lexical verb + (object) + question word + TO infinitive

The WH-adverbs: such as ‘how’, ‘when’, ‘where’, and ‘why’ are often called ‘question words’ because they typically introduce interrogative sentences.  However, in this post, we look at the way ‘question words‘ introduce other clauses after lexical verbs with or without direct objects. Many of these will be considered to be NOUN CLAUSES in the object position.

For example with direct objects, we can ‘teach someone something‘, ‘teach someone to do something‘ or ‘teach someone how to do something‘:

Got her a job, you knowcured her diabetes, taught her how to read.

Top Five

In the English Vocabulary Profile, we have the most common main verbs ‘tell‘ and ‘show‘ listed with the definitions:

tell sb how/what/when to do sth = B1 to advise someone how/what/when to do something

show sb what to do/how to do sth = B1 to teach someone how to do something by explaining it or by doing it yourself while they watch

Teach‘ is the next most common lexical verb in this structure. Patterns with ‘TELL‘ might also be reported speech or requests for information.


To find the structure with pronoun objects in the iWeb corpus:

_VV _P _*Q to _VVI

1 SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE 5422

I can show you how to make a lot of money.

listen

2 SHOW YOU HOW TO USE 5197
3 SHOW YOU HOW TO CREATE 3756
4 SHOW YOU HOW TO GET 3248
5 TEACH YOU HOW TO USE 1627
6 TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE 1602
7 SHOWS YOU HOW TO MAKE 1563
8 SHOWS YOU HOW TO USE 1561
9 SHOW YOU HOW TO ADD 1381
10 SHOW YOU HOW TO SET 1353
11 SHOW YOU HOW TO INSTALL 1316
12 TELL ME HOW TO GET 1170
13 TELL YOU HOW TO GET 1150
14 SHOWS YOU HOW TO CREATE 1094
15 SHOW YOU HOW TO BUILD 1035
16 TEACH YOU HOW TO CREATE 864
17 SHOW YOU HOW TO TAKE 823
18 SHOW YOU HOW TO FIND 785
19 SHOWS YOU HOW TO GET 714
20 SHOW YOU HOW TO DRAW 702
21 SHOWING YOU HOW TO MAKE 678
22 SHOW YOU HOW TO CHANGE 668
23 TELL YOU HOW TO MAKE 662
24 SHOW YOU HOW TO CONVERT 658
25 TEACH YOU HOW TO GET 630
26 TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE 559
27 SHOW YOU HOW TO PLAY 505
28 TEACHES YOU HOW TO USE 500
29 SHOW YOU HOW TO TURN 493
30 TEACH YOU HOW TO PLAY 489
31 TELL YOU HOW TO USE 479
32 TEACH YOU HOW TO BUILD 461
33 TEACHES YOU HOW TO MAKE 446
34 TELL YOU WHERE TO FIND 440
35 TELL YOU WHERE TO GO 436
36 SHOWS YOU HOW TO BUILD 435
37 SHOW YOU HOW TO PUT 419
38 SHOW YOU HOW TO FIX 417
39 TELL ME WHERE TO FIND 409

I was hoping you could tell me where to find his family.

listen

40 TELL ME HOW TO FIX 407
41 SHOW YOU HOW TO REMOVE 403
42 TEACH THEM HOW TO USE 401
43 SHOW YOU HOW TO APPLY 396
44 SHOWING YOU HOW TO USE 396
45 TELL ME HOW TO MAKE 396
46 SHOW YOU WHERE TO FIND 392
47 SHOWS US HOW TO MAKE 372
48 SHOWS YOU HOW TO SET 371
49 SHOWING YOU HOW TO CREATE 363
50 TEACHES YOU HOW TO CREATE 348


We do another search because none of our top 50 contain when what or who:

_VV _P when|what|who to _VVI

Just because of this low frequency, we can be safe to say that this should be considered B2 instead of B1.  For example:

You‘ll love it.
Nobody tells you when to go to bed.

The Prophecy

1 TELL YOU WHAT TO EXPECT 313
2 TELL YOU WHAT TO THINK 160
3 TELL YOU WHAT TO LOOK 155
4 TELL ME WHAT TO EXPECT 139
5 SHOW YOU WHAT TO EXPECT 131
6 SHOW YOU WHAT TO LOOK 129
7 TELL YOU WHAT TO SAY 106
8 TELL YOU WHAT TO EAT 100
9 TELL YOU WHAT TO BUY 89
10 TELL US WHAT TO THINK 86
11 TELL THEM WHAT TO THINK 86
12 TELLS YOU WHAT TO EXPECT 86
13 TELL ME WHAT TO SAY 77
14 TOLD ME WHAT TO EXPECT 76
15 TELL YOU WHEN TO STOP 72
16 TELL YOU WHAT TO BELIEVE 70
17 TELL US WHAT TO EXPECT 70
18 TELL THEM WHAT TO EXPECT 67
19 TELLING YOU WHAT TO THINK 63
20 TELL YOU WHAT TO WEAR 61
21 TELL YOU WHAT TO WRITE 54
22 TELLS US WHAT TO EXPECT 53
23 TELL YOU WHAT TO USE 50
24 TELL ME WHAT TO THINK 49
25 TELL ME WHAT TO EAT 47
26 TELL ME WHAT TO LOOK 44
27 TELLS YOU WHAT TO LOOK 44
28 TELL YOU WHEN TO START 43
29 TELLING THEM WHAT TO THINK 41
30 TELLING US WHAT TO THINK 40
31 TELL ME WHAT TO WEAR 38
32 TELL YOU WHO TO VOTE 37
33 TELL YOU WHO TO CONTACT 36
34 TOLD US WHAT TO EXPECT 36

You always told us what to expect, Stan.

