Using two verbs together to add information about actions
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Adding information about the causes of actions and events | page 5 of 5 |
Teaching implications
When coursebooks in Hong Kong deal with double-verb structures in English, the approach
is typically to provide a list of verbs which are followed by the infinitive, and a list
of verbs which are followed by the -ing form 
. Unfortunately, however,
there is not usually any attempt to draw attention to the types of meanings
associated with such structures.
For teaching purposes, rather than encouraging students to learn lists of verbs, it seems more constructive to help students see that they can usefully make a broad distinction between "causative" and "facilitation" verbs on the one hand, and "prevention" verbs on the other.
The following tendencies can be taken as a useful rule of thumb:
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"Causative" and "facilitation" verbs are typically
followed by the to-infinitive  . |
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"Prevention" verbs are typically followed by the -ing form (following from). |
Note that not all of the "time" verbs used in the simple double-verb structures can be used in causative structures, eg start but not commence, stop but not cease. Therefore it is possible to say:
The programme starts them looking at the ways they have used to support that addiction. (Adapted from SCMP 30/5/94)
but not:
The programme commences them looking ...
For further information about "time" verbs, see 
Using two verbs together to add information about actions: Kinds of
information represented by double-verb structures.
Teaching implications
