):

·         Tell, convince, persuade, inform, remind

We tried to tell them that they should stop what they were doing.
The police informed everybody that the danger was over.

• as postmodifiers after nouns to do with thinking or saying:

·         Advice, belief, claim, feeling, argument, hope, promise, report, guess, opinion, idea

He made a promise that he would do all he could to help.
I had a funny feeling that something was wrong.

• after some nouns to say more about the noun:

·         Fact, advantage, effect, possibility, chance, danger, evidence, problem, difficulty

She pointed out the danger that they might be left behind.
There was a chance that we would succeed

Note: We often use a that clause to define one of these nouns after the verb be :

·         Danger, problem, chance, possibility, fact

The danger is that we will be left behind.
The fact is that it is getting very late.

• after some adjectives which describe feelings to give a reason for our feelings:

·         Pleased, sorry, happy, unhappy, sad, excited, glad, disappointed, afraid

I am sorry that you can’t come.
Everybody was pleased that the danger was past.
It is lucky that you were able to drive us home.

No "that"

 NOTE: We can always use a clause without the word that:

They admitted [that] they had made a mistake.
The police informed everybody [that] the danger was over.
I am sorry [that] you can’t come.
There was chance [that] we would succeed.

IV. Reporting verbs with that, wh- and if clauses

Reporting verbs with that clauses:

Some verbs introduce a report, an idea or a summary. These verbs have the pattern:

N + V + (that) + clause

When we want to say what someone says or thinks we can use a clause with that;

He said that I had to see a doctor.
I thought that he was being silly.

We can leave out the word that:

He said I had to see a doctor.
I thought he was being silly.

With some verbs we can mention the hearer as the object of the verb:

She reminded him that it was time to go.
He told me he was a friend of yours.

These verbs have the pattern;

N + V + N + (that) + clause.

V. Reporting verbs with wh- and if clauses

Some verbs introduce summaries, reports, questions or problems:

She explained what we had to do.
He asked if I was ready
I didn’t know what to do.

These verbs have the pattern:

N + V + wh- + clause:
She wondered where she was.

or

N + V + if + clause:
Ken asked if we wanted to go.

With some verbs we can mention the hearer as the object of the verb:

She asked me if I was ready.
He told me what I had to do.

These verbs have the pattern:

N + V + N + wh- + clause:
I told them what he was doing.

or

N + V + N + if + clause:
Ken asked us if we wanted to go.

VI. Reflexive and ergative verbs

Reflexive verbs

1 The reflexive pronouns (see pronouns) are:

Singular:	myself; yourself; himself; herself; itself
Plural:	ourselves; yourselves; themselves

We use a reflexive pronoun after a transitive verb (see Clauses, Sentences and Phrases) when the direct object is the same as the subject of the verb:

I am teaching myself to play the piano.
Be careful with that knife. You might cut yourself.

These are the verbs most often found with reflexive pronouns:
 

·         Cut, dry, enjoy, hurt, introduce, kill, prepare, teach

Some verbs change their meaning slightly when they have a reflexive pronoun as direct object:

·         Amuse, apply, busy, content, behave, blame, distance, express, find, help, see

Would you like to help yourself to another drink?	=	Would you like to take another drink?
I wish the children would behave themselves.	=	I wish the children would behave well.
He found himself lying by the side of the road.	=	He was surprised when he realised that he was at the side of the road.
I saw myself as a famous actor.	=	I imagined that I was a famous actor.
She applied herself to the job of mending the lights.	=	She worked very hard to mend the lights.
He busied himself in the kitchen.	=	He worked busily in the kitchen.
I had to content myself with a few Euros.	=	I had to be satisfied with a few Euros.

The verb enjoy always has an object:

We all enjoyed the party.
I really enjoyed my lunch.

If enjoy has no other object, we use a reflexive pronoun:

They all enjoyed à They all enjoyed themselves.
I really enjoyed à I really enjoyed myself.

NOTE: We do not use a reflexive pronoun after verbs which describe things people usually do for themselves:

He washed in cold water.
He always shaved before going out in the evening.
Michael dressed and got ready for the party.

