IBPS/SBI/SSC- English Grammar-Tenses

The simple present tense

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It is used
To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or unchanging situations,
emotions and wishes: I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging situation);
London is a large city (general truth)
To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Your exam starts at 09.00
To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday
She'll see you before she leaves.
We'll give it to her when she arrives

Functions of the present continuous

When someone uses the present continuous, they are thinking about something that is unfinished
or incomplete
The present continuous is used:
To describe an action that is going on at this moment: You are using the Internet. You
are studying English grammar.
To describe an action that is going on during this period of time or a trend: Are you
still working for the same company? More and more people are becoming vegetarian.
To describe an action or event in the future, which has already been planned or
prepared: We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my boyfriend tonight. Are
they visiting you next winter?
To describe a temporary event or situation: He usually plays the drums, but he's
playing bass guitar tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining at the
moment.
With "always, forever, constantly", to describe and emphasize a continuing series of
repeated actions: Ram and Syam are always arguing! You're constantly complaining
about your mother-in-law!

Verbs that are not usually used in the continuous form

The verbs in the list below are normally used in the simple form because they refer to states,
rather than actions or processes.
Senses / Perception
to feel*
to see*
to taste
to hear
to smell
Opinion
to assume
to doubt
to suppose
to believe
to feel (= to think)
to think*
to consider
to find (= to
consider)
Mental states
to forget
to mean
to remember
to imagine
to notice
to understand
to know
to recognise
Emotions / desires
to envy
to dislike
to hope
to fear
to hate
to like

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IBPS/SBI/SSC- English Grammar-Tenses

to prefer
to regret

to want
to wish

to hold
to measure

to weigh

to be (in most
cases)

to have(when it
means "to
possess")*

to love
to mind
Measurement
to contain
to cost
Others
to look (=resemble)
to seem

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Exceptions

Perception verbs (see, hear, feel, taste, smell) are often used with can:: I can see... These verbs
may be used in the continuous form but with a different meaning
This coat feels nice and warm. (your perception of the coat's qualities)
John's feeling much better now (his health is improving)
She has three dogs and a cat. (possession)
She's having supper. (She's eating)
I can see Anthony in the garden (perception)
I'm seeing Anthony later (We are planning to meet)

Present perfect Tense

The Present Perfect is used to describe

Actions started in the past and continuing in the present
They haven't lived here for years.
She has worked in the bank for five years.
We have had the same car for ten years.
Have you played the piano since you were a child?
When the time period referred to has not finished
I have worked hard this week.
It has rained a lot this year.
We haven't seen her today.
Actions repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now.
They have seen that film six times
It has happened several times already.
She has visited them frequently.
We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
Actions completed in the very recent past (+just)
Have you just finished work?
I have just eaten.
We have just seen her.
Has he just left?
When the precise time of the action is not important or not known
Someone has eaten my soup!
Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

Present perfect continuous

Actions that started in the past and continue in the present

She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting now).
I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= and I still haven't finished it).
They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not home yet).

Actions that have just finished, but we are interested in the results
She has been cooking since last night (= and the food on the table looks delicious).
It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).
Someone's been eating my chips (= half of them have gone).

Verbs without continuous forms: With verbs not normally used in the continuous form, use the
simple present perfect. For example:
I've wanted to visit China for years.
She's known Robert since she was a child.
I've hated that music since I first heard it.
I've heard a lot about you recently.
We've understood everything.
Weve heard this morning.

Simple Past Tense

You always use the simple past when you say when something happened, so it is associated with
certain past time expressions
Frequency: often, sometimes, always
I sometimes walked home at lunchtime.
I often brought my lunch to school.
A definite point in time: last week, when I was a child, yesterday, six weeks ago
We saw a good film last week.
Yesterday, I arrived in Geneva.
She finished her work atseven o'clock
I went to the theatre last night
An indefinite point in time: the other day, ages ago, a long time ago People lived in caves a
long time ago.
She played the piano when she was a child.

