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STRUCTURAL USE OF INFINITIVE, GERUND AND PARTICIPLES

STRUCTURE

ü Objective

ü Introduction

ü The Infinitive

ü Uses of the infinitive

ü Self Assessment Questions

ü The Gerund

ü Uses of the Gerund

ü The Participle

ü Uses of the Participle

ü Narration

ü Direct and Indirect

ü Rules

ü Active and Passive Voice

ü Summary

ü Key words

ü Self Assessment Questions

Objective:

The objective of this lesson is to make the students understand about the infinitive, gerund and the participle, narration and voice, and their usage.

Introduction:

The infinitive, gerund and the participle are the forms of verb, and have special use in English grammar. Although the infinitive and gerund are not, strictly speaking, verbs, they convey the idea of action. The participle is also commonly known as the third form of the verb.

The Infinitive:

The infinitive is that form of verb which is not influenced by the person and the number of the subject. For example,

1. He always finds fault with me.

2. They always find fault with me.

3. He always tries to find fault with me

4. They always try to find fault with me.

In sentences 1 & 2, the verb find has he and they as its subjects, respectively, and is limited by the person and number of the subjects. Therefore, in these sentences, the verb 'find' is the finite verb. However, in sentences 3 & 4, 'to find' merely names the action denoted by the verb find, and is, therefore, not limited by the person and number of the subjects. Here, it is called the infinite verb or the infinitive. Thus, the verb in this mood does not have any number or person.

Form: to + verb (to walk, to go)

35. The word 'to' is often used with the infinitive. Examples: 1. I want to go for a walk. 2. I like to walk on wet grass, early morning.

36. Infinitive is also used without 'to', sometimes. After verbs like bid, let, make, dare, see, hear, etc., 'to' is not used. Examples: 1. I made him run. 2. I will not let you go.

37. Infinitive is also used without 'to', after verbs like shall, will, do, did, should, would, must, can, could, may, might, etc. Examples: 1. You shall do it 2. You may go.

Uses of the infinitive:

(a) The infinitive, with or without 'to', can be used as a noun as follows:

1. Subject of the verb.

1. To find fault with others is very easy.

2. To err is human; to forgive, devine.

2. Object of a transitive verb.

1. I do not want to go.

2. He likes to dance.

3. Complement of the verb.

1. His passion is to drive fast.

2. He appears to be a bright boy.

4. Object of a preposition.

1. The exam is about to begin.

2. The train is about to leave.

5. Complement of the object.

1. I saw him go.

2. I cannot see him cry.

Note: The infinitive, thus used as a noun, is called the Simple Infinitive.

(b) The infinitive, with or without 'to', can also be used as follows:

• To qualify a Noun.

1. This shop is to let.

2. This is the time to study.

• To qualify a Verb to express purpose.

1. She cried to see the horrifying sight.

2. We eat to live.

• To qualify an Adjective.

1. The students are eager to learn.

2. She is too weak to walk.

• To qualify a sentence as a whole.

He was really disturbed, so to speak.

• To introduce a parenthesis.

I am – to tell you the fact – tired of such activities.

Note: The infinitive thus used is called the Gerundial or Qualifying Infinitive.

(c) The infinitive may be active or passive, as follows:

6.0 Active Infinitive.

I want to write a letter.

7.0 Passive Infinitive.

I want a letter to be written.

(d) The infinitive may be used with an introductory 'it':

2 Generally, 'it' is used as the subject of a sentence and is followed by an infinitive.

1. It can be dangerous to drive fast.

2. It is not safe for you to travel at this time.

Self Assessment Questions

Combine the following pairs of sentences by using Infinitives:

1. He doesn't have any money. He cannot buy food to eat.

2. He went to Delhi. He wanted to see the Qutab Minar.

3. The thief entered the house. He intended to kidnap the child.

4. She visits the poor. She wants to help them.

5. He is working very hard. He wants to get a scholarship.

The Gerund:

‘Verb + ing’, when functions like a noun is called Gerund. Thus, a gerund is that form of the verb which ends in -ing, and has the force of a Noun and a Verb. For example,

1. I like reading novels.

2. Walking is his hobby.

3. Swimming is good for health.

4. I dream of becoming a doctor.

In these sentences, the words reading, walking, swimming and becoming are Gerunds, as they are formed from the verb read + ing, walk + ing, swim + ing and become + ing, respectively, and function as the noun. That is why, they are also known as verbal nouns.

