Representing thinking, perceiving, liking and desiring

Using verb patterns to represent desires and needs

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Verb followed by a noun group

The verbs in this category can be followed by a noun group which represents the thing which is prayed for, lusted after, desired, etc:

I'd like a big car, a big house and lots of money. (Microconcord Corpus B)

Here is a list of verbs which are followed by a noun or a noun group:

ache for  hunger for/after  would prefer  aim for long for pray for crave look forward to require cry out for lust for/after resent desire would like thirst for envy need want

Note that the presence of the modal verb would (or the short form -'d) with some of these verbs (would like, would prefer) indicates that desire rather than just liking is involved. For example, compare the following sentences:

I like Cuba, it's a beautiful island. (Bank of English)

I'd like a nice gold watch like that. (Bank of English)

In the first example, the speaker likes Cuba, but presumably has no desire to own it, or take it over. In the second example, the speaker not only likes the watch he is admiring, he wants to own it.

Introduction
Participants associated with desire verbs
Grammatical patterns associated with the phenomenon
Verb followed by the to-infinitive
Verb followed by a noun group
Verb followed by an object and the to-infinitive
Verb followed by the -ing form
Verb followed by an object and the -ing form
Verb followed by a that clause
Verb followed by an object and an adjective/-ed participle clause
Ellipsis with desire verbs
Present simple v present continuous tense