Note: the word ago is a useful way of expressing the distance into the past. It is placed after the
period of time: a week ago, three years ago, a minute ago.

Some more examples of simple past:

I was in Japan last year
She had a headache yesterday.
We did our homework last night.

Simple past in negative and interrogatives

They weren't in Rio last summer.
We didn't have any money.
We didn't have time to visit the Eiffel Tower.
We didn't do our exercises this morning.
Were they in Iceland last January?
Did you have a bicycle when you were young?
Did you do much climbing in Switzerland?

Past continuous Tense

The past continuous describes actions or events in a time before now, which began in the past and
is still going on at the time of speaking. In other words, it expresses an unfinished or incomplete action
in the past.

It is used:
Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense, e.g. "The sun was shining
and the birds were singing as the elephant came out of the jungle. The other animals were
relaxing in the shade of the trees, but the elephant moved very quickly. She was looking for her
baby, and she didn't notice the hunter who was watching her through his binoculars. When the
shot rang out, she was running towards the river..."
To describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by another event or action, e.g. "I was
having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang."
To express a change of mind: e.g. "I was going to spend the day at the beach but I've decided to get
my homework done instead."
With 'wonder', to make a very polite request: e.g. "I was wondering if you could baby-sit for me
tonight."
They were waiting for the bus when the accident happened.
Caroline was skiing when she broke her leg.
When we arrived he was having a bath.
When the fire started I was watching television.

Past perfect Tense

The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one
event happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first - the tense
makes it clear which one happened first.

In these examples, Event A is the event that happened first and Event B is the second or more
recent event:

Event A
Event B

John had gone out

when I arrived in the office.

Event A
Event B

I had saved my document before the computer crashed.

Event B
Event A

When they arrived

we had already started cooking.

Event B
Event A

He was very tired

because he hadn't slept well.

Past perfect continuous

The past perfect continuous corresponds to the present perfect continuous, but with reference to a
time earlier than 'before now'. As with the present perfect continuous, we are more interested in the
process.

Examples
Had you been waiting long before the taxi arrived?
We had been trying to open the door for five minutes when Jane found her key.
It had been raining hard for several hours and the streets were very wet.
Her friends had been thinking of calling the police when she walked in.

This form is also used in reported speech. It is the equivalent of the past continuous and the
present perfect continuous in direct speech:
Jane said, "I have been gardening all afternoon." = Jane said she had been gardening all
afternoon.
When the police questioned him, John said, "I was working late in the office that night." = When
the police questioned him, John told them he had been working late in the office that night.

Simple future tense

The simple future refers to a time later than now, and expresses facts or certainty.
The simple future is used:
To predict a future event:
It will rain tomorrow.
With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card.
To express willingness: I'll do the washing-up.
He'll carry your bag for you.
In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
I won't leave until I've seen the manager!
With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window?
With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money?
With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say.
With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?

Note: In modern English will is preferred to shall. Shall is mainly used with I and we to make an
offer or suggestion, or to ask for advice (see examples above). With the other persons (you, he, she, they)
shall is only used in literary or poetic situations, e.g. "With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She
shall have music wherever she goes."

Future Continuous Tense

The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time later
than now. The future continuous is used for quite a few different purposes.

The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the future.

Examples
This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali.
By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro.
Just think, next Monday you will be working in your new job.

The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing about future events.

Examples
He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
I guess you'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.
You'll be missing the sunshine once you're back in England.

In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to ask politely for information about
the future.

Examples
Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?
Will Jim be coming with us?
Will she be going to the party tonight?
Will I be sleeping in this room?

The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events that we expect to happen in the
future.

Examples
I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.
When he is in Australia he will be staying with friends.
I'll be eating with Jane this evening so I can tell her.

When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events that are already happening now
and that we expect to continue some time into the future.

