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:

  1. Expressing Purpose:
    She went to the library to study. 📚
  2. Acting as Subjects or Objects:
    To travel is her dream. ✈️
    He loves to sing. 🎶
  3. 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 (“-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 ✅