How to Make Sentences in Business English (4)

Summary: This post is about how to make sentences in business English. It starts with one of the biggest mistakes in English 'suggested to build a new team' and then moves on to discuss the reasons and concepts behind. In a way, you will learn what gerunds and infinitives are, but without explanations that are difficulty and not funny.


Big Verbs followed by verb+ing

Before you know which (Big) verbs are to be followed by verb+ing, I’ll tell you the biggest mistake in Business English, really the biggest. What is it? Read the following sentence.

The CEO suggested to build a new team.       (WRONG)

Is the sentence correct?  No!  Am I crazy?  Or is it some kind of joke?  No, absolutely not. When ‘suggest’ is a Big Verb (the first verb in a sentence), it is to be followed by verb+ing. Yes, verb+ing.   

  Why?  Why?  Why?

If you read books on grammar, you will find that they just tell you the rule, the rule that suggest is followed by verb+ing, and they will give you a horrible term ‘gerund’.

However, in George Yule’s book (Explaining English Grammar), he has come up with an explanation. According to him, the thing followed by ‘suggest’ is an event.  What does that mean?  It means it is like a noun.  In other words, to build (from the above example) is more like an action but less like a noun.  

Yet, ‘building’ can work as a noun.  You may ask a further question: How does ‘building’ work like a noun?  To get the answer read the following two sentences: 

a. We shopped in Paris last month.

b. We did some shopping in Paris last month.

The word ‘shopped’ is a verb but ‘shopping’ is a noun.  In other words, when you add ‘ing’ to a verb, it can become a noun, or a noun-like event. So besides ‘suggest’, what other verbs (Big Verbs) are to be followed by verb+ing? Before you get the answer, read the following case.

Situation

Apologising for making mistakes

I regret making the mistakes (that was careless), but I deny having anything to do with money laundry.                                                      

                                                                   

In the sentence the two Big Verbs (regret and deny) are followed by verb+ing, as shown below:

regret	making (make + ing)
deny	having  (have + ing)

So you’ve got the rule that ‘regret and deny’ are usually followed by verb+ing.  But  what is wrong with 'I regret to make the mistakes'.     

Besides Yule’s above explanation, I would suggest another one.  ‘To make the mistakes’ sounds like the mistake has not been made. A mistake is in the future.  Odd enough!  Right?  In fact, I guess you have been using to+verb in daily and professional lives. Are the following two situations familiar to you?

Situation 1: Things to buy at a supermarket

Things + to buy

So have you bought the things already? Probably not.  As 'to buy' has something to do with the future.

Situation 2: Schedule
People to meet at 10:30
                                                                                             

So, when you use to+verb, you usually refer to something that is to be done, and that you haven’t done it yet.   

The case of ‘deny’

On the contrary, can you deny something that is to be done?  Probably not.  The things you deny can hardly be in the future, right? That is, if you want to know how to use deny, once again, you may get in touch with your feelings.  What do you feel about things you deny?   

Do you like what you deny?            

         or

                        Do you not like what you deny?

You’ve got it, I guess. Usually, for things you don’t like (or hate), you take verb+ing.  A typical example is:

I hate eating out with my boss.    

↓

hate + eating out

Similarly, other Big Verbs about things you don’t like followed by verb+ing include:

avoid                            delay

*

postpone   risk

We postponed submitting the report (on an analysis of our industry).

So, do you like ‘submitting a report’?  What can I say if you say yes!  With Big Verbs like ‘postpone’ you can imagine it usually goes with things you don’t like.

What about things you like?  The same rule applies.  That is, with verbs (Big Verbs) about things you like, you use verb+ing to follow them.  A  typical  example is the verb ‘enjoy’?

I enjoy having lunch with my boss.

(Well, are you telling the truth?)

↓

enjoy + having

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This post is adapted from the book:

FeelGoodGrammar: 
How to Make Sentences in Business English


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