Verb + to-infinitive

Many verbs are followed by to + the base form of a verb (the to-infinitive). Only the first verb changes for tense; the to + verb part never changes.

💡not goes before to: decided not to go. You will hear “to not go” in speech, but not to go is the standard form and the safer choice in writing.

1. Wanting, hoping, planning, deciding: want, would like, hope, plan, decide, intend, expect, aim, choose

• I'm hoping to visit Hoi An this summer.

• We've decided to rent a smaller flat.

• Nam plans to open his own cafe one day.

2. Promising, agreeing, refusing, offering, threatening, arranging: promise, agree, refuse, offer, threaten, arrange

• My neighbour offered to water my plants while I was away.

• The taxi driver refused to use the meter.

• We've arranged to meet at eight.

3. Trying, succeeding, failing, learning, affording: try, manage, fail, attempt, learn, can't afford

• I finally managed to fix the printer.

  manage = succeed in doing something difficult

• He failed to notice the red light.

• My son is learning to ride a bike.

• Students often can't afford to buy new textbooks.

4. Seeming, tending, pretending, happening: seem, appear, tend, pretend, happen

• Linh seems to know everyone here.

• I tend to talk too fast when I'm nervous.

• He pretended to be asleep.

• Do you happen to know her number?

After seem, appear, pretend, tend… you can use to + verb, and also to be + -ing (something in progress) and to have + past participle (something that happened earlier).

Verbs like decide, know, learn, explain and wonder can also take question word + to + verb: I don't know what to say. See the lesson “Question word + to-infinitive”.

Don't guess the form from the meaning: many pairs of verbs mean almost the same, but one takes to + verb and the other takes -ing (see the lesson “Verb + -ing”). Watch out for look forward to: here to is a preposition, so -ing follows.

• I hope to see you soon. / I'm looking forward to seeing you.

• She agreed to lend me her notes.

💡Here to is just the marker of the infinitive; it doesn't mean direction or purpose. When to is a real preposition (look forward to, be used to, object to), it is followed by -ing — see the lesson “Preposition + -ing”.

• ✗We decided going by train.

  ✓We decided to go by train.

  decide + to + verb.

• ✗I hope seeing you soon.

  ✓I hope to see you soon.

  hope + to + verb.

• ✗He promised not be late again.

  ✓He promised not to be late again.

  The negative is not to + verb; keep the to.

• ✗I'm agree to help you.

  ✓I agree to help you.

  agree is a verb; don't add am.

• ✗I hope you to pass the exam.

  ✓I hope (that) you pass the exam.

  hope doesn't take person + to; use a that-clause.

• ✗She refused answering my question.

  ✓She refused to answer my question.

  refuse + to + verb.