Examples
In an hour I'll still be ironing my clothes.
Tomorrow he'll still be suffering from his cold.
Next year will she still be wearing a size six?
Won't stock prices still be falling in the morning?
Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.

Future perfect Tense

The future perfect is composed of two elements

The simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past participle of the main verb

The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we are
projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be completed
sometime later than now. It is most often used with a time expression.

Examples
I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.
By the time you read this I will have left.
You will have finished your report by this time next week.
Won't they have arrived by 5:00?
Will you have eaten when I pick you up?

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

The future perfect continuous is composed of two elements: The future perfect of the verb "to
be" (will have been) + the present participle of the main verb (base + ing)

Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project ourselves forward in time and to look
back. It refers to events or actions in a time between now and some future time are unfinished. It is most
often used with a time expression.

Examples
I will have been waiting here for three hours by six o'clock.
By 2001 I will have been living in London for sixteen years.
When I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty years.
Next year I will have been working here for four years.
When I come at 6:00, will you have been practicing long?

Zero Conditional

Form : In zero conditional sentences, the tense in both parts of the sentence is the simple
present.

If clause (condition)

Main clause (result)

If + simple present

simple present

If this thing happens

That thing happens.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange
the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical. In zero conditional sentences, you can replace "if" with "when", because both express general
truths. The meaning will be unchanged.

Examples
If you heat ice, it melts.
Ice melts if you heat it.
When you heat ice, it melts.
Ice melts when you heat it.
If it rains, the grass gets wet.
The grass gets wet if it rains.
When it rains, the grass gets wet.
The grass gets wet when it rains.

Function

The zero conditional is used to make statements about the real world, and often refers to general
truths, such as scientific facts. In these sentences, the time is now or always and the situation is real and
possible.

Examples
If you freeze water, it becomes a solid.
Plants die if they don't get enough water.
If my husband has a cold, I usually catch it.
If public transport is efficient, people stop using their cars.
If you mix red and blue, you get purple.

The zero conditional is also often used to give instructions, using the imperative in the main
clause.

Examples
If Bill phones, tell him to meet me at the cinema.
Ask Pete if you're not sure what to do.
If you want to come, call me before 5:00.
Meet me here if we get separated.

Type 1 Conditional

Form : In a Type 1 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple present, and
the tense in the main clause is the simple future.

If clause (condition)

Main clause (result)

If + simple present

simple future

If this thing happens

that thing will happen.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange
the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.

Examples
If it rains, you will get wet.
You will get wet if it rains.
If Sally is late again I will be mad.
I will be mad if Sally is late again.
If you don't hurry, you will miss the bus.
You will miss the bus if you don't hurry.

Function

The type 1 conditional refers to a possible condition and its probable result. These sentences are
based on facts, and they are used to make statements about the real world, and about particular situations.
We often use such sentences to give warnings. In type 1 conditional sentences, the time is the present or
future and the situation is real.

Examples
If I have time, I'll finish that letter.
What will you do if you miss the plane?
Nobody will notice if you make a mistake.
If you drop that glass, it will break.
If you don't drop the gun, I'll shoot!
If you don't leave, I'll call the police.

In type 1 conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause instead of the future
tense to express the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.

Examples
If you drop that glass, it might break.
I may finish that letter if I have time.
If he calls you, you should go.
If you buy my school supplies for me, I will be able to go to the park.

Type 2 Conditional

Form : In a Type 2 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and the
tense in the main clause is the present conditional or the present continuous conditional.

If clause (condition)

Main clause (result)

If + simple past

present conditional or present continuous conditional

If this thing happened

that thing would happen.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange
the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.

Examples
If it rained, you would get wet.
You would get wet if it rained.
If you went to bed earlier you wouldn't be so tired.
You wouldn't be so tired if you went to bed earlier.
If she fell, she would hurt herself.
She would hurt herself if she fell.

