THE
RIGHT FORM OF VERB
The verbs are the most variable element of the
sentences. The right form of verb encompasses most
of the grammatical rules of English language. Every element of a sentence
eventually relates to the verb. The verbs appear differently in a sentence on
the basis of their subjects (subject-verb agreement), tenses, moods, voices different
structures, modals etc.
Forms of Verbs:
|
Base |
Do, work, love |
be (am, is, are) |
have |
Note: Participles (without auxiliaries), infinitives, and gerunds do
not work as the verb in a sentence. Gerunds work as nouns, but participles and
infinitives work as adjectives/adverbs.
Rules:
Rule 1:
Subject-verb agreement: the verbs are customarily followed by the
subjects, and they must agree with the subjects according to their numbr and person.
See the rules of Subject-Verb Agreement.
Rule 2:
The
variability of the verbs mostly depends on different tenses of the sentences. A
form of verbs depends on the time the actions have been performed. See the
structures and details of The Present Tense, The Past Tense, and The Future
Tense.
Rule 3:
The verbs are also related to the structures
of different sentences and clauses. A clause has only one verb. In
fact, a clause cannot contain more than one finite verb but can have participles
(without auxiliaries), infinitives, and gerunds.
Example:
o I wanted (main verb) to go (infinitive) to the wedding.
o Swimming(gerund) is(verb) a good
exercise to keep (infinitive) your
body fit and healthy.
o Pray (verb) for the departed (past participle)
o Don’t get(verb) down from a running(present participle) bus.
Rule 4:
Clauses can be connected by conjunctions and
connectors. Some connectors take some specific forms of verbs. Conditionals use
the conjunction if and it has some different sentence
structures. See conditional
Rule 5:
The connector since has
two usages.
1.
If since is
used to indicate a cause, the verbs of the two clauses will be of the same
tense.
Example:
o I didn’t go since you
didn’t come.
o Since you were busy, I
didn’t disturb you.
2.
If
since is used to indicate time, the verb of the second clause will be different
from the first.
Example:
o We haven’t seen(present perfect) each
other since he left(simple past).
o It has been 20 years since he played football.
o 20 years passed(simple past) since
we had met(past perfect).
o I could not sleep well for a single night since
you had left me.
Rule 6:
No sooner had, hardly had, scarcely had, etc. are the adverbials that require a past
perfect tense and a past indefinite tense for the sentence.
Example:
o No sooner had I reached
home than she left.
o Scarcely had the police
reached when the man died.
o Hardly had I finished
writing before the teacher ordered to stop writing.
Rule 7:
Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, yet, so) and although/though,
as, because, till/until, when, whenever, as soon as, while, which, what, that, etc.
connect two clauses which have the verbs of the same tense.
Example:
o We went to London when we
were young.
o I got up, and he left the
room.
o As soon as I came here,
he greeted me.
o I could not go there
because I was sick.
Rule 8:
As conjunctions after and before are
used to connect two clauses which use past perfect tense and past simple. The
past perfect tense always comes with a clause of simple past tense. See the
past perfect tense for details and examples.
Rule 9:
The conjunction lest requires
a modal should in the following clause regardless of
the tense of the first clause.
Example:
o Run faster lest you
should miss the bus.
o He will work hard lest he
should get fired.
o He worked hard lest he
should get fired.
Rule
11:
Modals always take the base form of the verbs after them. See Modals for
details.
Rule
12:
The clause ‘it is time’ or ‘it
is high time’ requires a verb in the simple past if there is a clause
after it.
|
It is high time +
subject + simple past. . . . |
|
It was high time +
subject + past perfect . . . |
|
It is high time +
infinitive . . . . . . . |
Example:
o It is high time you
studied attentively.
o It is time to study
attentively. (You can replace the clause by an infinitive removing the subject)
o It was high time we had
returned home. (It was high time requires past perfect
tense)
Rule
13:
The conjunction as if/as
though takes simple past/past perfect tense in the following
clause.
|
Subject + simple
present + as if/ as though + subject + past simple |
|
Subject + simple past +
as if/ as though + subject + past perfect |
Example:
o Robert talks as if he
were the prince. (Were is the only ‘be verb’ in this kind of
sentence)
o Latham played as though
he had seen the ball very clearly.
o I slept as if I had been
dead.
o He behaves as if he were
her husband.
Rule
14:
Prepositions,
articles, and possessives are always followed by
nouns or gerund form of the verbs.
Example:
o He is keen on moving to California.
o I am thinking about doing the job.
o Alex insisted on going out then.
Rule
15:
To is the only preposition that takes the base form of the
verb. However, there some phrases with to being at the
end of them, which require the gerund form of the verbs.
|
With a view to, look
forward to, being accustomed to, being used to, admit to, confessed to |
Example:
o He went there with a view
to confessing his crimes.
o I am looking forward to
meeting the princess.
o I was used to sleeping at
this hour of the day.
o He confessed to stealing
that phone.
Rule
16:
To be, being, having, getting, etc. are generally followed by the past
participle form of the verbs and other adjectives.
Example:
o Being tired, he took some time off from work.
o He became astonished
being robbed in the daylight.
o John went to bazar
having eaten a burger.
o He wanted to be educated.
Rule
17:
The causative verbs always
take the next verb in its base form. See causative verbs and their usages.
|
HAVE – GET – MAKE
– HELP – LET |
*Note: Get takes the
next verb as infinitives/past participle.
Example:
o I had him wash the dishes.
o He makes me do all the work.
o He got me to make his dinner.
o I got the glass broken.
o Let him help her finish the
assignment.
Rule
18:
The base form of the verb is also used in the
clauses that use the subjunctive mood. Some certain verbs +
the conjunction that requires the next clause to use
the subjunctive mood and the clause uses the base form of the verb in it.
The
verbs are:
|
Advise – demand –
prefer – require – ask – insist Propose – stipulate – command –
recommend Suggest – decree – order – request – urge – move |
Structure:
|
Subject + the verbs of
the above box (any
tense) + THAT + subject + base verb + . . . .
. |
Example:
o He insisted that I stay at
home.
o The office requires that
we complete our work timely.
o She commanded that
he stop making excuses for being late.
o I recommend that
you wake up early.
Note: There are some clauses also which require the verb of the next
clause to be in base form.
The
clauses are:
|
It is/was + past
participle form of the verb of the above box + THAT |
Example:
o It is important that you
invite him.
o It was necessary that I
make a fence.
o It was recommended that
you meet the principal.
Rule
19:
Since a
single clause cannot take two verbs, it usually converts the additional verbs
to complement by making them infinitives or participles or gerunds.
- Some verbs always take the additional verbs as a complement by
making them infinitives.
Verbs followed by the INFINITIVES
|
agree – desire – hope –
plan – attempt – claim – decide – demand – expect – intend – prepare – tend –
fail – learn – pretend – want – wish – refuse – need – forget – hesitate –
offer – seem |
Example:
o He agreed to do the job.
o He desires to go to Disneyland.
o I want to work with you.
o He failed to understand my words.
Verbs followed by the GERUNDS
|
appreciate – admit –
delay – miss – report – suggest – deny – postpone – resent – avoid – enjoy –
practice – resist – can’t help – finish – quit – resume – consider – mind –
recall – risk |
Example:
o He admitted doing the crime.
o We enjoyed riding the boat.
o I can’t help loving you despite your stupidity.
o Would you mind opening the door for me?
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