TENTH WEEK VERBALS: GERUND OR INFINITIVE?

Transcription

1 TENTH WEEK VERBALS: GERUND OR INFINITIVE? I. REVIEW OF TWO MAIN IDEAS A. Three Kinds of VERBALS (1) Gerund--(Verb+ing), used as a noun (subject, direct object, subject complement) (2) Infinitive--(to+verb), used as a noun (subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective complement) used as an adjective (comes after the noun it modifies) used as an adverb (describes purpose, comes after the verb it modifies or at the beginning of the sentence) (3) Participle--(Present=Verb+ing) (Past=Verb+ed or en), used as an adjective or as an adverb. (Several sentence positions) SUMMARY A: VERBAL= NOUN ADJECTIVE ADVERB B. VERBAL PHARSE=VERBAL This means that the entire verbal phrase occupies the same position and is used in the same way as the verbal by itself. Jogging is good for your health. GERUND LV ADJ.+PREP.PH. (Subject) (Subject Complement) Jogging early in the morning is good for your health. GERUND ADV. PREP.PH. GERUND PHRASE (Subject) To drive is his dream. INFIN. LV NOUN (Subject) (Subject Complement) To drive his own car to the office is his dream. INFIN. NOUN--D.O. PREP.PH. INFINITIVE PHRASE (Subject)

2 II. GERUND OR INFINITIVE USED AS A NOUN A. Sentence positions: For SUBJECT, SUBJECT COMPLEMENT, or DIRECT OBJECT either a gerund or an infinitive is possible. B. Meaning: (1) GERUND---reality, fact, actual experience, usually past or present (2) INFINITIVE---possibility, hypothesis, idea, hope, dream, goal, usually future SUBJECT: Driving his own car costs him a lot of money. GERUND PHRASE (Subject) (Actual experience. In the past and present he has found it to be a fact that driving his car means spending a lot of money on such things as gas.) To drive his own car is his greatest dream. INFINITIVE PHRASE (Subject) (He does not really own a car; he is just dreaming about owning one some time in the future.) SUBJECT COMPLEMENT: His favorite activity is chasing girls. GERUND PHRASE (Subj. Comp.) (Actual past and present experience. He really chases girls and is not just thinking about it.) His hope is to marry a beautiful girl. INFINITIVE PHRASE (Subject Complement) (He is not married yet, so a beautiful wife is a future hope.) C. GERUND OR INFINITIVE USED AS DIRECT OBJECT (1) Some verbs only use a gerund as direct object appreciate, consider, enjoy, finish, practice (2) Some verbs only use an infinitive as direct object agree, decide, hope, learn, promise (3) Some verbs can use either a gerund or an infinitive as direct object begin, continue, like, prefer, start

3 (3a) Meaning of direct object--there is USUALLY not a great difference in meaning between a gerund and an infinitive used as direct object. HOWEVER, sometimes from the context we can see that there is a difference between a gerund and an infinitive used as direct object. When there is a difference in meaning between a gerund and an infinitive used as direct object, the difference can be described as follows: GERUND: accomplished reality INFINITIVE: unfulfilled hope The restaurant started serving the banquet dishes at 6:30 p.m. VT GERUND PHRASE--D.O. and didn t finish until 15 courses had been served. serving 6:30 p.m. 15 courses The restaurant started to serve the banquet dishes at 6:30 p.m., VT INFINITIVE PHRASE-D.O. but the meal was interrupted by an earthquake. to serve 6:30 p.m. earthquake 15 courses She likes going to movies and sees at least one movie a week. VT GERUND PHRASE-D.O. (She is actually able to do what she likes.) She likes to go to movies but rarely has enough free time. VT INFINITIVE PHRASE-D.O. (She is unable to do what she likes. To go to movies is only a hope.)

4 (4) FORGET, REMEMBER, STOP + GERUND OR INFINITIVE AS DIRECT OBJECT forgot He calling his friend yesterday. remembered GERUND PHRASE--D.O. (He has actually already called his friend.) calling forgot remembered He forgot remembered to call his friend yesterday. INFIN. PHRASE-D.O. (Here we are talking about what he should have done.) forgot remembered to call He stopped studying at 1 a.m. GERUND (D.O.) studying 1 a.m. stop He stopped to relax at 8 a.m. INFIN. (Adverb of purpose) 8 p.m. stop to relax (Adverb of purpose) (5) VERB OF CAUSING VERB OF SENSE + to + verb INFIN.--D.O. (a) Verbs of Causing: have, help, let, make Her father let her go to the movies with John. INFINITIVE PHRASE--D.O.

