Verb patterns · CEFR A2 · Everyday
Verb + -ing — English verb patterns
Another large group — about enjoying, finishing, avoiding and suggesting — takes -ing and never "to".
The shape
enjoy / finish / avoid / mind / suggest + verb-ing
Talk about what you enjoy, avoid and have finished.
In Hindi
एक और समूह — मज़ा लेना, ख़त्म करना, बचना, सुझाव देना — इनके बाद -ing आता है, "to" कभी नहीं।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
He suggested to go early. | He suggested going early. "Suggest" takes -ing — this is one of the commonest slips at work. |
Verb + -ing examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
I like running.
मुझे दौड़ना पसंद है।
also correct: I like to run.
I like reading.
मुझे पढ़ना पसंद है।
also correct: I like to read.
I like singing.
मुझे गाना पसंद है।
I like cooking.
मुझे खाना बनाना पसंद है।
I like travelling.
मुझे यात्रा करना पसंद है।
also correct: I like to travel.
I like learning English.
मुझे अंग्रेज़ी सीखना पसंद है।
I like meeting friends.
मुझे दोस्तों से मिलना पसंद है।
I like staying at home.
मुझे घर पर रहना पसंद है।
I like watching TV.
मुझे टीवी देखना पसंद है।
I like learning new things.
मुझे नई चीज़ें सीखना पसंद है।
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Gerunds & infinitivesB1Know whether to say "to go" or "going"
- Verb + to + verbA2Talk about what you want, hope and plan to do
Questions people ask
- What is the verb + -ing used for?
- Another large group — about enjoying, finishing, avoiding and suggesting — takes -ing and never "to". In practice: talk about what you enjoy, avoid and have finished.
- How do you form the verb + -ing?
- enjoy / finish / avoid / mind / suggest + verb-ing.
- What is the most common mistake with the verb + -ing?
- Saying “He suggested to go early.” instead of “He suggested going early.”. "Suggest" takes -ing — this is one of the commonest slips at work.
Where verb + -ing fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
Verb + -ing is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to verb patterns. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
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