Verb patterns · CEFR A2 · Everyday
Verb + to + verb — English verb patterns
A large group of verbs — about wanting, planning and deciding — take "to" plus the plain verb.
The shape
want / hope / decide / need / promise + to + verb
Talk about what you want, hope and plan to do.
In Hindi
चाहना, तय करना, उम्मीद करना — इन क्रियाओं के बाद "to" और सादी क्रिया आती है।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
I decided going by train. | I decided to go by train. "Decide" takes "to", not -ing. |
Verb + to + verb examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
I want to go home.
मैं घर जाना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
I want to rest.
मैं आराम करना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
I want to learn English.
मैं अंग्रेज़ी सीखना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
I want to speak well.
मैं अच्छा बोलना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
She wants to become a doctor.
वह डॉक्टर बनना चाहती है।
We want to watch a film.
हम फिल्म देखना चाहते हैं।
I do not want to sleep now.
मैं अभी नहीं सोना चाह{ता|ती}।
I want to buy a new book.
मैं नई किताब खरीदना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
I want to meet my friend.
मैं अपने दोस्त से मिलना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
I want to finish this work.
मैं यह काम पूरा करना चाह{ता|ती} हूँ।
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Gerunds & infinitivesB1Know whether to say "to go" or "going"
- Verb + -ingA2Talk about what you enjoy, avoid and have finished
Questions people ask
- What is the verb + to + verb used for?
- A large group of verbs — about wanting, planning and deciding — take "to" plus the plain verb. In practice: talk about what you want, hope and plan to do.
- How do you form the verb + to + verb?
- want / hope / decide / need / promise + to + verb.
- What is the most common mistake with the verb + to + verb?
- Saying “I decided going by train.” instead of “I decided to go by train.”. "Decide" takes "to", not -ing.
Where verb + to + verb fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Verb + to + verb is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to verb patterns. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
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