5 NOTE--HELP + INFINITIVE Bill helped Jim write his report. INFIN. PHRASE--D.O. (Both Bill and Jim worked on writing the report.) Bill helped Jim to understand that concept. INFIN. PHRASE--D.O. (The mental activity of understanding was done only by Jim. Bill was doing other things, such as explaining, that made it easier for Jim to understand.) SUBJECT OF HELP SUBJECT OF INFINITIVE SAME ACTION to + verb SUBJECT OF HELP SUBJECT OF INFINITIVE DIFFERENT ACTIONS to + verb (b) Verbs of Sense: hear, feel, see, watch SAW We saw the ambassador leave the hotel. INFINITIVE PHRASE--D.O. to leave (INFINITIVE--ACTION COMPLETED) We saw the ambassador leaving the hotel. GERUND PHRASE--D.O. SAW leaving? (GERUND--ACTION IN PROGRESS) NOTE: For lists of verbs that use gerunds or infinitives as DIRECT OBJECT see TEXT PP , and extra handout. REMEMBER! GERUND= REALITY INFINITIVE=POSSIBILITY

6 Verbs Frequently followed by Either Gerunds or Infinitives You will notice that infinitives used after some of the verbs listed here require subjects. See p advise He advised studying. He advised us to study. allow The teacher allowed smoking in class. The teacher allowed us to smoke in class. attempt Jane attempted cheating during the exam. Jane attempted to cheat during the exam. begin We began studying. We began to study. continue The boy continued being lazy. The boy continued to be lazy. dislike Mary dislikes dancing. Mary dislikes to dance. dread I dread going to the dentist. I dread to go to the dentist. hate I hate taking medicine. I hate to take medicine. intend John intends leaving this afternoon. John intends to leave this afternoon. love His little sister loves being naughty. His little sister loves to be naughty. like She likes going to the movies. She likes to go to the movies. neglect He neglected looking after his business. He neglected to look after his business. plan My mother plans having an operation this winter. My mother plans to have an operation this winter. permit The professor permitted smoking in class. The professor permitted the students to smoke in class. The students were permitted to smoke in class. prefer Lydia prefers dancing. Lydia prefers to dance. propose I propose starting now. I propose to start now. start The police started searching for the criminal. The police started to search for the criminal. regret I regret not having seen you. I regret not to have seen you.

7 try The students tried cheating, but it did not work. The students tried to cheat, but it did not work. forget The driver forgot putting gas in the car. (The driver put gas in the car, then forgot that he had done it.) The driver forgot to put gas in the car. (The driver forgot the car needed gas.) remember Do you remember looking for the book? (Do you recall the act of looking for the book?) Did you remember to look for the book? (Did you remember to do the act of looking for the book?) stop George stopped thinking about his illness. (George no longer thinks about his illness.) George stopped to think about his illness. (George stopped what he was doing in order to think about his illness.) Verbs Followed by an Infinitive without to called verbs of causing. These are sometimes have help let made I had the barber cut my hair. I helped him pass the examination. Please let me study here. I made John answer the letter. Verbs Followed by a Gerund or by an Infinitive without to sometimes called verbs of sense. These are hear feel see watch feel observe I heard you sing (singing) at the concert. I felt the weather become (becoming) warm. I saw you cash (cashing) your check. I watched the bird make (making) its nest. Did you feel the weather change (changing). We observed the doctor perform (preforming) the operation. Verbs Frequently Followed by Gerunds admit deny mind(dislike) resent appreciate detest miss resist avoid enjoy notice risk consider escape postpone suggest

8 continue finish practice stop defer forgive prevent try(experiment) delay imagine quit understand keep (continue) Verbs Followed by Infinitive agree learn arrange like care mean consent promise decide prove deserve refuse endeavor seem fail swear hesitate undertake hope Verbs Followed by Subject and Infinitive advise He advised us to review for the examination. allow help remind cause instruct request compel invite teach command oblige tell encourage order tempt forbid permit urge force persuade warn get Verbs Followed by (Subject and) Infinitive ask The professor asked to attend the meeting. The professor asked us to attend the meeting. beg They begged to go. They begged her to go. expect intend like prefer want wish --From Let s write English, Book 1, also Let s write English, Revised Ed., 1968 ed., pp , 204. pp ,