3 verbs in a sentence

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crazyaboutenglish

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Hi, can anyone tell me if these sentences are ok? I can't find anything on the internet about sentences with more than two verbs.

I want to go to study French in France.
I don’t want to have to go to bed early.

Do you want to practice speaking English later?
Do you want to start playing the game now?

If these are correct, can it only be done with "want"?

Thanks
 

Nahuel

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I think it's better to say, in the first sentence, "I want to go to France to study French.", because when you use the verb go you usually ask 'where?'. The verb go usually takes an obligatory adverb because go is a verb of movement and needs an adverb to be completed. So you can also just say "I want to study French in France." if what you mean is studying in French in France. Obviously you can't study French in France if you are not in France.

Regarding your second sentence I think you can't use the sequence auxiliary verb + main verb + modal verb + main verb, so you have to think what you really want to mean with that sentence and rephrase it. The verb 'don't want' is expressing you don't desire something. In my opinion it's better to say 'I don't like going to bed early.' I'm not completely sure of my thoughts in this sentence though.

In the third sentence I think it's better to say 'Do you want to practice English speaking later?' like if 'English' were an adjective modifying 'speaking'. Other ways to say it and that I think are better are 'Do you want to practice English conversation later?' and 'Do you want to practice English later?'.

The 4th sentence is correct. Although you could only just say 'Do you want to play the game now?'.

Take into account that I'm not an English teacher but an English student.

Hope my post helps you.
 

5jj

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I think it's better to say, in the first sentence, (I want to go to study French in France), "I want to go to France to study French.", because when you use the verb "go" you usually ask 'where?'. The verb "go" usually takes an obligatory adverbial because go is a verb of movement and needs an adverbial to be completed.
Adverbials are not obligatory with "go". You can simply say, "I am going" to indicate that you are leaving. The original sentence is possible.

Regarding your second sentence,(I don’t want to have to go to bed early), I think you can't use the sequence auxiliary verb + main verb + modal verb + main verb
Have to" is not a modal verb, and that sentence is fine.
In the third sentence, (Do you want to practice speaking English later?) I think it's better to say 'Do you want to practice English speaking later?'
The original sentence is fine, though we spell the verb with an s in BrE.
 

Barb_D

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I plan to try to reach the summit tomorrow. But if it rains, then my plans will be to stay in my tent. By midnight tonight we will have been waiting for weather to improve for 72 hours.
 

5jj

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I enjoy massage. I have booked a very long session tomorrow, starting at ten o'clock. By the time you arrive at two, I am going to have been being massaged for four hours.:cool:
 
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