Function

The type 2 conditional refers to an unlikely or hypothetical condition and its probable result.
These sentences are not based on the actual situation. In type 2 conditional sentences, the time is now
or any time and the situation is hypothetical.

Examples
If the weather wasn't so bad, we would go to the park. (But the weather is bad so we can't go.)
If I was the Queen of England, I would give everyone a chicken. (But I am not the Queen.)
If you really loved me, you would buy me a diamond ring.
If I knew where she lived, I would go and see her.

It is correct and very common, to say "if I were" instead of "if I was" (subjunctive mood).

Examples
If I were taller, I would buy this dress.
If I were 20, I would travel the world.
If I were you, I would give up smoking.
If I were a plant, I would love the rain.

In type 2 conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause instead of "would" to
express the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.

Examples
We might buy a larger house if we had more money
He could go to the concert if you gave him your ticket.
If he called me, I couldn't hear.

The present conditional tense

The present conditional of any verb is composed of two elements:

would + the infinitive of the main verb, without "to"

Subject

+ would

+ infinitive

He

would

go

They

would

stay

Type 3 Conditional

Form : In a Type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the
tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional or the perfect continuous conditional.

If clause (condition)

Main clause (result)

If + past perfect

perfect conditional or perfect continuous conditional

If this thing had happened

that thing would have happened.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange
the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.

Examples
If it had rained, you would have gotten wet.
You would have gotten wet if it had rained.
You would have passed your exam if you had worked harder.
If you had worked harder, you would have passed your exam.
I would have believed you if you hadn't lied to me before.
If you hadn't lied to me before, I would have believed you.

Function

The type 3 conditional refers to an impossible condition in the past and its probable result in the
past. These sentences are truly hypothetical and unreal, because it is now too late for the condition or its
result to exist. There is always some implication of regret with type 3 conditional sentences. The reality is
the opposite of, or contrary to, what the sentence expresses. In type 3 conditional sentences, the time is
the past and the situation is hypothetical.

Examples
If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam. (But I didn't work hard, and I didn't pass the
exam.)
If I had known you were coming I would have baked a cake. (But I didn't know and I didn't bake a
cake.)
I would have been happy if you had called me on my birthday. (But you didn't call me and I am not
happy.)

In type 3 conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause instead of "would" to
express the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.

Examples
If I had worked harder I might have passed the exam.
You could have been on time if you had caught the bus.
If he had called you, you could have gone.
If you bought my school supplies for me, I might be able to go to the park.

Contractions

Both would and had can be contracted to 'd, which can be confusing if you are not confident with
type 3 conditional sentences. Remember 2 rules:
1. would never appears in the if-clause so if 'd appears in the if clause, it must be abbreviating had.
2. had never appears before have so if 'd appears on a pronoun just before have, it must be abbreviating
would.

Examples
If I'd known you were in hospital, I'd have visited you.
If I had known you were in hospital, I would have visited you.
I'd have bought you a present if I'd known it was your birthday.
I would have bought you a present if I had known it was your birthday.
If you'd given me your e-mail, I'd have written to you.
If you had given me your e-mail, I would have written to you.

The perfect conditional tense

The perfect conditional of any verb is composed of three elements:

would + have + past participle
Have followed by the past participle is used in other constructions as well. it is called the "perfect
infinitive".

Subject

+ would

+ have

+ past participle

He

would

have

gone

They

would

have

stayed

Mixed Conditional

It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times, and the
resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types of mixed conditional sentence.

Present result of a past condition

Form : In this type of mixed conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect,
and the tense in the main clause is the present conditional.

If clause (condition)

Main clause (result)

If + past perfect

present conditional

If this thing had happened

that thing would happen.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange
the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.

Examples
If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
I would have a better job now if I had worked harder at school.
If we had looked at the map we wouldn't be lost.
We wouldn't be lost if we had looked at the map.
If you had caught that plane you would be dead now.
You would be dead now if you had caught that plane.

