The Gerund
A Gerund is that form of verb which ends in 'ing' and has the force of a Noun and a Verb.
It is also called Verbal Noun.
Uses of the GerundA gerund can be used in various ways as under.
- Subject of a verb:
Walking is a good exercise.
Gardening is my hobby. - Object of a verb:
I like swimming.
Stop talking at once. - Object of a preposition:
He is fond of swimming.
Santosh is good at dancing.
The Infinitives
The Infinitive may be used (i) with to (ii) without to
Infinitive with to: It performs all the functions of a Noun:
(a) To tell lies is a sin. (subject to a verb)
(b) To advise others is easy. (subject to a verb)
When to + infinitive is used as subject, two constructions are possible; as,
- To tell lies is a sin. It is a sin to tell lies.
To advise others is easy. It is easy to advise others. - Preeti stood up to ask a question. (object to a preposition)
He was about to speak. - He appears to be sad. (complement of a verb)
My hobby is to collect stamps. - He is too weak to walk. (too - to)
He is so weak that he cannot walk.
The Participle
A participle is a non-finite verb-form that is used in compound form of a verb or as an adjective. So participles are called Verbal Adjectives also.
There are two kinds of Participles:
- Present Participle
- Past Participle
The Present Participle
A Present Participle is a word which ends in 'ing' and is partly a Verb and partly an Adjective. The Present Participle expresses a going on action as an adjective. It is always active in form.
Examples of Present Participle:
- You are playing a losing game.
- Barking dogs seldom bite.
- A rolling stone gathers no moss.
- I found the child weeping.
Q.1. What is participle?
Ans: A participle is a non-finite verb-form that is used in compound form of a verb or as an adjective.
Q.2. What do you know about a Finite Verb Form?
Ans: A verb which is limited by the rules of number, person, tense and voice is known as a Finite Verb Form.
Q.3. What is Gerund?
Ans: A Gerund is that form of verb which ends in "ing" and has the force of a Noun and a Verb.
Q.4. What is a Non-Finite Verb Form?
Ans: A verb which is not limited by the rules of number, person, tense and voice is known as a Non-Finite Verb Form.
The Past Participle
The Past Participle is another name of the third form of a verb. The Past Participle expresses a perfect action as an adjective. It is always passive in form.
Examples of Past Participle:
- I saw a wounded soldier.
- She is tired.
- A burnt child dreads the fire.
- He looks worried
- Throw this broken glass away.