ENGLISH
REFERENCE

promised

v.
A2 Elementary US //ˈpɹɑməst// UK //pɹˈɒmɪsd// promised

v. to tell someone that you will definitely do something or that something will definitely happen. You use this to give your word or make a serious commitment.

v. to give a firm assurance that one will perform a specific action or that a particular event will occur. Often used to establish a moral or legal obligation between parties.


SIMPLE

He promised to call me as soon as he arrived.

CONTEXTUAL

The government promised to lower taxes before the next election to gain more support from voters.

COMPLEX

Although the developer promised that the software update would resolve the existing bugs, several critical vulnerabilities remained unaddressed after the official release.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is often followed by a 'to' infinitive or a 'that' clause. It can also take two objects, as in 'promised her a gift'.

Pitfall

I promised to him to helpI promised to help himWhen followed by an infinitive, 'promise' does not take the preposition 'to' before the person being promised.

Idioms1 entry

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