Summary: The post is about how to make sentences with reference to finite and Non-finite Verbs, which in the funny terms of this post are named Big Verbs (finite) and Small Verbs (non-finite). As in some languages such as Asian ones the ideas (or concepts) of finite verbs do not exist, this post attempts to explain the differences between Big Verbs (finite) and Small Verbs (non-finite) with a sense of humor.
Small Verbs
Before you know what small verbs are, you have to ask yourself a question. To be frank, Big Verbs are nothing special that they are big just because they come first in a sentence. So the question is:
Is it fair?
Why does a verb comes after another become small?
Well, if you like, making sentences is like marriage. The first woman a man marries is a wife (like a Big Verb); the second woman has to be a mistress (like a small verb). To make matter worse, a Small Verb doesn’t have many choices. After Big Verbs they usually come in two shapes, either with a head or a tail.
Shape 1: with a head
We have decided to renew our contract with Apple.
It is important to submit your report on time.
As you can see from the above examples, ‘renew’ and ‘submit’ become Small Verbs because they come after the two Big Verbs (have decided and is). Moreover, they have to come with a head: TO, so that they are in a funny shape:
to + verb
Shape 2: with a tail
Other Small Verbs are less luckier. They have to come with a tail. What tail is it? Read the following sentences:
The CEO suggested cutting the budget on advertising.
There is no reason for giving up the plan now.
So the tail is ‘verb + ing’.
In a word, the two special shapes for Small Verbs are:
| Shape 1 (with a head) |
to
|
+ |
verb
|
| Shape 2 (with a tail) |
verb
|
+ |
ing
|
However, you may ask a, question, probably a bigger question:
How do you know which shape to choose?Or some even bigger questions may pop up into your mind: Why are certain verbs followed by ‘to+verb’? Why are certain verbs followed by ‘verb+ing’?
Here you are, an example:
| Situation | In a meeting  |
| Aim | Agreeing to do something |
You may say:
We have agreed to postpone the deadline.
Is there any reason why you have to use To+Verb (to postpone) here? To get the answer, you have to answer three questions first. What do you think about ‘to’? How does ‘to’ taste? How does ‘to’ smell?
To learn English and feel good about yourself, sometimes you have to put something into your mouth, touch that something, and feel it. Does ‘to’ mean something to be done? Does ‘to’ taste like something in the future? Does ‘to’ have something to do with a plan?
If your answers to the above are ‘yes’, you are right. ‘To’ implies that there is something, which may be a plan, to be done in the future. So, ‘to’ follows Big Verbs such as decide, expect, and manage, all of which have something to do with future. Other examples of ‘Big Verbs + To+Verbs’ include:
| To+Verbs | |||
| Our company | offered | to fix | the item free of charge |
| We | intend | to deliver | the item in a few days |
| Our CEO | declined | to comment | on the accident |
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This post is adapted from the book:
FeelGoodGrammar: How to Make Sentences in Business English
Buy the book:
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Buy the book:
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