Infinitives and Participles
Infinitives and participles are versatile verb forms that serve different functions in English. Here’s a detailed breakdown of infinitives, present participles, gerunds, past participles, and irregular past participles with examples and rules.
1. Infinitives:
💡 Infinitives are the base form of a verb, often preceded by “to” (e.g., to read, to write). They can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs and express purpose, intention, or possibility.
Uses of Infinitives:
- Expressing Purpose: She went to the library to study. 📚
- Acting as Subjects or Objects:
To travel is her dream. ✈️
He loves to sing. 🎶 - Following Certain Verbs: She wants to improve her skills.
Examples:
- I love to read books. 📚
- He wants to play games. 🎮
- We plan to travel around the world. 🌍
- She hopes to cook a new recipe. 🍽️
- They aim to succeed in their studies. 🎓
- I called to speak with the manager. 📞
- She loves to sing. 🎶
- We are going to visit Paris next month. ✈️
- He aspires to direct a movie. 🎥
- She learned to drive last year. 🚗
- He likes to swim in the lake. 🏊
- They decided to stay at home. 🏠
- I tried to write a poem. ✍️
- She forgot to lock the door. 🔒
- We started to clean the garden. 🌳
2. Present Participles and Gerunds
💡 Present participles are formed by adding “-ing” to the base verb (e.g., running, playing). They function as adjectives or are used in continuous tenses.
Spelling Rules for Present Participles:
- Add “-ing”: play → playing.
- Drop the final “e”: write → writing.
- Double the final consonant: run → running.
Uses:
- As Adjectives: The running water was crystal clear. 💧
- In Continuous Tenses: He is writing a book. 📖
Examples:
- He is running fast. (continuous tense) 🏃
- The flowing river is beautiful. (adjective) 🌊
- She is teaching us math. (continuous tense) 👩🏫
- We saw a walking man. (adjective) 🚶
- He is writing an essay. (continuous tense) 📝
- The shining sun makes the day bright. (adjective) ☀️
- They are playing football. (continuous tense) ⚽
- The glowing lamp lit up the room. (adjective) 💡
- We are studying for the exam. (continuous tense) 📚
- The falling leaves are beautiful. (adjective) 🍂
- He is fixing his car. (continuous tense) 🚗
- The singing birds are lovely to hear. (adjective) 🐦
- She is baking a cake. (continuous tense) 🎂
- The roaring lion scared everyone. (adjective) 🦁
- They are building a new house. (continuous tense) 🏠
3. Gerunds
💡 Gerunds look like present participles (the “-ing” form) but act as nouns, representing activities or concepts.
Uses:
- As Subjects: Swimming is fun. 🏊
- As Objects: She enjoys painting. 🎨
Examples:
- Reading is my favorite hobby. 📖
- She loves swimming. 🏊
- He enjoys singing in the shower. 🎤
- Painting relaxes him. 🖼️
- Gaming is fun for many people. 🎮
- They prefer cycling in the park. 🚴
- Cooking is her passion. 🍳
- Writing stories is his hobby. ✍️
- Running keeps him fit. 🏃
- She dislikes cleaning the house. 🧹
- Dancing makes her happy. 💃
- He spends time fishing by the lake. 🎣
- Shopping can be exhausting. 🛍️
- Traveling broadens your perspective. ✈️
- They enjoy playing board games. 🎲
4. Past Participles
💡 Past participles are used in perfect tenses, passive voice, or as adjectives. Regular past participles end in “-ed”, while irregular verbs follow unique patterns.
Spelling Rules for Past Participles:
- Add “-ed”: walk → walked.
- Drop the final “e” and add “-d”: love → loved.
- Double the final consonant and add “-ed”: plan → planned.
- Change “y” to “i” and add “-ed”: study → studied.
Uses:
- Perfect Tenses: She has completed the project. ✅
- Passive Voice: The cake was baked by her. 🎂
- As Adjectives: The broken vase was on the floor. 💔
Examples:
- I have packed my bag. 🎒
- The cooked meal smells delicious. 🍽️
- She has finished her race. 🏃♀️
- They have repaired the car. 🚗
- The written letter is on the table. ✉️
- He has closed the door. 🚪
- The painted picture looks beautiful. 🎨
- She has called her friend. 📞
- The broken glass is on the floor. 🥛
- They have built a new house. 🏠
- The fixed bike is ready to use. 🚲
- He has bought a new car. 🚗
- The burnt toast was thrown away. 🍞
- The opened window let in fresh air. 🌬️
- We have achieved our goal. 🏆
5. Irregular Past Participles
💡 Irregular Past Participles do not follow the standard “-ed” rule. They have unique forms and must be memorized.
Examples:
- Base: write → Past Participle: written 📖
- Base: run → Past Participle: run 🏃
- Base: go → Past Participle: gone 🌧️
- Base: draw → Past Participle: drawn 🎨
- Base: say → Past Participle: said 💬
- Base: see → Past Participle: seen 👀
- Base: grow → Past Participle: grown 🌿
- Base: break → Past Participle: broken 💔
- Base: eat → Past Participle: eaten 🍎
- Base: drink → Past Participle: drunk 💧
- Base: speak → Past Participle: spoken 🗣️
- Base: drive → Past Participle: driven 🚗
- Base: fly → Past Participle: flown ✈️
- Base: take → Past Participle: taken 📷
- Base: give → Past Participle: given 🎁
- Base: know → Past Participle: known 🧠
- Base: think → Past Participle: thought 💭
- Base: build → Past Participle: built 🏠
- Base: catch → Past Participle: caught 🎣
- Base: choose → Past Participle: chosen ✅