Function

This type of mixed conditional refers to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the
present. These sentences express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the past and in the
present. In these mixed conditional sentences, the time is the past in the "if" clause and in the present in
the main clause.

Examples
If I had studied I would have my driving license. (but I didn't study and now I don't have my
license)
I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job. (but I didn't take the job and I'm not a
millionaire)
If you had spent all your money, you wouldn't buy this jacket. (but you didn't spend all your
money and now you can buy this jacket)

In these mixed conditional sentences, you can also use modals in the main clause instead of would
to express the degree of certainty, permission, or a recommendation about the outcome.

Examples
If you had crashed the car, you might be in trouble.
I could be a millionaire now if I had invested in ABC Plumbing.
If I had learned to ski, I might be on the slopes right now.

Past result of present or continuing condition

Form

In this second type of mixed conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the simple past, and
the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional.

If clause (condition)

Main clause (result)

If + simple past

perfect conditional

If this thing happened

that thing would have happened.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange
the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is
identical.

Examples
If I wasn't afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up.
I would have picked it up if I wasn't afraid of spiders.
If we didn't trust him we would have sacked him months ago.
We would have sacked him months ago if we didn't trust him.
If I wasn't in the middle of another meeting, I would have been happy to help you.
I would have been happy to help you if I wasn't in the middle of another meeting.

Function

These mixed conditional sentences refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but
unreal) pas result. In these mixed conditional sentences, the time in the if clause is now or always and the
time in the main clause is before now. For example, "If I wasn't afraid of spiders" is contrary to present
reality. I am afraid of spiders. "I would have picked it up" is contrary to past reality. I didn't pick it up.

Examples
If she wasn't afraid of flying she wouldn't have travelled by boat.
I'd have been able to translate the letter if my Italian was better.
If I was a good cook, I'd have invited them to lunch.
If the elephant wasn't in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden on him by now.

Gerund

The gerund looks exactly the same as a present participle, but it is useful to understand the
difference between the two. The gerund always has the same function as a noun (although it looks like a
verb).

The gerund as the subject of the sentence

Examples
Eating people is wrong.
Hunting tigers is dangerous.
Flying makes me nervous.
Brushing your teeth is important.
Smoking causes lung cancer.

The gerund as the complement of the verb 'to be'

Examples

One of his duties is attending meetings.

The hardest thing about learning English is understanding the gerund.
One of life's pleasures is having breakfast in bed.

The gerund after prepositions

The gerund must be used when a verb comes after a preposition. This is also true of certain
expressions ending in a preposition, for example the expressions in spite of & there's no point in.

Examples
Can you sneeze without opening your mouth?
She is good at painting.
She avoided him by walking on the opposite side of the road.
We arrived in Madrid after driving all night.
My father decided against postponing his trip to Hungary.
There's no point in waiting.
In spite of missing the train, we arrived on time.

The gerund after phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are composed of a verb + preposition or adverb.

Examples
When will you give up smoking?
She always puts off going to the dentist.
He kept on asking for money.
Jim ended up buying a new TV after his old one broke.

There are some phrasal verbs that include the word "to" as a preposition for example to look
forward to, to take to, to be accustomed to, to get around to, & to be used to. It is important to recognise
that the word "to" is a preposition in these cases because it must be followed by a gerund. It is not part of
the infinitive form of the verb. You can check whether "to" is a preposition or part of the infinitive. If you
can put the pronoun "it" after the word "to" and form a meaningful sentence, then the word "to" is a
preposition and must be followed by a gerund.

Examples
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I look forward to it.
I am used to waiting for buses.
I am used to it.
She didn't really take to studying English.
She didn't really take to it.
When will you get around to mowing the grass?
When will you get around to it?

The gerund in compound nouns

In compound nouns using the gerund, it is clear that the meaning is that of a noun, not of a
continuous verb. For example, with the word "swimming pool" it is a pool for swimming in, it is not a
pool that is swimming.

