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Subject + vt + interrogative
pronoun/adverb/whether + to infinitive (phrase)
The question word (how, what, who, when, where, why, which) and whether
combined with to infinitive, is the object of the verbs listed on verb pattern 8.
Ex: I dont know what to do.
S
V
O
He will ask how to get there.
S
V
O
She was wondering whether to stay or to leave.
S
V
O
Actually the sentences above constitute the abridged forms of their complete
forms. They are I dont know what I should do; He will ask how he can get
there; She was wondering whether she should stay or leave.
Because the subject of main clause and sub clause (to infinitive) are the same, the
sentences can be made in their short forms. On the first example the subject is I;
the second example is He and the third example is She.
When the subject on main clause is different from the subject on sub clause,
the sentence cant be made in its abridged form. It must be written
completely.
For example: She couldnt decide what her father should do next
It cant be changed into this sentence She couldnt decide what to do next
Because the meaning changes: the first, apa yang seharusnya ayahnya
kerjakan kemudian; the second, apa yang seharusnya dia (perempuan
itu ) kerjakan kemudian.
Among the verbs used in VP 8 are: ask, consider, debate, decide, discover,
explain, forget, guess, inquire, know, learn, observe, perceive, remember,
see, settle, tell, think, understand, wonder.
When it is noticed, verbs listed on verb pattern 8 indicate verbal
communication such as debate, explain and ask; thinking such as consider,
decide, guess, know, learn, tell = memastikan, think, understand, wonder,
settle = memastikan and perception such as observe, perceive, see.