Meaning
to tell someone that you will definitely do something
Primary Function
gives a verbal commitment
Communicative Purpose
to assure, make pledges
Pattern
promise to
Core Structure
promise to
Função primária
gives a verbal commitment
Propósito comunicativo
to assure, make pledges
Situações de gatilho
commitments, reassurances, vows
Contextos
everyday conversations, professional settings
Padrão
promise to
Estrutura central
promise to
Slots de substituição
any specific action verb (e.g., call, improve, arrive on time)
Colocados típicos
- faithfully
- solemnly
- repeatedly
- fail to
- never
Substituições comuns
- guarantee to
- swear to
- assure that
Erros comuns
using 'promise doing' instead of 'promise to do'; using 'promise someone to do' (correct form is 'promise someone that you will')
Similar / contraste
pledge to, vow to, commit to doing
Interferências
many languages use similar patterns; mostly positive transfer from other English‑based languages
Família do chunk
- pledge to
- vow to
- undertake to
- swear to
Nuance
'promise to' conveys personal commitment and trustworthiness, whereas 'guarantee to' or formal equivalents imply stricter legal/contractual obligations.
Efeito pragmático
builds trust or sets expectations for future behavior.
Dica de memória
I promise to be on time.
Nota
This chunk is used to make a verbal commitment to do something in the future.
Upgrade path
use 'pledge to' for formal commitments, 'undertake to' in legal English
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