Uses of the Gerund:

(a) The Gerund being a verb-noun may be used as follows:

·       Subject of a verb.

1. Swimming is good for health.

2. Smoking is injurious to health.

·       Object of a transitive verb.

1. I like playing chess

2. He enjoys reading poetry.

·       Object of a preposition.

1. Children are fond of playing.

2. I have an aversion to fishing.

·       Complement of the verb.

1. Seeing is believing.

2. What I most like is sleeping.

(b) Both the Gerund and the Infinitive have the force of a noun and a verb, so they are used in a similar manner. In sentences, either of the two may be used without any special difference in meaning, as follows:

1. Teach me to swim. Teach me swimming.

2. To walk is good for health. Walking is good for health.

(c) The Gerunds are always preceded by the possessive case of nouns and pronouns, as follows:

1. Please don't mind my leaving early.

2. All depends on Deepak's passing the examination.

(d) Some Gerunds are used as compound nouns, as follows: walking-stick, frying-pan, writing-table, etc.

The Participle

A Participle is a word which is partly a Verb and partly an Adjective. For example,

1. We saw a girl carrying a basket of roses.

2. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

3. He is an experienced teacher.

4. The injured boy was taken to the hospital.

5. Having eaten his food, the boy went out.

In sentences 1 & 2, the words carrying and rolling are verbs and are being used in these sentences as adjectives to qualify the nouns girl and stone, respectively. These are the examples of Present Participle, which represents an action that is going on.

Form of Present participle: verb + Ing, having the force of an adjective. In sentences 3 & 4, the words experienced and injured are verbs and are being used in these sentences as adjectives to qualify the nouns teacher and boy, respectively. These are the examples of Past Participle, which represents a completed action.

Form of Past participle: verb + -ed / -d / -t / -en / -n, having the force of an adjective. In sentence 5, the word having is the Perfect Participle and the word eaten is the Past Participle. The Perfect participle represents an action that was completed at some past time.

Uses of the Participle

(a) The Present Participle is used to form the Continuous Tenses of the verb, as follows:

1. I am working.

2. He is going.

(b) The Past Participle is used to form the Perfect tenses (Active Voice) with tenses of the verb have:

1. I have worked.

2. He has gone.

(c) The Passive Voice is formed from the Past Participle with tenses of the verb be:

1. The snake was killed by Mohan.

2. The child was scolded by the mother.

Narration: DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

When we quote the actual words of a speaker, it is called direct speech. When we report someone's oral communication without using the exact words, we call it indirect speech.

Rules:

·       Direct speech is indicated by inverted commas. e.g. She said,” Hari will you eat it?”

·       Indirect speech involves a change in pronoun and tense. e.g. She asked Hari whether he would eat it.

·       In indirect speech, connectives are used in place of inverted commas. e.g. Direct: Roy said,' I am free today.” Indirect: Roy said (that) he was free that day.

·       When the reporting verb (main verb) is in the past, the direct speech changes from simple present to simple past in indirect speech. e.g. Direct: He exclaimed,”I am truly blessed.' Indirect; He exclaimed that he was truly blessed.

·       When the reporting verb is in present tense, there is no tense change. e.g. Direct: She says,” I have finished my terms.” Indirect: She says that she has finished her work.

·       Miscellaneous; Words expressing 'nearness' in time or place are changed in words expressing 'distance', 'now' becomes 'then', 'here' becomes 'there', 'yesterday' becomes 'the day before', when changed from direct to indirect speech, when the reporting verb is in past tense.

·       When we report questions, the verb in direct speech are; 'enquired', 'asked', etc.

Active and Passive Voice:

Voice is a form of verb which shows whether the subject 'does something' or 'has something done to it'. A verb is in the active voice when its form shows that the person or thing denoted by the subject 'does something' or 'it is doer of the action'. Examples: 1. Kamala likes Shyam. 2. The boy is singing a song.

A verb is in the passive voice when its form shows that 'something is done' to the person or thing denoted by the subject. The person or thing denoted by the subject is not active, i.e. Suffers or receives the action. Example: 1. Shyam is liked by Kamala. 2. A letter was written by Mahesh

Summary:

The lesson has discussed the Infinitive, the Gerund and the Participle, Narration, Voice, and their uses. Now, the students will be able to distinguish between the three forms of the verb and their uses.

Key words: Infinitive, Gerund, Participle, Narration, Voice.

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