STATIVE VERBS

 

VERBS+ '-ING' / INFINITIVE

 

More detailed info on the same topic VERBS+'-ING'/Infinitive

NEED + ING

 

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE BASICS

 

ZERO INFINITIVE (Infinitive without 'TO')

 

ENGLISH VERB TENSE PATTERNS

SIMPLE TENSES

Affirmative Present Verb from without any change. Except 3rd person singular (HE/SHE/IT): verb form + -(E)S Past Regular verbs: verb form + -ED Irregular verbs: second column of irregular verb list.

Negative Present We need auxiliary verb: DO+NOT (DON'T) + verb form Except 3rd person singular (HE/SHE/IT): DOES+NOT (DOESN'T) + verb form Past We need auxiliary verb in the past: DID+NOT (DIDN'T) + verb form

Interrogative We need auxiliary verb: DO + subject + verb form? We need auxiliary verb in the past: DID + subject + verb form?

CONTINUOUS TENSES

Affirmative BE (in any tense) + -ING form of verb

Negative BE NOT (in any tense) + -ING form of verb

Interrogative BE (in any tense) + subject + -ING form of verb

PERFECT TENSES

Affirmative HAVE (in any tense) + PAST PARTICIPLE (reg: -ED / irreg: 3rd column verb list)

Negative HAVE NOT (in any tense) + PAST PARTICIPLE (reg: -ED / irreg: 3rd column verb list)

Interrogative HAVE (in any tense) + subject + PAST PARTICIPLE (reg: -ED / irreg: 3rd column verb list)

MODAL VERBS

Affirmative MODAL VERB + verb form in infinitive (without to)*

Negative MODAL VERB+NOT + verb form in infinitive (without to)*

Interrogative MODAL VERB + subject + verb form in infinitive (without to)*

* except OUGHT TO and some semimodals: HAVE TO / BE ABLE TO

PASSIVE TENSES

Affirmative BE (in any tense) + PAST PARTICIPLE (reg: -ED / irreg: 3rd column verb list)

Negative BE NOT (in any tense) + PAST PARTICIPLE (reg: -ED / irreg: 3rd column verb list)

Interrogative BE (in any tense) + subject + PAST PARTICIPLE (reg: -ED / irreg: 3rd column verb list)

THOSE WHO SAY ENGLISH VERBS ARE DIFFICULT...

...just compare!

THE IRREGULAR VERB GAME

CONFUSING 'LIVE'

How to distinguish between 'LIVE' (verb) and 'LIVE' (adjective). The difference is not only in part of speech and use but also in pronunciation as you can see in the chart. Derivation from this words are: life (noun), alive (adjective), liven (verb) and lively (adverb).

CONFUSING: 'HEAR' vs 'LISTEN'

FUTURE CONTINUOUS & PERFECT

Other different verb tenses to express future:
FUTURE CONTINUOUS: to express an action in progress in the future.
FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE/CONTINUOUS: to express an action that will have already been completed by a certain time in the future.

THE ENGLISH VERB TENSES TIMELINE

Here's a general English verb tenses timeline chart with all active and passive forms available.

ENGLISH VERB TENSES SUMMARY CHARTS

Some charts with clear basic ideas about English verb tenses.

ENGLISH AUXILIARY VERBS

Remember English needs auxiliary verbs to make the negative and interrogative forms. Here are the three main auxiliary verbs in English: BE for the Continuous/Progressive and Passive forms, HAVE for the Perfect forms and DO for the Simple forms. BE and HAVE are used also in the affirmative of those forms. Other auxiliary verbs are MODAL verbs.

BASIC PAST IRREGULAR VERB CHART (ORDERED IN GROUPS-2)

Here are other basic past irregular verb chart subdivided in clear groups:

GROUP 1- Irregular verbs which have all the same three forms.

GROUP 2- Irregular verbs which have the same past and past participle forms, in three subgroups:

a) ending in -D

b) ending in -GHT

c) ending in -T

GROUP 3- Irregular verbs which have three different forms for present, past and past participle, in another three subgroups:

a) ending in -EN

b) having the series E/-WN

c) having the vowel series I/A/U (begin/began/begun)

Video on the same topic:

For a more complete chart, link to previous post 

MAKING ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS EASY (Ordered in groups-1)

INFINITIVE OR GERUND PRACTICE

SUMMARY
REMEMBER ALWAYS

• “TO” INFINITIVE:

after ADJECTIVES It's difficult to understand

after QUESTION WORDS I don't know how to do it

to express PURPOSE Use a knife to cut it

• INFINITIVE “without TO”:

after MODAL VERBS You must practice more

• “-ING” GERUND:

after PREPOSTIONS I left the party without seeing you

used as a noun Smoking is bad for your health

Here are exercises to practice the use of the infinitive or gerund forms after different verbs or in different expressions. If you want to check on the basic rules click HERE

Link to more here.