Examples
I am giving Sally a driving lesson.
They have a swimming pool in their back yard.
I bought some new running shoes.

The gerund after some expressions

The gerund is necessary after the expressions can't help, can't stand, to be worth, & it's no use.

Examples
She couldn't help falling in love with him.
I can't stand being stuck in traffic jams.
It's no use trying to escape.
It might be worth phoning the station to check the time of the train.

Present participle

The present participle of most verbs has the form base+ing. It is used in many different ways.

The present participle as part of the continuous form of a verb

Examples
I am working.
He was singing.
They have been walking.
We will be staying.
She would have been expecting me.

The present participle after verbs of movement & position

This construction is particularly useful with the verb to go.

Examples
She went shopping.
I go running every morning.
He lay looking up at the clouds.
She came running towards me.

The present participle after verbs of perception

The pattern for this usage is verb + object + present participle. There is a difference in meaning
when such a sentence contains a zero infinitive rather than a participle. The infinitive refers to a complete
action while the present participle refers to an ongoing action.

Examples
I heard someone singing.
He saw his friend walking along the road.
I can smell something burning!
I watched the birds flying away.

The present participle as an adjective

Examples
It was an amazing film.
Dark billowing clouds often precede a storm.
He was trapped inside the burning house.
Many of his paintings show the setting sun.

The present participle with the verbs spend and waste

The pattern with these verbs is verb + time/money expression + present participle.

Examples
My boss spends two hours a day travelling to work.
Don't waste time playing computer games!
They've spent the whole day shopping.
I wasted money buying this game.

The present participle with the verbs catch and find

The pattern with these verbs is verb + object + present participle. With catch, the participle
always refers to an action which causes annoyance or anger. This is not the case with find, which is
unemotional.

Examples
If I catch you stealing my apples again, there'll be trouble!
Don't let him catch you reading his letters.
I caught him going through my bag.
We found some money lying on the ground.
They found their mother sitting in the garden.

The present participle for two actions at the same time

When two actions occur at the same time, and are done by the same person or thing, we can use a
present participle to describe one of them. When one action follows very quickly after another done by
the same person or thing, we can express the first action with a present participle.

Examples
Whistling to himself, he walked down the road. = He whistled to himself as he walked down the
road.

They went laughing out into the snow. = They laughed as they went out into the snow.
Dropping the gun, she put her hands in the air. = She dropped the gun and put her hands in the
air.
Putting on his coat, he left the house. = He put on his coat and left the house.

The present participle to explain a reason

The present participle can be used instead of a phrase starting with as, since, or because. In this
usage the participial phrase explains the cause or reason for an action.

Examples
Feeling hungry, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Being poor, he didn't spend much on clothes.
Knowing that his mother was coming, he cleaned the flat.
He whispered, thinking his brother was still asleep.

Infinitive

Forming the infinitive

The infinitive is the base form of a verb. In English, when we talk about the infinitive we are
usually referring to the present infinitive, which is the most common. There are, however, four other
forms of the infinititive: the perfect infinitive, the perfect continuous infinitive, the continuous
infinitive, & the passive infinitive.

The infinitive has two forms:

the to-infinitive = to + base
the zero infinitive = base

The present infinitive base is the verb form you will find in a dictionary.

To-infinitive

Zero infinitive

to sit

sit

to eat

eat

to have

have

to remember

remember

The negative infinitive is formed by putting not in front of any form of the infinitive.

Examples
I decided not to go to London.
He asked me not to be late.
I'd like you not to sing so loudly.
I'd rather not eat meat.
I might not come.

Functions of the to-infinitive

The to-infinitive is used in many sentence constructions, often expressing the purpose of
something or someone's opinion about something. The to-infinitive is used following a large collection of
different verbs as well. See this page about verbs followed by infinitives.

The to-infinitive to indicate the purpose or intention of an action

In this case to has the same meaning as in order to or so as to.

