Grammar for advanced learners - Ing forms and infinitives - Thấm Tâm Vy

Tha63m Ta6m Vy, July 12, 2019 GRAMMAR FOR ADVANCED LEARNERS

GRAMMAR NOTES FOR ADVANCED LEARNERS

-ing forms and infinitives The -ing and infinitive forms of verbs are very common in English and can act as subjects, objects and complements of verbs. When used like nouns, -ing forms are often referred to as 'gerunds'. This lesson looks at the use of -ing forms and infinitives after certain verbs, determiners, adjectives and nouns, and at the special use of infinitives to describe purpose and result. (For the use of -ing and infinitive forms in clauses and phrases and in the passive and perfect forms of participles and infinitives.)

-ING FORMS A. We can use -ing forms of verbs in the same way that we use nouns as the subject, object or complement of a verb. We often refer to -ing torms used in this way as gerunds: - Swimming makes you fit. - The whole family has taken up cycling. - Her worst habit is lying. Sometimes -ing forms can have their own subjects and objects: - I'm looking forward to my wife returning. (subject + -ing form) - Meeting new people is one benefit of taking evening classes. (-ing form + object) We can make a negative with not + -ing: - Not getting a refund on faulty goods is what really annoys me.  But we use no + -ing to explain that something is impossible or not allowed: - There’s not smoking in this office. - There isn't smoking in this office. => Could you go outside? There's no smoking in this office. There's no skiing here in the summer season. (= Skiing is impossible.) No Parking (= Parking is not allowed here.)

B. We can use determiners, e.g. the, this; possessives, e.g. Peter's; possessive adjectives, e.g. his; or object pronouns, e.g. him; before -ing forms. Object pronouns are more common in informal English: - All this complaining won't get you anywhere, you know. - Peter's complaining didn't do him any good. - Exorbitant tax rates led to his leaving the country. - Exorbitant tax rates led to him leaving the country. (informal) We often use an object + -ing form after verbs of the senses - I heard Alagna giving a marvellous rendition of 'Nessun Dorma'.  We always use the object pronoun after sense verbs: - Have you seen our performing get? => Have you seen us performing get? (O When we use the + -ing form and we want to link it with an object, we use of: - The giving presents is a traditional part of the Christmas festivities. => The giving of presents is a traditional part of the Christmas festivities.

We also use -ing forms as adjectives (also called present participles) - The remaining items will be sold in our Januarg sale. Many adjectives and nouns are followed by a preposition + -ing form: - Lora isn't capable of lying and she has no reason for not telling the truth.

INFINITIVES

A. Infinitives with to can be the subject, object or complement of a verb: - To give is better than to receive. Everyone loves to win. We make a negative with not + infinitive: - I tried not to look at the accident. An infinitive can have its own subject, introduced with for: - For evil to succeed it is only necessary for the good to do nothing.  In informal English we sometimes put an adverb between to and the infinitive. This is known as a 'split infinitive' and we usually avoid it in formal English by putting the adverb in another position: - The doctor started to carefully remove the bandages. => The doctor started to remove the bandages carefully. There are also perfect, continuous and passive forms of the infinitive lf, for example, the person who is doing the action described by the infinitive is not the subject of the sentence, we usually use the passive infinitive: - The report is to hand in first thing tomorrow morning. => The report is to be handed in first thing tomorrow morning. Infinitives of purpose and result We can use an infinitive to describe the purpose or reason for an action: - Cover the turkey in silver foil to keep the meat moist. - To stop the train, pull the lever downwards. We …