学习英语的外国人往往难以确定某动词可用于何种句子结构和模式中，他们知道“I liked to help him”和“I liked helping him”都是正确的用法，而不一定能觉察到“I disliked to help him”和“I disliked helping him”中。只有后一句是正确的。动词的各种用法即称为动词的模式。牛津高阶英汉双解词典共归纳了五大类32种模式表。掌握这些基本模式对更好的理解英语有着很大的意义。
32 Verb Pattern Scheme
连系动词--------------------------
2 Linking v. 2.1 La
she is beautiful
2.2 Ln
she is a teacher
--------------------------
不及物动词5 Intransitive v.
5.1 I
she came
5.2 Ipr
she looked at me
5.3 Ip
she ran away
5.4 In/pr
the meeting lasted 3 hours/for 3 hours
5.5 It
she stopped to have a rest
----------------------------
及物动词11 Transitive v.
11.1 Tn
she opened the door
11.2 Tn.pr
she convinced me of her innocence
11.3 Tn.p
she shook the medicine up
11.4 Tf
she believed that...
11.5 Tw
she hadn't decided what we ought to do/what to do
11.6 Tt
she hated to do it
11.7 Tnt
she expect the parcel to arrive
11.8 Tg
she enjoys playing basketball
11.9 Tsg
she dread Bob/Bob's taking over the business
11.10 Tng
she spotted a man waving in the crowd
11.11 Tni
she watched him put on his coat
----------------------------
复合及物动词6 Complex Transitive v.
6.1 Cna
She kept the child quiet
6.2 Cnn
she made it a rule
6.3 Cn.n/a
she accepts danger as the truth/as true
6.4 Cn.t
she forced the criminals to give up their arms
6.5 Cn.g
she got the machine running
6.6 Cn.i
She would not let the child do it
----------------------------
双及物动词8 Double Transitive v.
8.1 Dn.n
she teaches us English
8.2 Dn.pr
she teaches English to us
8.3 Dn.f
She told me that she would be back in an hour
8.4 Dpr.f
she announced to me that she would be back in an hour
8.5 Dn.w
she reminded them where they should leave their luggage/where to leave their luggage
8.6 Dpr.w
you should indicate to them where they are to assemble/where to assemble
8.7 Dn.t
she warned us not to go out at night
8.8 Dpr.t
She signed to us to stop talking
