Blog about English
Using infinitive and -ing constructions after adjectives and nouns.
Adjectives and nouns can be followed by different infinitive, gerund, and prepositional constructions.
The correct pattern depends on the adjective or noun and the meaning expressed by the complement.
Many adjectives can be followed directly by a to-infinitive.
For example, happy to help, ready to leave, difficult to understand, and likely to happen.
When an adjective is followed by a preposition, a following verb normally takes the gerund form.
For example, interested in learning, afraid of making mistakes, and good at solving problems.
Some adjective constructions use for + object + to-infinitive to identify who is expected to perform the action.
For example, It is important for students to understand the rule.
Enough can follow an adjective before a to-infinitive to express sufficient degree for an action.
For example, The box is light enough to carry.
Too can come before an adjective followed by a to-infinitive to express excessive degree for an action.
For example, The bag is too heavy to carry.
Some adjectives can be followed by of + object + to-infinitive when judging a person's behaviour or action.
For example, It was kind of you to help and It was careless of him to leave the door open.
Adjectives describing emotions or reactions can be followed by a to-infinitive.
For example, I am pleased to meet you, She was surprised to hear the news, and He is sorry to interrupt.
Adjectives can be followed by a to-infinitive when evaluating difficulty, possibility, importance, or suitability.
For example, difficult to explain, easy to use, impossible to predict, and useful to know.
Some adjectives require particular prepositions before a following noun, pronoun, or gerund.
For example, interested in, responsible for, capable of, and opposed to.
Many nouns can be followed by a to-infinitive describing an action, possibility, purpose, or intended outcome.
For example, a decision to leave, a chance to win, a plan to expand, and a need to change.
A noun can be followed by a to-infinitive that explains its purpose or intended use.
For example, a machine to clean the floor and a tool to remove the screws.
Some nouns are commonly followed by of + gerund when referring to an activity or process.
For example, the idea of moving abroad, the possibility of finding a solution, and the risk of losing money.
Nouns followed by a preposition take a gerund when another verb follows.
For example, difficulty in understanding, interest in learning, and experience of working abroad.
Some noun constructions use for + object + to-infinitive to identify who is expected or intended to perform an action.
For example, There is no reason for you to worry and It is a good idea for everyone to arrive early.
Some nouns can combine with of + object + to-infinitive in structures that evaluate or characterize a person's action.
For example, It was kind of John to help us.
Certain adjective and noun structures use an infinitive to describe a resulting or consequential situation.
For example, He was surprised to discover the mistake and It was a shock to hear the news.
Enough has different positions depending on whether it modifies an adjective, adverb, or noun.
For example, She is old enough to drive, but She has enough experience to manage the team.
Too can combine with for + object + to-infinitive when identifying who cannot perform the action because of excessive degree.
For example, The box is too heavy for me to carry.
Some adjectives followed by an infinitive have an implied object that can be understood from context.
For example, This book is difficult to read means that someone finds reading the book difficult.
Some meanings can be expressed with either an adjective + to-infinitive or an adjective + preposition + gerund, depending on the adjective and intended structure.
For example, ready to leave contrasts with interested in leaving; the complement pattern is selected by the adjective.
Different noun patterns can express closely related meanings but are determined by the lexical pattern of the noun.
For example, a decision to leave and the idea of leaving use different complement structures.
Some adjective constructions can take different complements depending on the intended meaning or grammatical relationship.
The meaning difference is usually controlled by the adjective or preposition rather than by a general rule that all adjectives accept both forms.
Formal English frequently uses noun and adjective + infinitive constructions to make descriptions concise and explicit.
Examples include likely to increase, difficult to determine, and a tendency to rise.
Use the complement pattern required by the adjective or noun and preserve any required preposition or object.
Common mistakes include using a gerund directly after an adjective that requires to, omitting for before an object + infinitive, using to instead of a gerund after a preposition, and confusing of + gerund with to-infinitive patterns.