RULES OF NON-FINITE VERBS
| Rule | Exampie |
|---|---|
| 1. Non-finite verbs don't change with the subject or tense. | To read is good. / Reading is fun. |
| 2. Three main types: Infinitives, Gerunds, Participles. | to eat/ eating / eaten |
| 3. A finite verb shows tense; a non-finite verb doesn't. | He works (finite). / He likes to work (non-finite). |
| 4. Infinitive "to + base verb." | to run, to sing to dance |
| 5. Bare infinitive = base form without "to," | help me do it |
| 6. 'To" infinitives act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. | To learn is important. |
| 7. "To" infinitive can be the subject of a sentence. | TO err is human. |
| 8. "To" infinitive can be the object. | He wants to go. |
| 9. "To" infinitive can show purpose. | He came to meet me. |
| 10. "'To" infinitive follows certain adjectives. | happy to see, ready to go |
| 11. "To" infinitive follows some nouns. | a chance to win |
| 12. "To" infinitive follows specific verbs. | hope to, plan to, decide to |
| 13, Some verbs are followed by bare infinitive (no "to"). | make, let, help (sometimes) Let me go. |
| 14. After "do," use bare infinitive. | I do know him. |
| 15. After modal verbs, use bare infinitive. | can go, will see, must study |
| 16. After "had better, would rather, sooner than," use bare infinitive. | You had better leave now. |
| 17. Gerund = "-ing*' form used as a noun. | Reading helps you learn, |
| 18. Gerund can be subject. | Swimming is healthy. |
| 19. Gerund can be object. | I enjoy reading. |
| 20. Gerund can be complement. | Herfavorite hobby is dancing. |
| 31. Participles act as adjectives. | A barking dog never bites. |
| 32. Present participle = "-ing" form describing an ongoing action | The crying baby needs attention, |
| 33. Past participle third form used for completed action. | The broken glass was swept away. |
| 34. Perfect participle = "having + past participle." | Having finished the work, he went home. |
| 35. Present participles can start clauses. | Running fast, he caught the bus. |
| 36. Past participles show passive meaning. | Exhausted by work, she slept early. |
| 37. Avoid dangling participles - they must modify a clear subject. | X Running fast, the gate was reached. ../ Running fast, he reached the gate. |
| 38. Use "being + past participle" for continuous passive sense. | Being watched made him nervous. |
| 39. Infinitive of purpose = "to + verb." | She went to study. |
| 40. "In order to" or "so as to" express purpose more formally. | He left early in order to catch the bus. |
| 21. Gerunds follow prepositions. | She is interested in painting. |
| 22. Gerunds follow phrasal verbs. | He gave up smoking |
| 23. Gerunds follow possessives (formal). | I appreciate your helping me. |
| 24. Avoid using infinitive after prepositions. | X I'm interested to read. s/ I'm interested in reading. |
| 25. Some verbs can take either gerund or infinitive with little change. | I like swimming/ I like to swim. |
| 26. Some verbs change meaning with gerund or infinitive. | stop to smoke (pause to do it) |
| / stop smoking (quit the habit) | |
| 27. After "remember," meaning changes: remember doing (past), remember to do future . | I remember meeting her- / Remember to call me. |
| 28. After "forget," meaning changes: forget doing (past), forget to do (future). | I forgot meeting him. / I forgot to call him, |
| 29. After "try," meaning changes: try doing | Try restarting the laptop. / Try to restart it. |
| (experiment), try to do attem | |
| 30. "Go + ing" is used for recreational activities. | go swimming, go shopping |
| 41. "Too + adjective + to + verb" shows impossibility. | He is too weak to walk. |
| 42. "Adjective * enough * to + verb" shows ability. | She is strong enough to lift it. |
| 43. Infinitive clauses often replace "that" clauses. | He hopes to pass. (2 He hopes that he will pass,) |
| 44. Gerund phrases can follow prepositions for smooth flow. | After studying, he went out. |
| 45. Use gerund after "spend/waste time." | He spent hours reading. |
| 46. Use infinitive after "want, wish, decide, need, plan." | I want to learn English. |
| 47. Use participles for concise sentences. | Feeling tired, she slept. |
| 48. Both gerund and infinitive can act as the object of "begin, start, continue." | He began to work I working. |
| 49. Avoid "to + ing" (wrong form). | X to going to go |
| 50. Mastering non-finite verbs adds style, accuracy, and fluency. | To speak well, keep practicing daily. |