Examples
She came to collect her pay cheque.
The three bears went to find firewood.
I am calling to ask you about dad.
You sister has gone to finish her homework.

The to-infinitive as the subject of the sentence

This is a formal usage and is far more common in written English than spoken

Examples
To be or not to be, that is the question.
To know her is to love her.
To visit the Grand Canyon is my life-long dream.

To understand statistics, that is our aim.

The to-infinitive to indicate what something can or will be used for

In this pattern, the to-infinitive follows a noun or pronoun.

Examples
The children need a garden to play in.
I would like a sandwich to eat.
I don't have anything to wear.
Would you like something to drink?

The to-infinitive after adjectives

There is a common pattern using the to-infinitive with an adjective. These phrases are formed:
subject + to be + adjective + (for/of someone) + to-infinitive + (rest of sentence)

Su
+
+

(+ for/of

+ to
(+ rest of
bject
to be
adjective
someone)
infinitive
sentence)

It
is
good

to talk.

It
is
good
of you

to talk

to me.

import

to be

It
is

ant
patient.

import

to be

with his little

It
is

for Jake
ant
patient
brother.

happy

to be

here.
m

Th

naught

is

to destroy
our couch.
e dog
y

The to-infinitive to make a comment or judgement

To use the to-infinitive when making a comment or judgement about a noun, the pattern is:
Subject + to be + noun phrase + to-infinitive

+ to

Subject

+ noun phrase

+ to-infinitive
be

It

was
a stupid place

to park.

That

is

a dangerous way

to behave.

What you said

was
a rude thing

to say.

This

is

the right thing

to do.

Those

were
the wrong kind of eggs

to buy.

Jim

is

the best person

to hire.

The to-infinitive with adverbs

The to-infinitive is used frequently with the adverbs too and enough to express the reasoning
behind our satisfaction or insatisfaction. The pattern is that too and enough are placed before or after the
adjective, adverb, or noun that they modify in the same way they would be without the to-infinitive. We
then follow them by the to-infinitive to explain the reason why the quantity is excessive, sufficient, or
insufficient. Normally the to-infinitive and everything that follows can be removed, leaving a sentence
that still functions grammatically.

Examples
There's too much sugar to put in this bowl.
I had too many books to carry.
This soup is too hot to eat.
She was too tired to work.
He arrived too late to see the actors.
I've had enough food to eat.
She's old enough to make up her own mind.
There isn't enough snow to ski on.
You're not old enough to have grand-children!

The to-infinitive with question words

The verbs ask, decide, explain, forget, know, show, tell, & understand can be followed by a
question word such as where, how, what, who, & when + the to-infinitive.

Examples
She asked me how to use the washing machine.
Do you understand what to do?
Tell me when to press the button.
I've forgotten where to put this little screw.
I'm not sure I know who to call.

Functions of the zero infinitive

The zero infinitives after auxiliaries

Examples
She can't speak to you.
He should give her some money.
Shall I talk to him?
Would you like a cup of coffee?
I might stay another night in the hotel.
They must leave before 10.00 a.m.
The zero infinitive after verbs of perception
With verbs of perception, the pattern is verb + object + zero infinitive.
Examples
He saw her fall from the cliff.
We heard them close the door.
They saw us walk toward the lake.
She felt the spider crawl up her leg.
The zero infinitive after the verbs 'make' and 'let'
Examples
Her parents let her stay out late.
Let's go to the cinema tonight.
You made me come with you.
Don't make me study that boring grammar book!
The zero infinitive after the expression 'had better'
Examples
We had better take some warm clothing.
She had better ask him not to come.
We had better reserve a room in the hotel.
You'd better give me your address.
They had better work harder on their homework.
The zero infinitives with "why"
The question word why is followed by the zero infinitive when making suggestions.
Examples
Why wait until tomorrow?
Why not ask him now?
Why leave before the end of the game?
Why walk when we can go in the car?
Why not buy a new bed?