More exercises here.

INFINITIVE OR GERUND?, GERUND OR INFINITIVE?

Sometimes we need to decide whether to use a verb in its: -ing form, gerund (doing, singing) or infinitive form (to do, to sing). For example, only one of the following sentences is correct. Which one?

We decided to take a taxi OR We decided taking a taxi

A) WHEN TO USE AN INFINITIVE:
1-always used AFTER ADJECTIVES, for example: disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, relieved, sad, surprised...

I was happy to help them. She will be delighted to see you.

- Including TOO+ADJECTIVE: The water was too cold to swim in.

Is your coffee too hot to drink?

- It is used after ADJECTIVE+ENOUGH: He was strong enough to lift it.

She is rich enough to buy two.

2- It's used to express PURPOSE*: He phoned to invite me to a party

*For+somebody+TO DO+something: This bench is for us to sit on /

*For+ing: A knife is used for cutting

3- It's always used after QUESTION WORDS+ a verb:

I don't know how to do it. He didn't say when to call him.

4- The infinitive form is used after certain verbs:

agree, allow, can/can't afford, choose, decide, encourage, expect, forget, help, hope, learn, manage, mean, offer, plan, pretend, promise, recommend, refuse, teach, train, want...

I forgot to close the window. We can't afford to take a long holiday.

5- With other verbs the structure is: VERB+(obj)+TO* infinitive: 

allow, ask, expect, help, invite, mean, order, recommend, remind, teach, tell, want, warn...

The police ordered the people to leave.

He wanted me to go with him. I warned him not to come back late.

!!*- make & let: verb+obj.+infinitive without to. Let me do it.

6- Always with MODAL VERBS+infinitive without to: 

can/could, may/might, must, need, shall/should, will/would. (Except: ought to).

She can swim very well. I'll see you tomorrow. You mustn't do that.

You should go to the doctor. / You ought to go to the doctor.

B) WHEN TO USE A GERUND (-ing):

1- The -ing form is used as a noun and is the subject of a sentence or clause:

Swimming is good exercise. Doctors say that smoking is bad for you.

2- The -ing form is ALWAYS used after a PREPOSITION:
They left without saying "goodbye".

or a VERB+PREPOSITION*: - succeed in, insist on, think of...

He insisted on taking me home.

or EXPRESSIONS*: - it's no good/use, have difficulty, go+-ing...

It's no use in complaining He goes swimming every Tuesday.

!!* Watch out with:

- USED TO+infinitive: He used to wear glasses.

- BE/GET USED TO+ing: He's used to getting up early.

- LOOK FORWARD TO+ing: They are looking forward to visiting us this summer.

3- The -ing form is used after certain verbs: 

avoid, can/can't stand, carry on, dislike, enjoy, fancy, finish, give up, imagine, keep on, mind/not mind, miss, practise
I dislike getting up early. Would you mind opening the window?

C) Some verbs can be followed by the -ing form or the infinitive:
1) Without a big change in meaning: begin, continue, hate, intend, like*, love, prefer*, propose, start.
It started to rain. (common) - It started raining.
I like to play tennis. (it's good, right) - I like playing tennis. (I enjoy it).
!!*would like to+infinitive: I would like to live here.

!!*prefer +ing to +ing: I prefer driving to travelling by train.

prefer to infinitive rather than...: I prefer to drive rather than to travel by train.

would prefer to infinitive rather than...: I'd prefer to stay (rather than leave).

2) Others have a change of meaning depending on which is used:
- FORGET 
I forgot to tell him the news. (fail to do something)
I forget telling him the news but perhaps I did. do something and not remember)
-  REGRET 
I regret to inform you have to leave the country. (be sorry to+unpleasant info)
I regret settling in Britain. (a mistake in the past)
- REMEMBER 

I remember posting the letter. (= He remembers having done it. After)
Remember to post the letter when you go out. (Before doing it, remind you to do it.)
- NEED

I need to do more exercise. (It's necessary for me. You have to do it).
The batteries need changing. (Need as a modal verb. It needs to be done. Impersonal sentence).
- STOP

I stopped to talk to him. (It tells the reason for stopping).
He stopped walking. (It tells the action which stopped).
- TRY

I tried to keep my eyes open. (Effort, attempt).
Try pressing this button. (Experiment, test).

Summary verb chart:

Video GERUND / TO+infinitive:

Here are links to practice and test yourself on Gerunds & Infinitives:
On this blog.

English study quiz (1)
English study Quiz (2)

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WORKING WITH VERBS IN ENGLISH

Working with English verbs. Here are two links where you can check all the different possibilities of a verb in English.

- ENGLISH VERB CONJUGATOR

- ENGLISH VERB FLOWCHART.