\u00a0(non-finite) with a sense of humor<\/b>. \u00a0<\/span>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span>Small <\/span>Verbs<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\n
Before you know what<\/span> small verbs<\/span> are, you have to ask yourself a question. To be frank, <\/span>Big Verbs<\/span> are nothing special that they are big just because they come first in a sentence. So the question is:\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is it<\/span> fair<\/span>? <\/span><\/span><\/div>\nWhy<\/span> does a verb comes after another become small<\/span>? <\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Well, if you like, making sentences is <\/span>like marriage<\/span>. The first woman a man marries is a <\/span>wife<\/span> (like a <\/span>Big Verb)<\/span>; the second woman has to be a <\/span>mistress<\/span> (like <\/span>a small verb). <\/span>To make matter worse, a Small Verb doesn\u2019t have many choices. After Big Verbs they usually <\/span>come in two shapes<\/span>, either with <\/span>a head <\/span>or <\/span>a tail.<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shape 1<\/span>: with a head<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
We have decided <\/span>to <\/span>renew<\/span> our contract with Apple.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nIt is important <\/span>to<\/span> submit <\/span>your report on time.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
As you can see from the above examples, \u2018renew\u2019 and \u2018submit\u2019 become Small Verbs because they <\/span>come after<\/span> the two Big Verbs (<\/span>have decided<\/span> and <\/span>is<\/span>). <\/span>Moreover, they have to come with a head: TO, so that they are in a funny shape:<\/span>
<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
to + verb<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Shape 2<\/span>: with a tail<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other Small Verbs are less luckier. They have to come with a tail. What tail is it? Read the following sentences:<\/span>
<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
The CEO suggested <\/span>cutt<\/span>ing<\/span> the budget on advertising.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nThere is no reason for <\/span>giv<\/span>ing<\/span> up the plan now.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
So the tail is ‘<\/span><\/span>verb + ing’.<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a word, the two special shapes for Small Verbs are:<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/colgroup>\n\n\n| Shape 1 (with a head)<\/span><\/td>\n | \nto<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n| +<\/span><\/td>\n | \nverb<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Shape 2 (with a tail)<\/span><\/td>\n | \nverb<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n| +<\/span><\/td>\n | \ning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nHowever, you may ask a, question, probably a<\/span> bigger <\/span>question:<\/span>
![](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/Kw5tg705RieJXneenP9Hkl1zBnlHGBBoa_X-EHn3bWyVuEFiNwGjlT3xV3Yu57O69FoPlrDJp3UL5lK3_49yYcPLvA-cfubkCMkJexaHFUqi2eu-mzI\") How do you know which shape to choose?<\/span>
Or some even <\/span>bigger<\/span> questions may pop up into your mind:\u00a0<\/span>Why are certain verbs<\/span> followed by ‘to+verb’<\/span>? \u00a0<\/span>Why are certain verbs <\/span>followed by ‘verb+ing’<\/span>?<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n Here you are, an example: <\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/colgroup>\n\n\n| Situation <\/span><\/td>\n | In a <\/span>meeting <\/span> ![](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/4ssYtkeocQsyA_ztn5mAP8coPN24fJ9rG6Qo6Q3EITVPFty3W8r7lk8VRibLqi4JvrZFUkrH-omKOyBazxTJYoiGRvsr6D0ojsJagda2pXb26hb2F88\") <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Aim<\/span><\/td>\n | Agreeing<\/span> to do something<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nYou may say:<\/span><\/div>\nWe have agreed <\/span>to postpone <\/span>the deadline.<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n ![](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/r7iHgNvii-kYrVZUF1SaYclGp3z0Y05u6KwOKby7sNP5cei2uhm23TBqVvFDpiFTdhXCO3NNjV-U8iB4OG36jbiAmRplDDvkDZmq0WpjPJEQz0UJ9wY\") Is there any reason <\/span>why<\/span> you have to use <\/span>To+Verb <\/span>(to postpone) here? To get the answer, you have to answer three questions first. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>What do you<\/span> think about<\/span> \u2018to\u2019<\/span><\/b>? \u00a0<\/span>How does \u2018to\u2019 <\/span>taste<\/span>? <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>How does \u2018to\u2019 <\/span>smell<\/span>?<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span>
<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n ![](\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--Nb56Ib0cdg\/ULeE-OhJ4qI\/AAAAAAAAAMA\/gSwj3CzmqX0\/s200\/eating+mouth.jpg\") <\/a><\/div>\n
<\/span>To learn English and feel good about yourself, sometimes you have to put something into your mouth, <\/span>touch<\/span> that something, and <\/span>feel<\/span> it. \u00a0<\/span>Does \u2018to\u2019 mean <\/span>something <\/span>to be done<\/span>?<\/span> Does \u2018to\u2019 taste like <\/span>something <\/span>in the future<\/span>?<\/span> Does \u2018to\u2019 have something to do with<\/span> a plan<\/span>?<\/span>
If your answers to the above are \u2018<\/span>yes<\/span>\u2019, you are right. \u2018<\/span>To<\/b><\/span>\u2019 implies that there is something, which may be a plan, <\/span>to be done <\/b><\/span>in the future. \u00a0<\/span>So, \u2018to\u2019 follows Big Verbs such as <\/span>decide<\/span>,<\/span> expect<\/span>,<\/span> and <\/span>manage<\/span>,<\/span> all of which have <\/span>something to do with future<\/span>. \u00a0<\/span>Other examples of ‘Big Verbs + To+Verbs’ include:<\/span>
<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/colgroup>\n\n\n| \u00a0<\/td>\n | \u00a0<\/td>\n | To+Verbs<\/span><\/td>\n | \u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| Our company <\/span><\/td>\n | offered<\/span><\/td>\n | to fix<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n | the item free of charge<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| We<\/span><\/td>\n | intend<\/span><\/td>\n | to deliver <\/b><\/span><\/td>\n | the item in a few days<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n| Our CEO<\/span><\/td>\n | declined<\/span><\/td>\n | to comment<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n | on the accident<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\u00a0<\/h1>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
—————————————————<\/p>\n
This post is adapted from the book: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Feel<\/span><\/i>Good<\/span><\/i><\/b>Grammar: <\/span><\/i> | | | | | | | | |
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/mindpowerasia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/FreeGreatPicture.com-28730-interesting-material-of-commerce.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![](\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--Nb56Ib0cdg\/ULeE-OhJ4qI\/AAAAAAAAAMA\/gSwj3CzmqX0\/s1600\/eating+mouth.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n