What this construction means
Some verbs combine with to + the base form of another verb: want to go, decide to stay, hope to see. In this lesson's ordinary active examples, both actions concern the same subject. Other patterns also exist: I want you to go names you as the person who is to go.
This construction answers what someone wants, plans, or promises to do, rather than when or how often. I want to travel therefore does not specify the time of the journey: add it separately if it matters.
I want to travel around Europe next year.
I want to travel around Europe next year.
Want describes a desire, while next year adds the time separately; want to travel itself does not locate the journey in time.
We decided to rent a small flat near the station.
We decided to rent a small flat near the station.
Decide + to + base form: the decision and the intended action belong to the same subject, we.
My brother hopes to finish the course by December.
My brother hopes to finish the course by December.
Hope expresses a hope for a future result; the subject brother and the person who would finish the course are the same person.
Form: to + base form of the verb
In this pattern, put to + base form after the first verb: want to learn, wanted to learn. To is an infinitive marker here. The infinitive names an action without a personal ending.
The form after to does not change with the main verb's tense, person, or number: I want to help, she wants to help, they wanted to help. Helped never follows to in this infinitive pattern.
First verb + to + base form of the second verb
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V1 / base form —
- The base verb without to: work, go, be.
He promised to call me back before six.
He promised to call me back before six.
After to, use the base form call, not called: promised already expresses past tense.
I need to update my CV this month.
I need to update my CV this month.
Need + to + base form update; the form does not change even when a time expression is added.
They plan to open a small bakery downtown.
They plan to open a small bakery downtown.
Plan requires the base form open after to, not opening or opened.
The verbs covered by this rule
These verbs express different meanings, but all can take to + base form. Desire and preference: want, would like; need: need; decision or choice: decide, choose; intention or arrangement: plan, arrange, agree, offer; hope or expectation: hope, expect; a promise: promise; refusal or failure: refuse, fail; successfully managing or being able to afford something: manage, afford; acquiring a new skill: learn; and a deserved entitlement: deserve.
These are not the only possible patterns for these verbs. For example, need repairing means that repair is needed, while agree to a change contains prepositional to and a noun. Here we focus on the common to + base form pattern.
She agreed to lead the new project.
She agreed to lead the new project.
Agree + to + base form lead: the person agreeing is the same person who would lead the project.
He refused to lend me his car.
He refused to lend me his car.
Refuse expresses refusal; it is likewise followed by to and the base form lend.
We chose to walk instead of taking a taxi.
We chose to walk instead of taking a taxi.
Choose + to + base form walk expresses a deliberate choice.
I arranged to meet the electrician on Friday.
I arranged to meet the electrician on Friday.
Arrange describes an arrangement for a future action; the form after to is always the base form in this pattern.
They expect to arrive before midnight.
They expect to arrive before midnight.
Expect expresses an expected outcome, not a command to another person.
My neighbour offered to water our plants.
My neighbour offered to water our plants.
Offer + to + base form water: an offer to perform an action oneself.
She managed to finish the report despite the noise.
She managed to finish the report despite the noise.
Manage conveys success under difficult conditions, not merely an intention.
We can't afford to stay in an expensive hotel.
We can't afford to stay in an expensive hotel.
Afford commonly occurs with can/can't; the form after to remains the base form.
He is learning to cook Italian food.
He is learning to cook Italian food.
Learn + to + base form cook describes acquiring a new skill.
You deserve to take a proper holiday.
You deserve to take a proper holiday.
Deserve expresses a deserved entitlement to an action, not an obligation.
Negatives
This construction can be negated in two ways with different meanings. Most often, the main verb is negated with don't/doesn't/didn't: I don't want to go means the person does not have that desire.
Another option is to negate the action itself by putting not before to: I decided not to go means a decision was made, but it was a decision against the action. This negates the intended action, not decided.
I don't need to book a table in advance.
I don't need to book a table in advance.
Need itself is negated: there is no need.
She decided not to reply to his message.
She decided not to reply to his message.
The decision was made — decided is affirmative — but the action reply is negated through not to.
We didn't manage to finish before the deadline.
We didn't manage to finish before the deadline.
Didn't manage indicates an unsuccessful attempt, rather than saying that no attempt was made.
Questions
In questions with the auxiliary do/does/did, the main verb — want, decide, hope, and so on — returns to its base form, while the following to + base form stays unchanged: Did you decide to stay? Does she need to call them?
In Present Simple and Past Simple, questions with want, decide, hope, plan, promise, agree, need, expect, refuse, choose, arrange, offer, manage, afford, learn, and deserve use do/does/did: these lexical verbs do not act as their own auxiliaries. Other tenses use their appropriate auxiliary: Are you planning to move? Have you decided to stay? The following to + base form still does not change.
Do they plan to visit us this weekend?
Do they plan to visit us this weekend?
Plan takes its base form after do; plan to visit describes the plan itself.
Did he manage to fix the printer?
Did he manage to fix the printer?
Did marks past tense; manage and fix remain in their base forms.
Why does she refuse to answer the question?
Why does she refuse to answer the question?
This is a wh-question with does; refuse and answer are base forms.
Why not -ing? A contrast with another verb group
Compare enjoy reading with want to read. The pattern depends on the verb and its meaning, so learn the whole combination.
Not every word has only one pattern. The bike needs repairing means the same as The bike needs to be repaired: the bike requires repair. This is a different meaning and pattern from I need to repair the bike.
She wants to find a new job next year.
She wants to find a new job next year.
Want specifically requires to find here; finding after want is not possible in this meaning.
He promised to help with the move.
He promised to help with the move.
In this promise pattern, say promised to help. Promise can have other complements too, such as promise that…
They agreed to share the cost equally.
They agreed to share the cost equally.
Agree to share means agreeing to perform the action. Do not confuse it with agree to a proposal, where to is a preposition.
Scope and next steps
In these active examples, the same subject wants, plans, or decides to perform an action: I want to leave. I want you to call me explicitly names another performer, you; that is a separate construction.
Some verbs, including like, start, begin, continue, love, and hate, take both to-infinitives and -ing forms; that is a separate topic. This rule also does not cover reported speech with these verbs or more formal passive constructions, which belong elsewhere in the catalogue.
I plan to finish this project by Friday.
I plan to finish this project by Friday.
I identifies the person planning to finish the project; the plan itself does not guarantee completion.
She learned to swim when she was seven.
She learned to swim when she was seven.
Learn + to + base form swim: the subject she is both the learner and the person performing the swimming.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:He wants learning English.
Correct:He wants to learn English.
To express his desire to learn, use wants to learn: to + base form.
Incorrect:She decided go home early.
Correct:She decided to go home early.
Decide does not take a bare infinitive in this pattern: to is required between decide and the base form.
Incorrect:They agreed to helped us.
Correct:They agreed to help us.
After to in this infinitive pattern, use the base form help. Other forms are possible after prepositional to in other patterns.
Incorrect:I want to to leave now.
Correct:I want to leave now.
Do not double the infinitive marker to: after want, use only one to before the base form.
Incorrect:She hopes for to visit her family.
Correct:She hopes to visit her family.
Do not add for between hope and the infinitive: the construction is hope + to + base form, without an extra preposition.
Incorrect:Did she decided to leave early?
Correct:Did she decide to leave early?
In a question with did, the main verb returns to its base form: decide, not decided; the auxiliary did already marks past tense.