We only use reflexives with these verbs for emphasis:

He dressed himself in spite of his injuries.
She’s old enough to wash herself.

VII. Ergative verbs

1. Ergative verbs are both transitive and intransitive:
 

Peter closed the door		Transitive: N + V + N
The door closed		Intransitive: N + V
I boiled a pan of water		Transitive: N + V + N
The pan boiled		Intransitive: N + V

2. Common ergative verbs are:

·         Begin, break, change, close, drop, crack, dry, end, finish, grow, improve, increase, move, open, shake, start, stop, tear, turn

I broke the glass.
I dropped the glass and it broke.

The referee blew his whistle and started the match.
The match started at 2.30.

We grew some tasty potatoes.
The potatoes were growing well.

The wind shook the trees.
The trees shook in the wind.

3. Many verbs to do with cooking are ergative verbs:

·         Bake, boil, cook, defrost, freeze, melt, roast

You should roast the meat at 200 degrees centigrade.
The meat was roasting in a hot oven.

I always defrost meat before I cook it.
I am waiting for the meat to defrost.

Melt the chocolate and pour it over the ice cream.
The chocolate was melting in a pan.

4. Verbs to do with vehicles are often ergative:

·         Back, crash, drive, fly, reverse, run, sail, start, stop

I’m learning to fly a plane.
The plane flew at twice the speed of sound.

He crashed his car into a tree.
His car crashed into a tree.
 

5. We use some ergative verbs with only a few nouns:

·         catch: dress, coat, clothes, trousers etc.

·         fire : Gun, pistol, rifle, rocket.

·         play: guitar, music, piano, violin, CD, DVD etc.

·         ring: bell, alarm

She caught her dress on a nail.
Her dress caught on a nail.

He fired a pistol to start the race.
A pistol fired to start the race.

VIII. Delexical verbs like have, take, make and give

Delexical verbs:
have, take, make, give, go and do

We often use common verbs like have and take with nouns like a shower, a drink:

I took a shower. = I showered.
She had a drink. = She drank something.

We call these delexical verbs because the important part of the meaning is taken out of the verb and put into the noun.

We often put adjectives in front of the noun:

I took a cold shower.
She had a nice, refreshing drink.

The verbs used most frequently in this way are:

have     take     make     give

have

We use have with:

Food and drink: a meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, a cup of tea
Talking: a chat, a conversation, a discussion, a talk
Washing: a bath, a shower, a wash, a scrub
Resting: a break, a holiday, a rest
Disagreeing: an argument, a dispute, a fight, a quarrel

I had a good breakfast before I left home.
We had a long talk about the problem.
The kids should have a bath before they go to bed.
She generally had a short holiday in July or August.
They had a serious quarrel about their father’s will.

We also use have with nouns formed from verbs:

I think you should have a look at this.
She had a bite of the cake.
I’m thirsty. I’m going to have a drink of water.
I had a listen to that new CD in the car.
They are going to have a swim.

take

We use take with:

Washing: a bath, a shower, a wash
Resting: a break, a holiday, a rest

I always take a cold shower in the morning.
You look tired. You need to take a break.

and with these words:

care	a turn	trouble	a chance	a decision
care of	turns	the trouble	a risk	a photograph

We took hundreds of photographs on holiday.
Jane always takes a lot of trouble with her homework.

We also use take with some nouns formed from verbs:

I think you should take a look at this.
Let’s take a walk.
They are going to take a swim.

give

We use give with:

Noises: a cry, a laugh, a scream, a shout, a whistle
Facial expressions: a smile, a grin, a look, a glance
Hitting: a kick, a punch, a slap, a push, a knock, a blow
Affectionate actions: a hug, a kiss, a stroke
Talking: some advice, an answer, some information, an interview,
a lecture, some news, a report, a speech, a talk, a warning

She gave a loud laugh.
John gave a happy smile.
He gave me a nasty kick on the leg.
She gave the children a goodnight kiss and put them to bed.
I have to give a speech at the meeting tomorrow.

make

We use make with:

Talking and sounds: a comment, an enquiry, a noise, a point,
a promise, a sound, a speech, a suggestion
Plans: arrangements, a choice, a decision, a plan, plans, an appointment, a date

Try not to make a noise.
They made arrangements to meet the next day.

go

We also use go and do as delexical verbs:

Shall we go swimming this afternoon? Or shall we go for a walk?
It’s your turn to do the cooking.
I’ll have to do my hair before the party.

