The Infinitive & -ing form

Dragana Filipović

FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE

Active Passive

Present (to) play (to) be played

Pres. Cont. (to) be playing

/

Perfect (to) have played

(to) have been played

Perf. Cont. (to) have been playing

/

FORMS OF THE –ING FORM

Active Passive

playing being played

/ /

having played

having been played

/ /

Forms of the infinitive corresponding to verb tenses

VERB TENSES

Present Simple / Future SimpleShe cleans / She will clean

FORMS OF THE INFINITIVE

Present:(to) clean

Present Continuous / Future ContinuousShe is cleaning / She will be cleaning

Present Continuous(to) be cleaning

Past Simple / Present Perfect / Past Perfect/ Future PerfectShe cleaned / She has cleaned / She had cleaned / She will have cleaned

Perfect(to) have cleaned

Past Continuous / Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous / Future Perfect ContinuousShe was cleaning/ She has been cleaning / She had been cleaning/ She will have been cleaning

Perfect Continuous(to) have been cleaning

The to-infinitive is used:

To express purpose: You should take a few days off to

recover.After certain verbs (agree, appear,

decide, expect, hope, plan, promise, refuse etc).He agreed to meet us tonight.

After certain adjectives (happy, glad, sorry, etc). I was sorry to hear about your accident.

The to-infinitive is used:

After I would like / would love / would prefer to express specific preference.I’d love to visit China.

After certain nouns.It’s such a pleasure to be with you.

After too / enough constructions.It’s too early to leave the party.He’s rich enough to afford a Porsche.

The to-infinitive is used:

With it + be + adjective (+ of + noun/pronoun).It was kind of her to say that.

With so + adjective + as.Would you be so kind as to pass the sauce?

With “only” to express unsatisfactory result.He won in the lottery only to lose at the casino.

The to-infinitive is used:

After be + the first/second etc/next/last/best etc.She was the first to congratulate him.

In the expression: for + noun/pronoun + to –infinitiveFor John to lend you his car was very unusual.

In expressions such as: to tell you the truth, to begin with, to be honest, etc.To be honest, I didn’t know how to react.

Note:

If two infinitives are joined by ‘and’ or ‘or’, the ‘to’ of the second infinitive can be omitted:I’d prefer to go to a disco and dance or talk to my friends.

The infinitive without to is used: After most modal verbs (can, could, may etc.)

He can go if he wants to. After had better, would rather, would sooner.

You’d better go to bed. After make / let / see / hear / feel in the

active.She made the baby eat all his soup.

But in the passive: be made / be heard / be seen + to-infinitive:

The baby was made to eat all his soup.

The –ing form is used:

As a noun.Smoking is harmful.

After: dislike, enjoy, hate, like, love, prefer – to express general preference.

I like swimming. (in general) Note: like + to-infinitive = it’s a good

idea I like to visit them.

The –ing form is used:

After certain verbs (admit, anticipate, appreciate, avoid, consider, continue, delay, deny, discuss, enjoy, escape, excuse, fancy, finish, forgive, go (physical activities), imagine, involve, keep (=continue), mention, mind, miss, object to, postpone, practise, prevent, quit, recall, report, tolerate, understand etc.)

They have postponed moving house till next week.

The –ing form is used:

After: I’m busy, it’s no use, it’s (no) good, it’s (not) worth, what’s the use of, can’t help, there’s no point (in), in addition to, as well as, have trouble, have a hard/difficult time. There’s no point in arguing. What’s the use of crying? It was your

fault. After: spend/waste (time, money

etc.) You waste too much time watching TV.

The –ing form is used:

After prepositions.He became rich by working hard and without borrowing from anyone.

After: look forward to, be/get used to, be/get accustomed to, object to, admit (to), etc.I object to being told what to do with my life.

The –ing form is used:

After: hear, listen, notice, see, watch – to express an incomplete action, an action in progress or a long action.I saw him throwing rubbish out of the window. (I saw part of the action.)

BUT: hear, listen, see, watch + infinitive without “to” express a complete action, something that someone saw or heard from beginning to end.

I saw him throw rubbish out of the window. (I saw it all.)

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the infinitive or the –ing form.

Example: The police made the bank robbers

____ (give) themselves up. The police made the bank robbers

give (give) themselves up.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the infinitive or the –ing form.

1. The criminals were forced ___ (surrender).2. She’d better ___ (have) a good excuse for

being so late.3. They hope ___ (make) a lot of money in

their new business.4. Imagine ___ (live) in a big house like that!5. I’d rather not ___ (visit) my parents this

weekend.6. He worked for 15 hours without ___ (take)

a break.

Answers:

1. The criminals were forced to surrender.2. She’d better have a good excuse for

being so late.3. They hope to make a lot of money in

their new business.4. Imagine living in a big house like that!5. I’d rather not visit my parents this

weekend.6. He worked for 15 hours without taking a

break.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the infinitive or the –ing form.

7. It was such a shock ___(hear) from her after all those years.

8. Ana would love ___ (lie) on a beach now, instead of studying.

9. There’s no point ___ (get) there early, because the gates don’t open till 10 am.

10.You should ___ (see) his face when she told him the news.

Answers:

7. It was such a shock to hear from her after all those years.

8. Ana would love to lie on a beach now, instead of studying.

9. There’s no point (in) getting there early, because the gates don’t open till 10 am.

10.You should have seen his face when she told him the news.