Verb + verb: when can I use without "to"?

Question

does it only happen when commands are said?  such as "Come see this."Are there any instances where subj+verb+verb occur without "to"?

Mschufman · Accepted Answer

Hello.
No, it is not only when commands are said. This happens when two verbs are combined to create one idea. But this can be tricky.

Here are some examples of when there is no to

1. With come and ''go,'' you are correct.
You can say-

1. Go play outside
2. Come see the movie.

~~as commands, but not in the indicative~~
1. I am going to play outside
2. She came to see the movie.

If you do include to in a command with go or come there is more of an idea of purpose, and without it the idea is simply the two activities together.

On the other hand, in the past tense, if you want the idea to emphasize the purpose, use to and if you want to simply express two actions together, use ''and,'' with both verbs in the simple past.

Example:

She came to see the movie (She came for the purpose of seeing the movie, and for no other reasons)
She came and saw the movie (simply states two actions she did, and doesn't express purpose)

You can use 'and' in the present in place of the to if you don't want to emphasize the purpose.

Go and play outside = Go play outside

Come and eat dinner = come eat dinner

Both these sentences simply indicate two actions together, and not implying that there was a purpose.

Thanks for your question, I hope you like my answer.

Mike

Mschufman · Answer

Example of a verb used without to in between the two verbs.

To make, to let,

When you want an intransitive verb to possess a transitive idea, often you add the word to make and if you want to cause something to do an intransitive action as a result of you not doing anything, use let. and in these cases you also do not use to

1. The earthquake made the dishes fall.
2. When you yelled at me, you made me cry.
3. Live and let live. (idiom)
4. Let the food cool before you eat it.
5. I let him use my car.

If instead of make you use something like cause and if instead of let you use allow or permit you must keep the to

1. The earthquake caused the dishes to fall.
2. When you yelled at me, you caused me to cry.
3. Live and allow to live.
4. I permitted him to use my car.

CalifJim · Answer

verb + verb patterns where the second verb is a bare infinitive.

1. After modals. (will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must) [I will go. You can see it. They should arrive soon.]
2. After let's. [Let's go! Let's find it.] And in Let go (of [that / it / me / ...] ) !
3. After help. [We helped fill out the forms.]
4. Informally, leaving out the usual and after imperative come and go. [Come see me tomorrow. Go get it.]

And several more in relative clauses:

... who(m) I saw steal the money.
... which/that they let fall.
... who(m) he made carry most of the load.
... who(m) I have help me from time to time.
... which/that you heard fall on the floor.
... which/that I helped fix when it broke.

Even three verbs are possible in rare cases.

... whom I had help carry the bricks.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

That helps. But, there is a disagreement in my ESL class with the following sentence. Will you please help and clarify it for me?

The lift truck helps carry large boxes. OR

The lift truck helps to carry large boxes.

Which is correct?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Both are correct.

The verb help can be followed by a bare infinitive or to-infinitive.

Verb + verb: when can I use without "to"?

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