American Assasin

35 SHOWS YOU WHAT TO LOOK 35
36 TELL YOU WHEN TO EXPECT 34
37 TELLS YOU WHEN TO CHANGE 34
38 TELL ME WHAT TO WRITE 33
39 SHOWS YOU WHAT TO EXPECT 33
40 TELL YOU WHEN TO GET 31


A search for no object after the lexical verb in iWeb:

_V _*Q _TO _VVI

 

1 LEARN HOW TO USE

24468

Learn how to use it. (EVP A2 how = the way something happens or is done)

listen

2 KNOW HOW TO USE 22968
3 KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT

22207

I don’t know what to expect.

(EVP B1 what = refer to something without naming it) 

I don’t know what‘ is the 16th most frequent 5-word Ngram in English.

iWeb 84,166

listen

4 LEARN HOW TO MAKE 18063
5 KNOW HOW TO GET 16918
6 KNOW WHERE TO START 16420
7 KNOW HOW TO MAKE 15537
8 KNOW WHAT TO SAY 10633
9 LEARN HOW TO CREATE 10034
10 KNOW WHERE TO LOOK 8145
11 KNOW WHAT TO LOOK 7087
12 KNOW WHERE TO GO 7004
13 KNOW WHERE TO FIND 6993
14 KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN 6401
15 LEARN HOW TO PLAY 6266
16 LEARN HOW TO GET 6006
17 LEARNING HOW TO USE 6001
18 KNOW HOW TO HANDLE 5719
19 KNOW HOW TO PLAY 5162
20 KNOW HOW TO FIX 4820
21 LEARN HOW TO BUILD 4640
22 KNOW HOW TO DEAL 4348
23 UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE 4123

I’m trying to understand how to use my voice.

Mouthpiece

24 KNOW HOW TO FIND 3987
25 KNOW WHAT TO THINK 3792
26 KNOW HOW TO READ 3750
27 KNOW HOW TO TAKE 3738
28 KNOWS HOW TO MAKE 3585
29 LEARN HOW TO TAKE 3516
30 KNOW HOW TO WORK 3498 C1 example:

You don’t know how to work the stove yet?

listen

31 KNOW WHAT TO MAKE 3425
32 LEARNING HOW TO MAKE 3403
33 KNOW HOW TO CREATE 3400
34 LEARN HOW TO WRITE 3333
35 LEARN HOW TO MANAGE 3262
36 LEARN HOW TO WORK 3186
37 KNOW HOW TO WRITE 3178
38 LEARN HOW TO DRAW 3111
39 LEARN HOW TO READ 3048
40 KNOWS HOW TO USE 3035
41 LEARN HOW TO APPLY 2982
42 KNOWS HOW TO GET 2890
43 KNOW WHERE TO GET 2873
44 KNOW HOW TO PUT 2779
45 KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT 2775
46 LEARNED HOW TO MAKE 2769
47 LEARN HOW TO SET 2722
48 IS HOW TO GET 2657
49 KNOW HOW TO GO 2584
50 LEARNING HOW TO PLAY 2513
51 LEARNED HOW TO USE 2510
52 KNOW HOW TO SET 2448
53 KNOW HOW TO HELP 2428
54 KNOW HOW TO BUILD 2381
55 KNOW HOW TO CHANGE 2359
56 SHOWS HOW TO USE 2358
57 LEARN HOW TO BECOME 2306
58 LEARN HOW TO DEAL 2289
59 ‘S HOW TO GET 2288
60 KNOW HOW TO KEEP 2273
61 KNOWING HOW TO USE 2214
62 KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT 2209
63 IS HOW TO MAKE 2168
64 LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY 2166
65 KNOW HOW TO MANAGE 2062
66 KNOW HOW TO TELL 2050
67 KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN 2015
68 KNOW WHERE TO TURN 2009
69 EXPLAINS HOW TO USE 1987
70 KNOW WHEN TO STOP 1983
71 KNOW HOW TO RESPOND 1926
72 LEARN HOW TO DEVELOP 1924
73 LEARN HOW TO ADD 1920
74 ‘S HOW TO MAKE 1904
75 KNOW WHAT TO TELL 1815
76 LEARN HOW TO FIND 1815
77 EXPLAIN HOW TO USE 1772
78 LEARN HOW TO COOK 1768
79 KNOW HOW TO SAY 1751
80 SEE HOW TO GET 1733
81 KNOW HOW TO START 1717
82 KNOW HOW TO TREAT 1700
83 SEE HOW TO USE 1672
84 KNOW HOW TO SOLVE 1666
85 KNOW HOW TO COOK 1648
86 LEARN HOW TO HANDLE 1619
87 WONDERING HOW TO GET 1586
88 SEE HOW TO MAKE 1583
89 LEARN HOW TO PREPARE 1571
90 LEARN HOW TO CONTROL 1559
91 KNEW HOW TO MAKE 1553
92 KNOW WHERE TO PUT 1538
93 KNOW HOW TO TURN 1526
94 KNOW HOW TO RUN 1517
95 KNOW HOW TO DRIVE 1482
96 LEARN HOW TO LIVE 1479
97 SHOW HOW TO USE 1460
98 KNOW HOW TO DESCRIBE 1433
99 KNOW HOW TO ANSWER 1411
100 KNOW HOW TO REACT 1409


A2:

build, explain, set, turn

B1:

create, expect, handle, manage

B2:
deal