TIPS for English (m) Verbs

Verbs

 

When we double the consonant beforehand when adding -ing and -ed to verbs?

We double a single consonant letter at the end of any base where the preceding vowel is spelled with a single letter and stressed, e.g., bar – barred, beg – begged, occur – occurred, permit – permitted, patrol – patrolled; refer – referring/ referred; omit – omitting/ omitted; equip – equipping/ equipped

Usually, there is NO doubling when the preceding vowel is unstressed (e.g., enter –  entering/entered; visit – visiting/visited; prohibit – prohibiting/ prohibited) or when the preceding vowel is written with two letters (e.g., dread – dreading/dreaded); cool – cooling/ cooled; squeal – squealing/ squealed (e.g., A pig squealing)

‘Benefit’ follows the standard rules and becomes ‘benefiting/benefited’ because there is usually no doubling when the preceding vowel is unstressed.

For ‘Tie,’ we have tied in past simple and p.p. and tying in present continuous

For ‘require’, we have required/ requiring

Words that change their spelling to cope (they add a letter ‘k’): panic – panicking/ panicked; traffic – trafficking/ trafficked; frolic (1) – frolicking/frolicked; bivouac (2) – bivouacking/ bivouacked.    

(1) frolic = (of an animal or person) play and move about cheerfully, excitedly, or energetically. (2) Bivouac = stay in a temporary camp without cover.

Differences between the US and UK English: parallel –parallelling/ parallelled (UK English)// paralleling/ paralleled (US English); travel –travelling/ travelled (UK English)// traveling/ traveled (US English) 

Transitive (vs) Intransitive verbs

 

Transitive verbs

 

Transitive verbs are verbs that require one or more objects. Examples: (in the following example, the verb is bold, and the object(s) is/are underlined) e.g., She cut the pudding.// e.g., I gave my wife a bunch of flowers.// e.g., We climbed the mountain Everest.

Transitive verbs can be categorized into two types: monotransitive and ditransitive:

Monotransitive verbs require exactly one object e.g., I wrote a dissertation.

Ditransitive verbs require two objects, a direct object and an indirect object, e.g., I offered my friend (first object) my bike (second object).

 

Intransitive verbs

Intransitive verbs do NOT require an object, e.g., It rains now.// e.g., My uncle died recently.// e.g., We will run today.// e.g., The baby slept one hour ago.

Here the verbs rains, died, run, and slept have no objects. They are intransitive

Reference (Retrieved: October 24, 2017)

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/transitive-and-intransitive-verbs

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/transitive-and-intransitive-verbs/

http://www.k12reader.com/term/transitive-and-intransitive-verbs/

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-transitive-intransitive%20verbs.php

http://study.com/academy/lesson/difference-between-transitive-intransitive-verbs.html

http://www.grammar.cl/english/transitive-intransitive-verbs.htm

 

        Irregular Verbs at a glance!
 

(My comment: Many people, even native speakers, make trivial mistakes!)

Irregular verbs: Infinitive – past simple – past participle (p.p.)

Mnemonic trick:

Irregular verbs (a)  – (b) – (c) (all different)

ring – rang – rung

drink – drank – drunk

spring (= move or jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward, e.g., ‘I sprang out of bed’) – sprang – sprung

begin – began – begun

sing – sang – sung

sink – sank – sunk

swim – swam – swum

Irregular verbs (a) – (u) – (u) (past simple and p.p. the same)

hang – hung – hung (= stay, fix at top, bend down) 

(for hang with the meaning to kill: hang – hanged or hung – hanged or hung)

stick – stuck – stuck

light – lit – lit

dig – dug – dug

strike – struck – struck

cling (= (of a person or animal) hold on tightly to, e.g., She clung to John’s arm) – clung – clung

swing (= move or cause to move back and forth or from side to side while suspended, or on an axis, e.g., Her long black skirt swung about her legs) – swung – swung

sling (= suspend or arrange something, especially with a strap or straps, so that it hangs loosely in a particular position, e.g., A hammock (1) was slung between two trees./// Throw; fling – often used to express the speaker's casual attitude, e.g., ‘Sling a few things into your knapsack’ (2).// A boulder (3) that was slung from a catapult) – slung – slung.      (1) Hammock = a bed made of canvas or rope mesh and suspended by cords at the ends, used as garden furniture or onboard a ship. (2) Knapsack = a bag with shoulder straps carried on the back, typically made of canvas or other weatherproof material. (3) Boulder = a large rock, typically one that has been worn smooth by erosion.

sit – sat – sat

spit – spat – spat

Irregular verbs (a) - (a) - (a) (all the same)

split – split – split

cut – cut – cut

hit – hit – hit

spread – spread – spread

shut – shut – shut

cost –cost – cost

bet – bet – bet

burst – burst – burst

bid – bid – bid

quit – quit (preferred) (or quitted) – quit (preferred) (or quitted)

rid – rid – rid

cast – cast – cast

shed (= (of a tree or other plant) allow leaves or fruit to fall to the ground, e.g., Both varieties shed leaves in winter)) – shed – shed

slit (= make a long, narrow cut in something, e.g., He was found the next day with his throat slit (**)) – slit – slit

thrust (= push something or someone suddenly or violently in the specified direction, e.g., He thrust at me with a stick ((**) for this example) – thrust – thrust

Irregular verbs - Misc.

(Note: as international English still does not exist to use internationally accepted rules in English, when I write ‘preferred,’ I refer to my own preference as a writer!)

run – ran – run

Be careful: pay – paid (not payed!) – paid (not payed!)

Be careful: deal – dealt – dealt (not dealed)

Be careful: read – read (past simple; pronounced red)) – read (p.p.; pronounced red) e.g. ‘I have already read (pronounced red) this book.’

Be careful: hear – heard (not ‘heared’) – heard (not ‘heared’).

Be careful: mean – meant (not ‘ment’) – meant (not ‘ment’)

Be careful: choose – chose -chosen

Be careful: burst is irregular: burst – burst – burst

Be careful: bleed is irregular: bleed – bled – bled

Be careful: slide (= move along a smooth surface while maintaining continuous contact with it, e.g., He slid down the bank into the water) is irregular: slide– slid – slid /// sliding

Be careful: bear ((pronounced ‘beə(r) = carry, support, give birth, endure, turn and proceed in a specified direction) – born – borne (or born in North American English)

Dream – dreamed (preferred) (or dreamt) – dreamed (preferred) (or dreamt)

Get – got – got (or gotten in North American English)

Mistake – mistook – mistaken

Swell – swelled – swelled or swollen (preferred)

Sew ((pronounced səʊ in British English and soʊ in North American English) = join, fasten, or repair something by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine, e.g., She sewed the seams and hemmed the border) – sewed – sewn (or sewed)

Sow ((pronounced səʊ in British English and soʊ in North American English - similar to sew!) = plant seed by scattering it on or in the earth, e.g., ‘Sow a thin layer of seeds on top.’ // e.g., A farmer sows seeds.// Broad beans that were sown in the previous autumn will be ready first ((**) for the 2nd example)) – sowed – sown or sowed 

Beat - beat - beaten (or beat in North American English)

Creep (= move slowly and carefully, especially to avoid being heard or noticed, e.g., He crept downstairs, hardly making any noise) – crept – crept

Grind ((pronounced ɡrʌɪnd) = reduce something to small particles or powder by crushing it, e.g., 'Grind some black pepper over the salad'// to rub something against a hard surface, to make it sharper or smoother, e.g., He ground down the sharp metal edges to make them smooth ((**) for the 2nd meaning) – ground –  ground

Bid (= to give a greeting to someone, or to ask someone to do something, e.g., He bade his hopes farewell (= he stopped being hopeful) (**)) – bade – bidden. But for ‘bid’ with the meaning of offering a certain price for something, especially at an auction (e.g., A foreign collector has bid $400,000 for the portrait (**)), the infinitive, past simple, and p.p. are: bid – bid – bid

Hang – hung – hung (= stay, fix at top, bend down) (for hang with the meaning to kill: hang – hanged or hung – hanged or hung). Hung = past simple and p.p. of hang or adjective. Note: we use the form ‘hanged’ when we put someone to death by hanging). For ‘hang up’ (= terminate a phone call), the past form is ‘hung up’, e.g., 'I hung up the phone.'

Drink – drank – drunk (drunk is used only with ‘have/had,’ e.g., I have drunk two glasses of orange juice.// e.g., I never have drunk wine). Drunk as an adjective means being unable to speak or act in the usual way because of having had too much alcohol, e.g., 'I got completely drunk at my brother's wedding.'

Knit (= make a garment, blanket, etc. by interlocking loops of wool or other yarn with knitting needles or on a machine, e.g., My granny knitted me some gloves/knitted some gloves for me (**)) – knitted (used more often) or knit – knitted (used more often) or knit

Leap (= jump or spring a long way, to a great height, or with great force, e.g., ‘I leaped across the threshold’ /// To provide help, protection, etc. very quickly, e.g., He leaped to his friend's defense ((*) for this definition & example)) – leapt (UK English) or leaped (US English) – leapt (UK English) or leaped (US English)

Cleave (= to separate or divide, or cause something to separate or divide, often violently, e.g., With one blow of the knight's ax, he clove the rock in twain (= into two pieces)./// To cut or break into two or more parts, e.g., The volcano cleaved nearly in half after its last eruption ((*) for all but the 1st definition)) – cleaved or clove (US English) or cleft – cleaved or cleft or clove or cloven (US English)) (My comment: in medicine, there is a condition called ‘cleft lip’ or ‘cleft palate’)

Eat – ate (UK English) (preferred) or eit (US English) – eaten

Forsake (= to abandon/ leave someone forever, especially when they need you, e.g., Abandoned by their father, forsaken by neighbors, John and the children kept vigil (1) over their mother./// Renounce (= formally declare one's abandonment of a claim, right, or possession) or give up something valued or pleasant, e.g., She forsook her suitors (2) and renounced the comforts of her family home.) – forsook – forsaken. (1) Vigil = a period of keeping awake during the time usually spent asleep, especially to keep watch or pray. (2) Suitor = a man who pursues a relationship with a particular woman, with a view to marriage (like the suitors of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey that were eventually slain (slay - slew -slain) by Ulysses).

Fling (= to throw something/someone suddenly and with a great force, e.g., He picked up the debris and flung it away) – flung – flung

Lead – led – led

Learn – learnt or learned (preferred) – learnt or learned (preferred)

May – might – ------ (nothing for p.p.)

Mow (= to cut the grass or wheat, e.g., David mowed the lawn.// e.g., I love the smell of new-mown hay (1) ((**) for the 2nd example) – mowed – mown or mowed (My comment: I think that ‘mown’ as p.p. fits better and should be preferred).  (1) hay = grass that is cut and dried and used as animal food

Outshine (= to be much more skillful and successful than someone, e.g. Ben Palmer easily outshone his rivals in the 200-meter freestyle (**)./// Shine more brightly than, e.g., Already it is impossible to miss the planet, a yellow-orange disc in the south-eastern sky far outshining the brightest star, Sirius) – outshone – outshone

Overcome – overcame – overcome

Prove – proved – proved (UK English) or proven (US English)

Saw (pronounced sɔː) = to cut wood or other hard material using a saw, e.g., The top of each post is sawed/ sawn off at railing height.// e.g., The top of each post is sawn off at railing height) – sawed – sawn  (preferred) or sawed (US English))

Shine (= to emit light, e.g., The sun shone through the window) – shone – shone

Shine (= to gleam by polishing, e.g., His shoes were shined to perfection) – shined – shined

Slay (= to kill, e.g., St. George slew the dragon.// e.g., A man was slain with a shotgun) – slew – slain

Smell – smelt (UK English) or smelled (preferred) – smelt (UK English) or smelled (preferred)

Spin – spun – spun

Spoil – spoilt or spoiled (preferred) – spoilt or spoiled (preferred)

Stride (= to walk somewhere quickly with long steps, e.g., She strode across the road) – strode – stridden

Smite (= to hit someone forcefully or to have a sudden powerful or damaging effect on someone, e.g., An angel descended and smote him with a terrible flaming sword./// Be strongly attracted to someone or something, e.g., She was so smitten with the boy) – smote – smitten

String (= to put a string through several objects/// Hang something so that it stretches in a long line, e.g., When night fell, they strung lights so he could see) – strung – strung

Strive (= to try very hard to do something or to make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties, e.g., Neither Jefferson nor Madison was a pacifist (= a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable), though both strove to keep America at peace (**)) – strove (preferred) or strived – striven (preferred) or strived

Thrive (= (of a child, animal, or plant) grow or develop well or vigorously, e.g., The new baby thrived) – thrived (preferred) or throve – thrived (preferred) or thriven (obsolete)

Unwind ((pronounced ʌnˈwaɪnd) = undo or be undone after winding or being wound, e.g., Mary unwound the long woolen scarf from her neck; pronounced ʌnˈwaɪnd) – unwound – unwound

Uphold (= to defend or keep a principle or law, or to say that a decision that has already been made, especially a legal one, is correct, e.g., The court upheld her claim for damage) – upheld – upheld

Wake – woke (preferred) or waked (obsolete) – woken (preferred) or waked (obsolete)

Win – won – won

Foretell (= to say what will happen in the future, e.g., As he foretold, thousands lost their lives) – foretold – foretold (‘foresay’ as a verb does NOT exist!)

Rend (= to tear or break something violently, e.g., Snapping teeth that would rend human flesh to shreds (1) – rended (US English) or rent (preferred) – rended (US English) or rent (preferred) (1) shred = a strip of some material, such as paper, cloth, or food, that has been torn, cut, or scraped from something larger

Forecast (= predict or estimate a future event or trend, e.g., Snow has been forecast for tomorrow.// e.g., They forecast a large drop in unemployment over the next 5 years.// ((+) full infinitive) e.g., Oil prices are forecast to increase by less than 3% this year) – forecast (preferred) or forecasted – forecast (preferred) or forecasted

Dive – dived (preferred) or dove (US English (My comment: for past simple, I prefer ‘dived’ from 'dove,' as the latter reminds me of the bird!)) – dived

Bust–bust (UK English) or busted – bust (UK English) or busted. (My comment: For past simple and p.p. I think that the North American word ‘busted’ is more common than 'bust.'). Bust = (verb with object) (informal) Break, split, or burst, e.g., They bust the tunnel wide open.// (figurative) The film bust every box office record./// (verb; no object) e.g., The color control had busted./// (transitive verb) (US English) (slang) When the police bust a person, they arrest them, or when they bust a building or a place, they arrest people in it who they believe are breaking the law, e.g., The police busted him because they think he is involved with a terrorist group ((^^) for the meaning in North American English).

Note: ‘Drown’ is NOT an irregular verb. The past simple is drowned, e.g., He drowned in the pond.

Bespoke (vs) Bespeak

Bespoke (as an adjective) = (adjective) Specially made for a particular person/ customer, e.g., A bespoke suite/ furniture (*) // e.g., Bespoke kitchens.// e.g., Bespoke software systems.// e.g., Group tours and bespoke itineraries (itinerary = a detailed plan or route of a journey (*)).// Making or selling bespoke goods, especially clothing, e.g., The bespoke tailors of Savile Row.

Bespeak (as a verb) (not the same with the adjective ‘bespoke’) = (verb with object)(irregular verb: bespeak - bespoke - bespoke or bespoken ) Be evidence of; indicate, e.g., The attractive tree-lined road bespoke money.// e.g., They all bespeak a past that didn't have the Valley's problems of today./// Order or reserve something in advance, e.g., The defendant's insurers took steps to bespeak his medical records.// e.g., ‘You will wish me a good supper at the restaurant, and I will remember to bespeak some roasted potatoes.’// (archaic) Speak to.

 

 

Strike vs Stroke

 

Strike is irregular (strike – struck – struck) = Hit forcibly and deliberately with one's hand, weapon, or other implement, e.g., One man was struck on the head with a stick./// (of a disaster, disease, or another unwelcome phenomenon) occurs suddenly and has harmful or damaging effects on, e.g., A major earthquake struck the island./// (verb; no object) Tragedy struck when her brother was killed in a car crash./// (verb; no object) (of employees) refuse to work as a form of organized protest, typically to obtain a particular concession or concessions from their employer, e.g., Around 500 employees struck recently over management attempts to bring in new flexible shifts.

 

Stroke is a regular verb ((stroke - stroked - stroked)  = to move a hand, another part of the body, or an object gently over something or someone, usually repeatedly and for pleasure, e.g., Stroke the dog if you want, he won't bite.// e.g., She lovingly stroked his face with the tips of her fingers (*).

 

 

Born (adjective) (vs.) Born (past simple of ‘bear’ in UK English; past simple and pp of ‘bear’ in North American English)

Born = (adjective) existing as a result of birth, e.g., He was born in Aberdeen.// e.g., ‘I was born with a sense of curiosity.’ // e.g., A newly born baby.

Bear (pronounced ‘beə(r)) = (irregular verb) carry, support, give birth, endure, turn, and proceed in a specified direction. Bear - born - borne (or born in North American English)

Lay (vs) Lie

Lay (lay – laid – laid)

Lay (= to place something or someone down in a flat position) is an irregular verb (Lay - laid - laid/// laying) 

Lay is transitive and requires that the verb has an object, e.g., I was told to lay the book down. I laid it down as I have laid other books down. I am laying more books down now.

Lie (lie – lay – lain)

Lie (= to be in a flat position on a surface/ rest or recline) is also an irregular verb (Lie - lay (the same with the infinitive of lay!) - lain/// lying)  

Lie is intransitive and does NOT require an object e.g., I was told to lie down. I lay down. I have lain here since. I am still lying here.

Lie (lie – lied – lied)

Lie (= = to say something that is not true to deceive) is a regular verb (Lie - lied - lied/// (the present participle is lying in North American English); e.g., Both witnesses lied to the police about what happened.//// (transitive (with object) always + adverb/preposition), e.g., He lied his way past the guards.

Reference – Links for 'lay (vs) lie'

(Retrieved February 16, 2017):

http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/lay_lie.htm

http://grammarist.com/usage/lay-lie/

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/how-to-use-lay-and-lie

http://grammartips.homestead.com/lie.html

(Retrieved: September 19, 2017)

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/how-to-use-lay-and-lie

Raise (vs) Rise

Raise

Raise (raise - raised - raised ) is a regular and transitive verb; it requires that the verb has a direct object, e.g., When the teacher asked us who knows the answer, I raised my hand.// e.g., ‘Raise your hand if you know the answer.’// e.g., Our favorite restaurant has raised its prices again. It is getting awfully expensive.

Rise (rise – rose – risen)

Rise is an irregular and intransitive verb (rise – rose – risen) and does NOT require an object e.g., Unemployment rates rose significantly.// e.g., The sun rose at 5.40 this morning.// e.g., Rents have risen sharply in this part of town.

To put it in a nutshell, ‘someone raises something’ (vs) ‘something rises’

     

     •       Reference – Links for 'raise (vs) rise'

•       (Retrieved February 16, 2017):

•       http://www.wikihow.com/Know-the-Difference-Between-Rise-and-Raise

•       http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/raise-vs-rise

•       https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/cw-raise-rise.htm

•       http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/raise-or-rise

•       https://letterpile.com/writing/Grammar_Mishaps__Raise_vs_Rise

•       http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/raise_rise_raze.htm

•       http://www.really-learn-english.com/the-difference-between-raise-and-rise.html

•       http://www.englishcurrent.com/grammar/rise-raise-difference-english-grammar/

•       https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-rise-and-raise-when-meaning-someone-puts-forward-a-question

•       (Retrieved: September 19, 2017)

•       http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/raise-or-rise

 

•       Reference – Links to irregular verbs

•       (Retrieved February 16, 2017):

•       https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/irregular-verbs-list.htm

•       http://speakspeak.com/resources/vocabulary-general-english/english-irregular-verbs

•       http://www.englishpage.com/irregularverbs/irregularverbs.html

•       http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/irregulars.htm

•       https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/

•       http://www.esl-lounge.com/reference/grammar-reference-most-common-irregular-verb-list.php

•       https://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/irregular-verbs

Non-continuous Verbs (state verbs)

 

Non-continuous verbs, or state verbs, are verbs we CANNOT use in the continuous form (-ing). Usually, most verbs talk about actions. State verbs usually talk about things that are permanent and do not change. State verbs do NOT talk about actions, but they talk about states, feelings, possession, and things that happen in our minds.

Examples of non-continuous verbs

Feelings

dislike

fear

feel (''feeling'' is a noun)

hate

like

love

prefer

Things inside our mind

forget

believe

imagine

know

realize

recognize

remember

understand

Possession

belong

own

Other

care

mean

need

promise

seem

surprise

want

wish

 

Some verbs do not have continuous forms. Some verbs do have continuous forms, but their infinitive and continuous forms have different meanings.

Some non-continuous verbs are: like, love, hate, dislike, taste, smell, weigh (not 'weight' that is the noun), etc.

e.g., I like my sister’s smile (not ‘I am liking my sister’s smile’)

e.g., I hate liars (not ‘I am hating liars’).

e.g., I love babies (not ‘I am loving babies’)

e.g., I want to go home (not ‘I am wanting to go home’).

e.g., I do not know (not ‘I am not knowing’)

 

Present continuous is NOT used with non-continuous verbs (See below (*)), i.e., verbs that deliberate action is needed, usually without being visible or perceptible by the other. These verbs express permanent situation, feelings, or sense, e.g., Admire, believe, dislike, it feels like, forget, hate, hear, hope, know, like, love, mean, mind, meet, notice, prefer, realize, recognize, remember, see, it smells like, it sounds, suppose, it tastes, think, trust, understand, want, wish. They may also refer to a permanent situation e.g., appear, be, belong to, consist of, contain, it costs, it depends on, fit, happen, have, look like, owe, possess, remain, seem, resemble. 

Sense verbs such as ‘see.' ‘hear’ and ‘smell’ are non-continuous verbs and do NOT go with the present continuous, but we use the verb ‘can’ e.g. ‘I can’t see you!’// e.g., ‘I can hear you.’ But if the action is deliberate, we use the words ‘watch’ or ‘look’ (instead of ‘see) and ‘hear’ (instead of ‘listen’). For example: ‘Can’t you see I am watching TV?’// e.g., ‘I am listening to the news.’// e.g., I am looking but can’t see the plane!’ Most copular verbs (i.e., connective verbs such as appear, seem, look, sound, hear, see, smell, taste) are NOT used in continuous forms, e.g., The soup smells good (not ‘The soup is smelling good’).// e.g., The fish tastes awful. (not ‘The fish is tasting awful’).

Note:

When ‘feel’ means ‘have an opinion,’ it is NOT used in the continuous form e.g., I feel we should give him another chance (not ‘I am feeling we should give him another chance’).

When ‘see’ means ‘understand,’ it is NOT used in the continuous form e.g., I see you have a problem (not ‘I am seeing you have a problem’)

When ‘think’ means ‘have an opinion,’ it is NOT used in the continuous form e.g., I think she is making a mistake (not ‘I am thinking she is making a mistake

Reference – Links

(Retrieved June 21, 2017):

•       https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/non-continuous-verbs

•       https://www.englishpractice.com/learning/noncontinuous-verbs/

•       https://www.theenglishspace.com/grammar/glossary/non-continuous-verbs.html

•       http://www.learnenglishlanguagewell.com/grammar/non-continuous-verbs/

•       https://vickycondrat.wordpress.com/grammar-sos/verb/continuously-present-in-present-continuous/verbs-not-normally-used-in-the-continuous-form/

•       https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-continuous-meaning.htm

•       https://www.thoughtco.com/non-continuous-verbs-1210762

To (full) and bare Infinitive

Infinitive is the basic verb form, such as ‘be’ or ‘run.’ In English, an infinitive is used by itself, for example, ‘swim’ in ‘He can swim.’ This is called the bare (without to) infinitive. An infinitive may also be used with ‘to’ and then is called to- (or full) infinitive, e.g., ‘She likes to swim.’ 

Another example where you can notice the difference is the sentence ‘Help me to open the gate’ (to (full) infinitive) and the sentence ‘Help me open the gate’ (bare infinitive).

We use the to-infinitive: 

a) To express purpose (to answer "Why...?"):

e.g., He locked the door to keep the dog out. 

e.g., He bought some flowers to give to his girlfriend.

b) To say in order to or in order not to:

e.g., We spoke quietly in order not to wake the baby.

e.g., I set off (= began a journey) early in order to avoid heavy traffic. 

Alternatively, we can say so as to or so as not to: 

e.g., We spoke quietly so as not to wake the baby. 

e.g., I set off early so as to avoid heavy traffic.

After certain verbs (see below), particularly verbs of thinking and feeling: 

e.g., Please remember to turn the lights out.

e.g., They decided to start a business together.

e.g., I decided to go home as soon as possible.

e.g., We wanted to have more English classes.

 

Common verbs followed by to-infinitive are

Verbs of thinking and feeling:

choose

decide

expect

forget

hate

hope

intend

learn

like

love

mean

plan

prefer

remember

would like

would love

Verbs of saying:

agree

promise

refuse

Other common verbs are:

arrange

attempt

fail

help

manage

tend

try

want

ii). Some verbs are followed by a noun and the to-infinitive: 

e.g., I asked him to send me a text message.

e.g., I wanted all my friends to come to my party.

Common verbs followed by a noun and to-infinitive are:

Verbs of saying:

advise

ask

encourage

invite

order

persuade

remind

tell

warn (*)

(*) Note: The verb warn is usually used with not, e.g., The police warned everyone not to drive too fast.

Verbs of wanting or liking:

expect

intend

would

prefer

want

would like

Other verbs are:

allow

enable

force

get

teach

Passive infinitive

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by a passive infinitive (to be + past participle): e.g., I do not like driving myself. I prefer to be driven.

e.g., I expected to be met when I arrived at the station.

e.g., He wanted to be told if anything bad happened.

Some verbs are followed by a direct object and the infinitive: advise, ask, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn, expect, intend, would prefer, want, and would like.

e.g., I encouraged my friends to vote for him.

e.g., Ηe reminded me to turn the lights out.

After certain adjectives.

Sometimes to-infinitive gives a reason for the adjectives:

disappointed

glad

sad

happy

anxious

pleased

surprised

proud

unhappy

e.g., Tom was surprised to see me (he was surprised because he saw me).

e.g., I was happy to come to the end of my journey (I was happy because I had come to the end of my journey)

Other adjectives with to-infinitive are:

able

unable

due

eager (= (of a person) wanting to do or have something very much)

keen

likely

unlikely

ready

prepared

unwilling

willing

e.g., I am exhausted. I am ready to go to bed.

e.g., Unfortunately, I was unable to work for over a week as I had flu.

We often use to-infinitive with these adjectives after it to give opinions:

difficult

easy

possible

impossible

hard

right

wrong

kind

nice

clever

silly

foolish

e.g. I spoke so quickly it was impossible to understand me.

e.g., It is easy to play the keyboards but exceedingly difficult to play well.

We use the preposition ‘for’ to show who these adjectives refer to:

difficult

easy

possible

impossible

hard

e.g., It is easy for her to criticize other people 

e.g., It was difficult for them to hear what I was saying as I spoke extremely fast.

We use the preposition ‘of’ with other adjectives

e.g., It would be silly of you to spend all your money on shopping gadgets.

e.g., It is kind of you to help me with my luggage.

      As a post-modifier after abstract nouns like:

ability

desire

need

wish

attempt

failure

opportunity

chance

intention

e.g., I was annoyed by my failure to answer the question correctly.

e.g., I have no desire to be wealthy.

e.g., The guards gave him an opportunity to escape.

We often use a to-infinitive as a postmodifier after an indefinite pronoun: somebody, someone, something// anybody, anyone, anything// nobody, no one, nothing/ everybody, everyone, everything

e.g., There is hardly anything to do in most of these villages.

e.g., When I am traveling, I always take something to eat.

e.g., I was all alone at the cabin. I had no one to talk to.

To split or not to split the ‘to’ of an infinitive from the simple form of the verb that follows?

Split infinitives occur when you put an adverb between 'to' and a verb:

e.g., She used to secretly admire him.

e.g., You have to really watch this movie.

Some people believe that split infinitives are grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. Thus, they would rewrite the above sentences as:

She used secretly to admire him.

You really have to watch this movie.

The general rule is that NO word should separate the ‘to’ of an infinitive from the simple form of the verb that follows. If a word does come between these two components, split infinitive results.

Example:

Wrong: Samantha hopes to quickly finish her chemistry homework to return to the novel she had to abandon.

Correct: Samantha hopes to finish her chemistry homework quickly to return to the novel she had to abandon.

The rule against splitting infinitives is not followed as strictly today as it used to be.  People have been splitting infinitives for centuries, especially in spoken English, and avoiding a split infinitive can sound weird and change the emphasis on what is being said.

For example:

‘You really have to watch her’ (i.e., ‘It’s important that you watch her) (no split)

does NOT have quite the same meaning as:

‘You have to really watch her’ (i.e., You have to watch her very closely) (split)

      Reference - Links

•       (Retrieved: October 30, 2017):

•       https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/infinitive

•       http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/infinitive.htm

•       http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/verbs/infin2.htm

•       https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/ask/question/what-is-the-difference-between-infinitive-and-bare-infinitive/

•     https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/infinitive

•       https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/node/1404/

•       https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/node/1336/

•       https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/node/1294/

•       https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/split-infinitives

•       (Retrieved: April 21, 2018):

•       http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-infinitive.php

•       https://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/how-to-use-the-infinitive-verb-in-english

•       http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/verbs/infin2.htm

•       http://www.manilatimes.net/choosing-between-full-infinitives-bare-infinitives-and-gerunds-2/272619/

•       https://www.englishgrammar.org/bare-infinitive/

•       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinitive

•       https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/split-infinitives

•       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_infinitive

•     http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_28.htm

•       https://www.gsbe.co.uk/the-split-infinitive.html

Gerund (-ing noun)

 

We can use the -ing form of the verb:

 

As a noun:

e.g., I like swimming. Swimming is particularly good for our health.

You can get fit by swimming regularly.

 

Note: -ing nouns are nearly always uncountable nouns.

 

As an adjective:

e.g., The movie was boring.

e.g., The main problem in the UK is rising prices.

e.g., I saw a friend lying on the bed.

 

Note: Because the -ing noun or adjective is formed from a verb, it can have any of the patterns which follow a verb, for example:

i). An object:

e.g., I like playing soccer.

e.g., Can you imagine living on Mars?

ii). An adverbial:

e.g., Heaps of (= a large amount or number of) people are waiting for the bus.

e.g., You can earn a lot of money by working hard.

           A clause:

e.g., I heard someone saying that.

 

The -ing noun can be used:

As the subject of a verb: e.g., Learning Chinese is not easy.

As the object of a verb: e.g., I enjoy learning English.

 

Common verbs followed by an -ing object are: admit, suggest, like, dislike, enjoy (e.g., I enjoy learning English), start, begin, finish, and avoid.

 

As the object of a preposition

e.g., Some people are not interested in learning German.

 

The -ing adjective can be:

           In front of a noun: 

e.g., I watched an exciting football game yesterday.

e.g., I read an interesting online article about the Chinese economy today.

 

The commonest –ing adjectives used in front of the noun are:

amusing, interesting, shocking, worrying, frightening, disappointing, boring, exciting, surprising, terrifying, annoying, tiring.

 

          After a noun: 

e.g., The child talking to Mary is her younger sister.

e.g., Who is that woman standing over there?

After the verbs see, watch, hear, smell, etc.

e.g., I can smell something burning.

e.g., I heard someone playing the keyboards.

 

Verbs followed by gerunds are:

avoid, dislike, forgive, postpone, celebrate, dread (= anticipate with great apprehension or fear, e.g., I'm dreading having to meet her parents (**)), involve, prevent, consider, enjoy, keep, resent, entail (= involve something as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence, e.g., Repairing the roof will entail spending a lot of money (**)), contemplate (= look thoughtfully for a long time at), loathe (= feel intense dislike or disgust for, e.g., 'I loathe doing housework' (**)), resist, defer, escape, mind, risk, detest, finish, stop, pardon (pronounced ˈpɑː.d(ə)n; = forgive or excuse a person, error, or offense, e.g., Pardon me interrupting, but there's a client to see you (**)), delay, excuse, save, miss.

Common verbs followed by –ing nouns are:

Verbs of liking and disliking:

detest

dislike

enjoy

fancy (= feel a desire or liking for)

like

love

hate

e.g., They always enjoyed visiting their parents.

e.g., I love swimming, but I hate jogging.

e.g., Do you fancy (= feel a desire or liking for) going. for a walk?

Phrases with mind:

would not mind (= would like)

do not mind (= I am willing to)

would you mind (= will you please…?)

e.g., Would you mind (= will you please?) holding this for me?

e.g., I wouldn’t mind (= I would like) having chicken for dinner.

e.g., I don’t mind (= I am willing to) waiting here for a few minutes.

Verbs of saying and thinking:

admit

consider

deny

imagine

remember

suggest

e.g., Everyone denied seeing the attack.

e.g., Our guide suggested waiting until the rain was over.

Other common verbs are:

avoid

begin

finish

keep

miss

practise

risk

start

stop

e.g., Let us practice speaking English.

e.g., I have not finished writing an email to her.

Passive form of -ing

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by the passive form of -ing: being + past participle

e.g., Our cat loves being stroked (1) under the chin.

e.g., My teacher does not like being interrupted.

(1) Stroke (it is a regular verb; don't confuse it with the irregular verb 'strike' (strike - struck - struck)). Stroke  = to move a hand, another part of the body, or an object gently over something or someone, usually repeatedly and for pleasure, e.g., Stroke the dog if you want, he won't bite (*).

Noun + -ing clause

Some verbs are followed by a noun and an -ing clause:

 

Verbs to do with the senses:

see

watch

hear

smell

listen to

e.g., We hear someone singing.

e.g., I saw everybody running away after the explosion.

 

Other common verbs:

catch

find

imagine

leave

prevent

stop

e.g., I could not prevent them from getting away.

e.g., The teacher caught someone trying to cheat at the exams. 

     

       Reference

•       (Retrieved: October 30, 2017):

•       https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/ing-forms

•       https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/gerund.htm

•       http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/verbs-followed-gerunds/

•       http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/nouns/gerunds/

•       http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/grammar-videos/verb-ing-or-verb-infinitive

•       https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/english-grammar/verbs/verbs-followed-ing-clauses

•       (Retrieved: April 21, 2018):

•       https://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/gerund/

•       https://testbook.com/blog/11-rules-to-understand-gerunds-with-examples/

•       https://inside.tru.ca/2016/11/10/gerunds-and-infinitives/

•       http://www.gingersoftware.com/content/grammar-rules/nouns/gerunds/

•       https://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/gerund.htm

•       https://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/part_1.htm

•       http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/gerunds.htm

•       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerund

•       http://www.azargrammar.com/assets/intermediate/FEGTeacher-CreatedWorksheets/Worksheets13/GerundsInfinsImpRules.pdf

•       http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-gerund-infinitive.php

•       https://www.grammarly.com/blog/gerund-phrase/