VERB FORMS

A. TO INFINITIVE: can be used

1. as the subject of a sentence: To drink wine is harmful
2. as the complement of a verb: My hobby is to collect stamps
3. to express purpose: You have to work hard to pass the exam,
4. in the structure: find/ believe/ make it + Adj/ N + to V We found it difficult to speak in public.
5. in the structure It takes/ took somebody + time + to V It took me two days to write the report.
6. to reduce a relative clause I have a lot of homework to do
7. in the structure it + be + adjective (for Someone) + to V
It is interesting to learn English./ It is a pity to miss that film.
8. in the structure with too/ enough
He is too old to work. / She is not young enough to have more children.
9. after question words following such verbs as ask, decide, know, understand…
I don’t know what to do
10. after ordinary verbs

B. BARE INFINITIVE: can be used

1. After auxiliary verbs, modal verbs ( will, can, could, may, might, shall, ) Except ought to, have to, had to
Can you sing?
2. after verbs of sensation ( see, hear, watch, feel…from the beginning to the end of the action)
I saw him pick up a gun * but passive: He was seen to pick up a gun.
3. after MAKE, LET, HELP
He made me work hard * but passive: I was made to work hard
4. after HAD BETTER, WOULD RATHER/ SOONER, RATHER/ SOONER THAN
You’d better stay at home. You’d better not go out.
5. S + have + SO + bare inf + ST I had my brother repair my bicycle
S + get +SO + to inf + ST I got my brother to repair my bicycle
Notes:
* Continuous infinitive: to be +V-ing: I promised to be waiting at the door when he came out.
* Perfect infinitive: to have + V-ed/ V3 He expects to have finished the course by June.
* Passive infinitive : to be + V-ed / V3 We expect to be invited to the conference
C. GERUND: can be used
1. as the subject of a sentence: Swimming is my hobby.
2. as the complement (object of be) of a verb My hobby is swimming.
3. after prepositions (in, on, of, up…) I am afraid of going out at night.
4.after prepositions TO :
be used to, be accustomed to, look forward to, object to
5. after GO ( recreational activities) go hunting, go fishing, go sightseeing , go shopping……
6. after an article or possessive, or demonstrative adjective: my, her, his …. or possessive case (Mary’s coming)
He complained about my coming to class late.
Conservation is concerned with the reclaiming of land.
7. after verbs of sensation : see, notice, watch, look at, observe, hear, listen to, feel, smell.
Eg: I saw my friend running down the street.
8. after the following expressions: - feel like
- be no use, be no good, be worth, be busy
- can’t help, can’t stand, can’t bear, can’t face
- have difficulty, have fun, have trouble…….
Eg: I can’t help laughing
9. after the following verbs:
1. admit 2. anticipate 3. appreciate 4. avoid 5. confess (to)
6. complete 7. consider 8. delay 9. deny 10. discuss
11. dislike 12. detest 13. enjoy 14. escape 15. excuse
16. fancy 17. finish 18. imagine 19. involve 20. keep
21. mention 22. mind 23. miss 24. postpone 25. practice
26. quit 27. recall 28. recollect 29. resent 30. resist
31. risk 32. suggest 33. tolerate 34. understand
Notes:
* Perfect gerund : having + V-ed/ V3 (past action)
He denied having been there.
* Passive gerund being + V-ed / V3 / having been + V-ed / V3
I remember being taken to Paris as a small child
gerund - bare infinitive - to infinitive - present/past participle
Active Passive Perfect active Perfect passive Continuous
to- infinitive to play to be played to have played to have been played to be playing
bare infinitive play be played have played have been played be playing
gerund playing being played having played having been played being playing

D. TO INF or GERUND
1. Verbs followed by either the infinitive or the gerund without any changes in meaning:
begin, start, continue, like, love, hate, allow/permit, advise/recommend, prefer
Prefer: prefer + V-ing + TO + V-ing
prefer + to_V + THAN + To_V
Advise / Recommend / Allow / Permit - S + V + O + to inf.
- S + V + V-ing
- S + Be – V (PP) + to inf.
2. Verbs followed by either the infinitive or the gerund with a big difference in meaning:
a. Stop: gerund: end an action
to inf: purpose
b. Remember/Forget/ Regret: gerund: past action
to inf: future action
c. Try: gerund: make the experiment
to inf: make an attempt
d. Like / Love: gerund: enjoy
to inf : want
e. Mean: gerund : involve
to inf: intend
f. Go on : gerund: continue
to inf: do sth after you have finished something else
g. Use: - be/ get used to + V ing (be accustomed to)
- used to + inf: (past habit )
- be used for + V ing (the use of ST)
h. Need : - need + bare inf ( modal V )
- need + to inf (ordinary V)
- need + V ing (passive meaning) = need to be + PP

EXERCISES
I. Choose the correct answer.
1. Alice didn't expect________________to Bill's party.
A. asking B. being asked C. to ask D. to be asked
2. I finally finished_______at 7:00 P.M. and served dinner.
A. cooking B. being cooked C. to cook D. to be cooked
3. Sam always remembers_______in the garage so that the driveway is free for other cars.
A. parking B. being parked C. to park D. to be parked
4 The nurse suggested___________ two aspirin.
A. taking B. being taken C. to take D. to be taken
5. Would you mind not_______the radio until I've finished with this phone call?
A. turning on B. being turned on C. to turn on D. to be turned on
6 They were fortunate_______from the fire before the building collapsed.
A. rescuing B. to have rescued C. to rescue D. to have been rescued
7 The mouse family avoided_______by coming out only when the house was empty and the two cats were outside.
A. catching B. being caught C. to have been caught D. to be caught
8. The baby continued_______even after she was picked up.
A. being crying B. having cried C. to cry D. having been crying
9. Arthur pretended not_______hurt when his younger sister bit him.
A. having B. be C. to have D. to have been
10. We were shocked to hear the news of your______________.
A. having fired B. having been fired C. to be fired D. to have been fired
11. Even though she was much younger than the other children, Alexis demanded___in the game they were playing.
A. including B. being including C. to include D. to be included
12. Our mechanic said that he expects_______the brakes on the car before we pick it up.
A. fixing B. being fixed C. to have fixed D. to have been fixed
13. Marge's children are used to_______after school every day. They don't have to walk home.
A. picking up B. being picked up C. be picked up D. pick up
14. The bus driver was so tired of_______the same route every day that he asked for a transfer.
A. to drive B. being driven C. driving D. drive
15. I'm sure it's not my fault that Peter found out what we were planning. I don't remember ______anyone about it.
A. having told B. being told C. to tell D. to be told
II. Complete each sentence with an appropriate form of the verb in parentheses.
1. Bill decided (buy)__________________ a new car rather than a used one.
2. We delayed (open) _____________ the doors of the examination room until exactly 9:00.
3. I really dislike (ask)_______________________to answer questions in class when I haven't prepared my lesson.
4. I certainly didn't anticipate (have) _______________ to wait in line for three hours for tickets to the baseball
game!
5. When I was younger, I used (wear) __________________ mini-skirts and bright colors. Now I am accustomed
to (dress) __________________more conservatively.
6. Skydivers must have nerves of steel. I can't imagine (jump) __________________out of a plane and (fall)
__________________to the earth. What if the parachute didn't open?
7. We are looking forward to (take)_______________________on a tour of Athens by our Greek friends.
8. There is nothing (do)___________ but (wait)__________ till somebody comes (let)___________ us out.
9. John admitted (surprise)________ by the unexpected birthday party last night. We had a lot of fun
(plan)_______ it.
10. I resent (have) __________________ to work on this project with Fred. I know I'll end up with most of the
work falling on my shoulders.
11. I don’t appreciate (interrupt)_________________ when I’m speaking.
12. The power lines outside my house were dangerous. I finally got the power company
(move)__________________ them to a safer place.
13. I wanted (help) ______________ them (resolve) _____________ their differences, but Sally persuaded me
(interfere, not)_____________
14. I don’t understand how you got the wrong results. When I look over your notes, your chemistry experiment
seems (perform)_______________ correctly. But something is wrong somewhere.
15. I finally told him (be) ______________ quiet for a minute and (listen) ______________ to what I had to say.