Gerunds and Infinitives in practice in English: rules of use

Learning English grammar is an important step in improving language learning skills. One key aspect is understanding and using Gerunds and Infinitives. This article will provide you with a framework for further study and use of these constructs in real-world situations and an opportunity to practice in practice at the end of the article. This article only covers the basics, and the main emphasis is on the implementation of practice at the end of the article, detailed information about grammar in the article – Gerunds vs Infinitives: How to Use Them Correctly in English.

Let’s go over some general rules to help you understand what Gerunds and Infinitives are and some important rules for sentence construction:

Gerunds

• Form: A Gerund is a verb form that looks like the base form of the verb with the ending “-ing” (for example, “reading,” “writing,” “swimming”).
• Usage:
  1. As a noun: Gerunds are used as the subject or object in a sentence.
     • Example: “Reading is my favorite hobby.”
  2. After some verbs and prepositions: Certain verbs and prepositions require the use of a Gerund.
     • Example: “I enjoy reading novels.”

Infinitives

• Form: An Infinitive is a verb form that starts with “to” and remains in its base form (for example, “to read,” “to write,” “to swim”).
• Usage:
  1. After some verbs, adjectives, nouns, and prepositions: Certain verbs and constructions demand the use of an Infinitive.
     • Example: “She wants to learn French.”
  2. Have the form “to + base verb”: Infinitives are frequently used after other words like verbs, adjectives, or nouns.
     • Example: “It’s important to study regularly.”

Both of these constructions play a crucial role in forming complex sentences and expressing various ideas. Understanding their rules and applying them in real contexts will enhance your proficiency in learning the English language.

Verb Patterns – Exploring the Grammar of Action

Verb Patterns encompass grammatical structures that delineate how verbs interact with other elements in sentences. These patterns elucidate the correct use of verbs depending on the context and other sentence components.

There are various types of Verb Patterns, but the fundamental ones involve the use of Gerunds (verb + -ing), Infinitives (to + base verb), and constructions where verbs collaborate with other words in diverse forms.

Key Types of Verb Patterns:

1. Dative Verb Patterns:
   • This involves the use of verbs that necessitate the presence of an object to whom or for whom the action is happening. Example: “I gave him a book.”
2. Gerund Patterns:
   • These involve the use of verbs interacting with Gerunds as subjects or objects in a sentence. Example: “I enjoy swimming.”
3. Infinitive Patterns:
   • These involve the use of verbs interacting with Infinitives as subjects or objects in a sentence. Example: “She wants to sing.”
4. Verb + Object + Infinitive:
   • Verbs in this pattern are used with an object and an Infinitive. Example: “I want him to help.”
5. Verb + Object + Gerund:
   • Verbs in this pattern are used with an object and a Gerund. Example: “I can’t imagine him leaving.”
6. Verb + Infinitive / Gerund (with no change in meaning):
   • These are verbs that can be used with either an Infinitive or a Gerund, maintaining the same meaning. Example: “I like to swim” and “I like swimming.”

These patterns assist in establishing correct grammatical connections between verbs and other components of a sentence, making expressions more precise and understandable.

Practice. Checking knowledge of Verb Patterns and the use of Gerunds, Infinitives

One important aspect is the correct use of Verb Patterns, which include Gerunds, Infinitives, and other constructions. This quiz will help you improve your grammar knowledge and test your ability to use Verb Patterns in different situations.

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Present. Gerund or infinitive – verb patterns

We often hear her ___ at concerts

sings

sang

to sing

have sung

singing

This article is worth ___ .

reading

read

will read

has read

to read

It’s very pleasant ___ on the beach in summer.

to lie

lain

lying

lay

lie

He sat in the arm-chair ___ a newspaper.

read

is read

reading

had read

reads

She dreams of her son’s ___ a director of the company.

is becoming

becoming

was becoming

become

became

The man ___ the newspaper is my brother.

has read

will read

reading

read

reads

How do you feel if someone laughs at you? I hate people ___ at me.

being laughed

laughing

laughed

to be laughed

to be laughing

We stopped at the motorway services ___ something to eat.

to have got

got

get

was getting

to get

He warmed himself by ___ hot tea.

drinking

drunk

is drinking

to drink

drank

___ many books on history helps school children to get knowledge about the past of different nations.

reading

read

has read

reads

will read

It is very pleasant ___ in the river on hot days in the summers.

bathed

bathing

having bathed

bathe

to bathe

As well as ___ I like ___ .

running/walked

run/walk

run/to walk

running/walking

run/walked

Why didn’t you try ___ yourself a job?

have found

found

to find

finding

to be found

He admitted ___ the car but denied ___ it by himself

to steal / to do

stealing / to be done

to steal / doing

stealing / to do

stealing / doing

-I hope my dream will come true this year.
-And what do you dream of?
-Oh, I dream of ___ a law school and ___ a lawyer.

entering / becoming

enter / become

entered / become

to enter / to become

to enter / becoming

Nobody heard her ___ English.

speaks

was speaking

speak

had spoken

spoke

I’m not really interested in ___ to the University.

going

have gone

being gone

went

go

We watched the coastline ___ slowly.

recedes

receded

to recede

recede

have receded

Mother wants him ___ to the country during the summer

went

goes

go

will go

to go

___ English is the best way of ___ it.

speak / learn

speak / learning

spoke / learning

speaking / learning

to speak / to learn

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Learning Gerunds and Infinitives is an important step in improving your language skills. Learning the rules and using examples will help you use these grammatical constructions with confidence. Take tests to test your knowledge and improve the material you’ve learned.