CHAPTER # 4

Gerunds and
Infinitives
 Verb
Finite Verb Non Finite Verb

Finite Verb:
A verb which is used according to the
subject and tense.

Examples: Wakeel washes the dishes.

They wash the dishes.
I washed the dishes.
 Non Finite Verb
A verb that is not changed according to the
subject or tense.

Examples:
I want to go to school.
Hungama wants to go to school.
They wanted to go to the school.
 Gerunds
 Infinitives
Verbals
 Gerund

(Verb+ ing) having the function of a noun

is called Gerund.

Examples:
Meena enjoys watching TV.
G. verb Gerund

G. phrase
Functions of gerund

 As the subject

 As the object of verb

 As the object of preposition

Examples:
Eating is good for health.
Subject

I enjoy swimming.
Object of verb

Ali is thinking about going to Pakistan.

Obj. of Pre
Identify functions of gerund
 He stopped working there.
 He is interested in teaching.
 He is accustomed to sleeping late at night.
 He carried on delivering speech.
 He is used to living in Kabul.
 Swimming is a good exercise.
 The teacher avoided answering my question.
 Thank you very much for helping me.
 Smoking is dangerous for health.
 He finished cleaning the house.
 We talked about chairing a meeting.
 I am used to sleeping late at night.
 I am accustomed to sleeping late at night.
 I look forward to going home next month.
 He objects to changing the plan.

Note: In the abovementioned

expressions, (to) is not the marker of
infinitive. It is a preposition followed by
gerund.
 Infinitive
To+ verb or only base form of a verb is called
infinitive. (Not showing any tense)

Example:
To play cricket is interesting.
I made Ali wash the car.
He can drive a car.
 Functions of Infinitives
1. As a subject of a verb.
To play is fun.
To swim is a good exercise.

2. As an object of a verb.
She likes to swim.
I want to teach.
3. As an object of preposition (rare)
He is about to go.
He is about to die.
I prefer to drink coffee than to eat pizza.
Identify the functions of infinitive
 He wants to apply for a job.
 He decided to resign from his job.
 To earn money is hard.
 I intended to buy a house.
 To swim is fun.
 I pretended to be sick.
 He is about to fly to US.
Kinds of Infinitives

 Absolute Infinitive
 Bare Infinitive
 Split Infinitive
 Abridged Infinitive
Absolute Infinitive

(To+ verb1) is called Absolute Infinitive.

Examples:
To save money is difficult now.
To study English is easy.
Bare Infinitive

Only base form of the verb is called Bare

Infinitive.

Examples:
I make him study hard.
Split Infinitive

When (to+ verb) is separated by an

adverb is called Split Infinitive.

Examples:
She wants to slowly talk on the phone.
I like to quickly tell the truth.
Abridged Infinitive

 When the marker to is used alone and

the verb is implied is called Abridge
Infinitive.

Example:
Do you want to play soccer?
I would like to (play).
Verbs+infinitive

 Decide, want, intend, agree, expect,

hope, need, plan, prepare, refuse, wish,

learn, demand, offer, pretend, arrange,

Verbs+Gerund
 Avoid, anticipate, appreciate, admit,
advise,
 Consider, complete,
 Delay, deny, discuss, dislike
 Enjoy
 Forget, finish,
 Can’t help, keep, keep on,
 Mind, miss, mention,
 Practice, postpone
 Quit, recall, recollect, remember, resent,
resist,
 Stop, suggest,
 Tolerate,
 Understand,
Go+gerund
 Go birdwatching  Go mountain climbing
 Go boating  Go running
 Go camping  Go shopping
 Go dancing  Go sightseeing
 Go fishing  Go skating
 Go hiking  Go skiing
 Go hunting  Go swimming
 Go jogging  Go window shopping
Common verbs followed by either Infinitives or Gerunds
Retrospective Verbs

The following verbs are followed by both gerund and

Infinitives with no difference in meaning.

Begin Start Continue

Like Love Prefer
Hate Can’t Stand Can’t bear

Examples:
I began teaching.
I began to teach.
I was beginning to teach.
Verbs+ gerund (With different
meaning)
Verbs+infinitive

Remember+ Infinitive: To remember to perform

one’s duty, responsibility.

Example: I remember to lock the door.

Remember+ Gerund: To recall something that

happened in the past.

Example: She remembers going to India.

Forget+ Infinitive: Forget to perform one’s duty
or responsibility.

Examples: I forgot to wash my car.

Forget+ Gerund: Forget something that

happened in the past.

Example: He forgot deceiving me.

Regret+ Infinitive: Sorry to tell bad news.

Example: I regret to tell you that I lost

your gift.
Regret+ Gerund: Sorry about something
that one did in the past.
Example: I regret going to Pakistan.
Try+ Infinitive: To attempt, to struggle, to
make effort.
Example: I tried to pass the exams.

Try+ Gerund: To examine something

whether it works or not.

Example: I tried using all the mobiles.

Infinitive of Purpose
Whenever we talk about purpose we use (in
order to)

Example: We eat in order to live.

We eat to live.
We eat for live. (Incorrect)

Note: (To) in the contraction form of in order to.

 For isn’t used to show purpose.

Exception: When it is used with the

phrase (be used for+ gerund), it shows
common or general purpose.

Example: Pens are used for writing.

Pens are used to write with. (possible)
I go to Bazaar for bread.( Possible)
for+ noun
 Adjectives followed by Infinitives
Here adjectives are used to describe a person or
persons, not a thing.
Shazia is upset to go to Pakistan.

List of Adjective+infinitive
Glad, happy, pleased, delighted, content,
relieved, lucky, fortunate, sorry, sad, upset,
disappointed, proud, ashamed, ready,
prepared, anxious, eager, willing, motivated,
determined, careful, hesitant, reluctant, afraid,
surprised, amazed, astonished, shocked,
stunned.
 Infinitives with too and enough

Examples:
The weather is too hot to play soccer.
The weather is very hot, but we can play soccer.

The class is big enough to study in it.

The class has students enough to take exam.

The class has enough students to take exam.
Passive & Past forms of Infinitives
& Gerund
1. Present Active Infinitive:
Sub+ Inf verb+ to+ verb

Examples:
He wants to play soccer.
Rubina refuses to call me again.
2.Present Passive Infinitive

Sub+ Inf verb+ to+ be+ 3rd verb

Examples:
Abdullah wants to be taught.
Baqi doesn’t want to be annoyed.
 3.Past Active Infinitive

Sub+ Inf verb+ to+ have+ 3rd verb

Examples:
Jasmine decided to have studied English.
They needed to have stolen money.
 4. Past Passive Infinitive

Sub+ Inf verb+ to+ have+ been+ 3rd verb

Examples:
Meena managed to have been helped.
She is happy to have been written a letter.
5.Present Active Gerund

Sub+ G. verb+ V- ing

Examples:
Shakila finishes writing a letter.
She postpones visiting her friend.
6.Present Passive Gerund

Sub+ G. verb+ being+ 3rd verb

Examples:
Arzoo minds being teased in the class.
Karim enjoyed being watched by his friend.
 7.Past Active Gerund

Sub+ G. verb+ having+ 3rd verb

Examples:
Hungama appreciates having gone to Pakistan.
Wali disliked having studied.
 8.Past Passive Gerund

Sub+ G. verb+ having+ been+ 3rd verb

Examples:
I appreciated having been given the chance.
They deny having been taken away.
Using Gerund or Passive Infinitive
following “Need”
She needs to buy a car.

The car needs repairing.

The car needs to be repaired.

Using a Possessive to modify a Gerund

Meena likes my writing a message. (formal)

Meena likes me writing a message. (informal)

I love Rubina’s laughing. (formal)

I love Rubina laughing. (informal)
 Verbs of Perception
Are those verbs which refer to the five senses
of human being (smell, taste, see, hear and
touch). They are also called Sense verbs.

1. Sub+ sense verb+ obj+ verb1:

This structure shows that one has seen or
heard the action completely (from the
beginning to the end).
Ex: I saw Rubina cook rice.
Ex: I watched him play football.
Ex: I heard the phone ring, but I didn’t answer it.
 Sub+ sense verb+ obj+ verb-ing
This structure shows that only a part of
someone’s action has been seen or
heard (not a complete action).

Example:
I saw Rubina cooking rice.
Common Verbs of perception/sense Verbs
 See
 Notice
 Watch
 Look at
 Observe
 Hear
 Listen
 Feel
 Smell
 Causative Verb
Causative verbs are verbs the subject of
which doesn’t perform the activity, but it
causes the object to do it.

I had Karim open the door.

Rubina makes Hungama clean the room.
 Make, Have, Let, Get and Help
Make: To force someone to do something.
It is followed by Bare Infinitive.

Examples:
Ali makes Laila wash the car.
Arzoo made Dilroba write a letter.

Note: Rubina was made to wash the dishes.

Have: To hire, to choose someone to do
something. It is followed by Bare Infinitive.

Example:
Karim had Wali bring a chair.

Let: To allow someone to do something.

It is followed by Bare Infinitive.

Example:
I will let her come in.
Get: To persuade, to encourage someone
to do something. It is followed by Full
Infinitive.

Example: I get Arzoo to get married.

Help: To assist someone to do something.

It is followed by either Full or Bare
Infinitive.

Examples:
Yasmine will help Hungama write HW.
Shabnam helps Karim to cook rice.
 Special Expression followed by the
-ing form of a verb
Have fun+
Have a good time

Spend/ Waste+ expression of time or money+ gerund.

Examples:
Ali spends twenty rupees watching TV.
Karim wastes two hours walking on the road.
Sit/ Stand/ Lie+ expression of place+ gerund

Examples:
Rubina sits on the mattress reciting the Holy Quran.
Karim stood in the class calling Karima.
Wakeel lies in the bed writing messages.

Find/ Catch+ pro(noun)+ gerund (means to discover)

Examples:
I found Hungama chatting with her mom.
She caught Arzoo eating rice.
Let’s
Practice