We use go with –ing verbs for common activities:

We usually go walking at the weekend.
He goes running every evening after supper.
Mum’s out. She’s gone shopping.

We use go for a with verbs to do with moving:

a jog     a ride     a swim     a run     a stroll     a walk

I want to get out of here. Let’s go for a walk.
He’s gone for a ride on his bike.

do

We use do the with –ing nouns to do with work, especially work in the house:

It’s your turn to do the cooking.
You do the washing up and I’ll do the drying.

and with other nouns to do with work:

I need to do a few jobs around the house.
I can’t come out this evening. I have a lot of work to do.

We use do with nouns when it is obvious what the action is:

I’ll have to do my hair before we go out. = I’ll have to brush my hair.
Have you done your teeth? = Have you cleaned your teeth?

A question like

Have you done the car?

could mean

Have you washed the car?
Have you mended the car?
Have you put petrol in the car?

depending on the context.

 

 

 

 

IX. Verbs followed by to + infinitive

 

1 Some verbs are followed by the to-infinitive:

I decided to go home as soon as possible.
We all wanted to have more English classes.

Common verbs followed by the to-infinitive are:

Verbs of thinking and feeling:

·         choose, decide, expect, forget, hate, hope, intend, learn, like, love, mean, plan, prefer, remember, would like, would love

Verbs of saying:

·         agree, promise, refuse

Other common verbs are:

·         arrange, attempt, fail, help, manage, tend, try, want

2 Some verbs are followed by a noun and the to-infinitive:

She asked him to send her a text message.
He wanted all his friends to come to his party.

Common verbs with this pattern are:

Verbs of saying:

·         advise, ask, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn *

*Note: The verb warn is normally used with not
The police warned everyone not to drive too fast.

Verbs of wanting or liking:

·         expect, intend, would, prefer, want, would like

Other verbs with this pattern are:

·         allow, enable, force, get, teach

3. Passive infinitive

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by a passive infinitive 
(to be + past participle):

I expected to be met when I arrived at the station.
They wanted to be told if anything happened.
I don’t like driving myself. I prefer to be driven.

X. Verbs followed by -ing clauses

Common verbs followed by –ing nouns are:

Verbs of liking and disliking:

·         detest, dislike, enjoy, hate, fancy, like, love

I love swimming but I hate jogging.
They always enjoyed visiting their friends.
A: Do you fancy going for a walk?
B: I wouldn’t mind

Phrases with mind:

·         wouldn’t mind (= would like)

·         don’t mind (= I am willing to)

·         would you mind (= will you please…?)

I wouldn’t mind having some fish and chips.
I don’t mind waiting for a few minutes.
Would you mind holding this for me?

Verbs of saying and thinking:

·         admit, consider, deny, imagine, remember, suggest

Our guide suggested waiting until the storm was over.
Everyone denied seeing the accident.

 

Other common verbs are:

·         avoid, begin, finish, keep, miss, practice, risk, start, stop

I haven’t finished writing this letter. 
Let’s practise speaking English.

Passive form of -ing

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by the passive form of -ing: being + past participle

I don’t like being interrupted.
Our dog loves being stroked under the chin.

Noun + -ing clause

Some verbs are followed by a noun and an -ing clause:

Verbs to do with the senses:

·         see, watch, hear, smell, listen to

We saw everybody running away.
I could hear someone singing.
 

Other common verbs:

·         catch, find, imagine, leave, prevent, stop

I caught someone trying to break into my house.
We couldn’t prevent them getting away.

Reference: