Verb + Object + Infinitive or Gerund: Want Him to Go, See Her Leaving
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use an object between a verb and its complement to specify who performs the action or experiences the state.
- Use 'to + infinitive' after verbs like 'want', 'tell', or 'ask': I want him to leave.
- Use base verbs after perception verbs like 'see' or 'hear': I saw her leave.
- Use gerunds after perception verbs to emphasize ongoing action: I saw her leaving.
نظرة عامة
- They made us stay late. (force)
- She let her children watch TV. (allow)
- I had the technician check the machine. (causative)
- We were made to stay late. ✅
- Bare infinitive = whole completed action:
- -ing form = action in progress (caught in the middle):
- I heard him sing the song. (whole song)
- I heard him singing when I walked past. (in progress)
Verb Pattern Matrix
| Main Verb | Object | Complement Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Want
|
him
|
to + infinitive
|
I want him to go.
|
|
Tell
|
her
|
to + infinitive
|
He told her to wait.
|
|
See
|
them
|
base verb
|
I saw them leave.
|
|
Hear
|
it
|
verb-ing
|
I heard it ringing.
|
|
Ask
|
me
|
to + infinitive
|
They asked me to help.
|
|
Watch
|
us
|
base verb
|
We watched us win.
|
Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
I would like you to
|
I'd like you to
|
I'd like you to stay.
|
|
I would have you
|
I'd have you
|
I'd have you know.
|
Meanings
This structure allows a speaker to link a main verb to a secondary action performed by a specific person or thing.
Command/Request
Using verbs like 'tell', 'ask', 'order' to influence others.
“He told me to wait.”
“They asked us to help.”
Perception (Completed)
Witnessing an entire action from start to finish.
“I saw him cross the street.”
“She heard the phone ring.”
Perception (Ongoing)
Witnessing an action in progress.
“I saw him crossing the street.”
“She heard the birds singing.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
V + O + to + V
|
I want you to come.
|
|
Negative
|
V + O + not + to + V
|
I told him not to go.
|
|
Question
|
Do/Did + S + V + O + to + V?
|
Did you want me to stay?
|
|
Perception
|
V + O + V(base)
|
I saw him run.
|
|
Ongoing
|
V + O + V-ing
|
I saw him running.
|
|
Passive
|
Be + V(pp) + to + V
|
He was told to wait.
|
طيف الرسمية
I would like you to depart. (Professional vs casual)
I want you to leave. (Professional vs casual)
I need you to go. (Professional vs casual)
Get out. (Professional vs casual)
Verb Complementation Flow
Request
- Want Want
- Tell Tell
Perception
- See See
- Hear Hear
Infinitive vs Gerund
Decision Tree
Is it a request?
Common Verbs
Requests
- • Want
- • Ask
- • Tell
- • Invite
أمثلة حسب المستوى
I want you to go.
Quiero que vayas.
He told me to wait.
Él me dijo que esperara.
She asked me to help.
Ella me pidió ayuda.
I need him to call.
Necesito que él llame.
I saw him run.
Lo vi correr.
I heard her singing.
La escuché cantando.
They want us to stay.
Ellos quieren que nos quedemos.
She told them to stop.
Ella les dijo que pararan.
The teacher encouraged us to study.
El profesor nos animó a estudiar.
I watched the birds flying away.
Vi a los pájaros volando lejos.
He advised me to apply for the job.
Él me aconsejó solicitar el trabajo.
We heard the engine starting.
Escuchamos el motor arrancando.
I would like you to consider the proposal.
Me gustaría que consideraras la propuesta.
She was seen leaving the building.
Fue vista saliendo del edificio.
I got him to sign the contract.
Logré que firmara el contrato.
They allowed us to enter the room.
Nos permitieron entrar a la habitación.
The director had the actors rehearse the scene.
El director hizo que los actores ensayaran la escena.
He was observed to walk with a limp.
Fue observado caminando con una cojera.
I would prefer you not to mention this.
Preferiría que no mencionaras esto.
She forced herself to keep going.
Se obligó a seguir adelante.
I should like you to be aware of the risks.
Me gustaría que fueras consciente de los riesgos.
They were seen to be struggling with the task.
Se vio que estaban luchando con la tarea.
I would have you know that I am serious.
Quiero que sepas que hablo en serio.
The evidence led the jury to convict.
La evidencia llevó al jurado a condenar.
سهل الخلط
Learners mix up when to use 'to' and when to use '-ing'.
Learners add 'to' to perception verbs.
Learners use 'that' with verbs like 'want'.
أخطاء شائعة
I want that he goes.
I want him to go.
He told me go.
He told me to go.
I want to him go.
I want him to go.
She asked to me go.
She asked me to go.
I saw him to run.
I saw him run.
I heard him to sing.
I heard him sing.
I saw him runned.
I saw him run.
I advised him going.
I advised him to go.
They allowed us go.
They allowed us to go.
I watched him to cross.
I watched him cross.
He was told go.
He was told to go.
I would like you go.
I would like you to go.
She was seen cross the street.
She was seen to cross the street.
أنماط الجُمل
I want ___ to ___.
I saw ___ ___.
She told ___ not to ___.
I would like ___ to ___.
Real World Usage
I need you to pick up milk.
I would like you to describe your experience.
I want you to take me to the hotel.
Watching the sun setting over the ocean.
I asked the driver to leave it at the door.
The teacher told us to open our books.
The 'To' Rule
Perception Trap
Ongoing Action
Politeness
Smart Tips
Immediately look for the 'to' particle.
Ask yourself: did I see the whole thing or just a part?
Use 'would like' instead of 'want'.
Remember 'not' goes before 'to'.
النطق
Linking
The 'to' often links to the next verb, sounding like 'tuh'.
Falling
I want you to ↘go.
Direct instruction.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Think of the 'Object' as a bridge. You need a 'to' ticket to cross the bridge for requests, but perception verbs don't need tickets!
ربط بصري
Imagine a person standing between two verbs. If the verb is 'Want', they are holding a 'to' sign. If the verb is 'See', they are just watching.
Rhyme
If you want someone to do, add 'to' before the view. If you see them doing it, just use 'ing' for the hit.
Story
I wanted my friend to study. I told him to open the book. I saw him reading, and I heard him sighing. He finally finished!
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 5 sentences about your day using 'I saw/heard someone doing something'.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Very direct usage of 'I want you to' is common in business.
Often uses 'I would like you to' to soften the request.
Often uses 'I'd like you to' followed by a casual verb.
These structures evolved from Old English verb complementation patterns.
بدايات محادثة
What do you want your friends to do this weekend?
Have you ever seen someone doing something strange?
What would you like your boss to change?
Who has encouraged you to pursue your goals?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
I want him ___ (go) home.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
I told her not go.
Change 'I want that he stays' to the correct pattern.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: 'What did the boss say?' B: 'He told us ___.'
Order: [her / to / I / wait / asked]
Which takes the base verb?
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesI want him ___ (go) home.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
I told her not go.
Change 'I want that he stays' to the correct pattern.
Match 'Want' to its pattern.
A: 'What did the boss say?' B: 'He told us ___.'
Order: [her / to / I / wait / asked]
Which takes the base verb?
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
No, 'I want that he goes' is incorrect. Use 'I want him to go'.
Perception verbs like 'see' and 'hear' historically take the bare infinitive.
'Run' implies you saw the whole action. 'Running' implies you saw part of it.
It is neutral. You can make it formal by using 'would like' or informal by using 'need'.
Yes, but it becomes more formal: 'He was told to go'.
Yes, 'I advised him to go'.
No, 'I heard him sing' is correct.
Put 'not' before the infinitive: 'I told him not to go'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Quiero que + subjunctive
English avoids the subjunctive in this structure.
Je veux que + subjunctive
English uses the infinitive.
Ich will, dass er geht
German structure is clause-based.
～ように言う (to tell someone to do)
Japanese is agglutinative.
أريده أن يذهب
Arabic uses a particle similar to 'to'.
我想要他去
Chinese lacks infinitive markers.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
فيديوهات ذات صلة
Related Grammar Rules
Too, Too Much, Too Many & Enough
## Too **Too** means "more than needed/wanted" — it expresses a problem. - **too + adjective:** This soup is **too** h...
Permission: Can, May, Be Allowed To, Be Supposed To
## Can — Everyday Permission The most common way to give, ask for, or deny permission: - **Can** I use your phone? (as...
Auxiliary Verbs: Do, Be & Have in Questions and Negatives
## What Are Auxiliary Verbs? Auxiliary (helping) verbs work **alongside the main verb** to form tenses, questions, and...
Indefinite Pronouns: Something, Anything, Nothing, Everyone
## The Four Groups | | People | Things | Places | |---|---|---|---| | **some-** | someone | something | somewhere | | *...
Most, Most of & The Most: Expressing the Largest Amount
## Most + Noun (General) Use **most** (without "the") for general statements about the majority: - **Most** people wan...
