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🎯 Compendium
Grammar
EN
English — Verb + object + to-infinitive
Many verbs take an object followed by a to-infinitive to say what one person wants, asks, or expects another to do: I want you to come; She told him to wait.
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How it works
✓ Rule
The structure is verb + object + to-infinitive. The object is the person doing the second action: I want you to come means you come, not I come. This pattern works with want, ask, tell, expect, advise, allow, persuade and similar verbs, as in She told him to wait and They persuaded me to stay.
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Examples
| Example sentence | Meaning / use |
|---|---|
| I want you to come. | want — expressing a wish about someone else's action |
| She asked me to help. | ask — making a request |
| She told him to wait. | tell — giving an instruction or order |
| We expect them to arrive soon. | expect — believing something will happen |
| The doctor advised her to rest. | advise — recommending an action |
| They allowed us to stay. | allow — giving permission |
| He persuaded me to try. | persuade — convincing someone to act |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
Do not drop the object: say I want you to come, not I want that you come. Note that a few verbs, especially let and make, take a bare infinitive instead: She let him go and They made me wait (never She let him to go).