Right Forms of Verb

What is a Verb?

A verb is a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. It forms the main part of the predicate
in a sentence. Verbs are essential for expressing what the subject does, feels, or experiences.

Examples:

• Action Verb: The sun rises in the east.

("Rises" describes the action of the sun.)

• State Verb: She is happy.

("Is" describes her state of being.)

• Occurrence Verb: The storm happened suddenly.

("Happened" describes an event or occurrence.)

Classification of Verbs

Verbs in English grammar can be classified into two main categories based on their function in a
sentence:

1. Finite Verbs

• A finite verb shows tense (past, present, future), person (first, second, third), and number
(singular or plural). It agrees with the subject of the sentence.

• Key Features:

• Shows tense.

• Changes form according to the subject.

• Functions as the main verb of a sentence.

Examples:

• Present Tense: She plays tennis every morning.

• Past Tense: They went to the market.

• Present Continuous: He is studying for the exam.

 2. Non-Finite Verbs

• A non-finite verb does not show tense, person, or number. It remains constant regardless of the
subject.

• Key Features:

• Does not change form based on the subject.

• Cannot function as the main verb of a sentence.

• Includes infinitives, gerunds, and participles.

Examples:

• Infinitive: I want to learn French.

• Gerund: Swimming is a good exercise.

• Participle: Frightened, the child ran away.

(Classification: 03 types of non-finite verb) Infinitive vs Gerund vs Participle

Verbs can take different forms to function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Infinitives, gerunds, and
participles are verbals that play these roles in sentences. Understanding their differences helps in
grammar, writing, and speaking.

1. Infinitive (To + Base Form of the Verb)

• Structure: to + verb (e.g., to run, to eat, to write)

• Function: Acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

• Examples:

o As a noun (subject): To read is important.

o As a noun (object): She wants to learn.

o As an adjective: I have a book to read. (modifies "book")

o As an adverb: He went outside to get fresh air. (explains "why" he went outside)

Key Notes:

• Infinitives can act as subjects, objects, and complements.

 • Certain verbs (e.g., want, need, hope) require infinitives.

o Incorrect: I want going home.

o Correct: I want to go home.

2. Gerund (Verb + -ing)

• Structure: verb + ing (e.g., running, eating, writing)

• Function: Always acts as a noun.

• Examples:

o As a subject: Swimming is good for health.

o As an object: She enjoys reading.

o As an object of a preposition: He is interested in learning Spanish.

Key Notes:

• Gerunds always function as nouns.

• Certain verbs (e.g., enjoy, avoid, suggest) require gerunds.

o Incorrect: I enjoy to swim.

o Correct: I enjoy swimming.

3. Participle (Verb Acting as an Adjective)

Participles modify nouns like adjectives. They can be present, past, or perfect.

A. Present Participle (Verb + -ing)

• Structure: verb + ing

• Function: Acts as an adjective, describing an ongoing action.

• Examples:

o The running boy is fast. (modifies "boy")

o I saw a crying baby. (modifies "baby")

❖ Present participles are NOT gerunds!

• Gerund: Swimming is fun. (noun)

 • Participle: The swimming fish is fast. (adjective)

B. Past Participle (Verb + -ed, -en, -d, -t, -n, etc.)

• Structure: verb + -ed/en/t/n (irregular verbs have different forms)

• Function: Acts as an adjective, describing a completed action.

• Examples:

o The broken window needs repair. (modifies "window")

o The chosen candidate was excited. (modifies "candidate")

❖ Common past participles:

• Regular: closed, finished, painted

• Irregular: written, broken, chosen, eaten

C. Perfect (or Passive) Participle (Having + Past Participle)

• Structure: having + past participle

• Function: Shows an action completed before another action.

• Examples:

o Having finished his work, he went home.

o Having eaten lunch, we left for the park.

❖ Difference Between Perfect Participle & Past Participle:

• Past Participle: The broken glass was on the floor. (adjective)

• Perfect Participle: Having broken the glass, he apologized. (shows completed action before
another)

Key Differences Summary

Feature Infinitive (to + verb) Gerund (verb + ing) Participle (verb + ing/-ed/-en)

Acts as Noun, Adjective, Adverb Noun Adjective

Examples She wants to dance. She enjoys dancing. The dancing girl is happy.
 Present To eat Eating The eating child laughed.

Past To write Writing The written book was published.

Perfect To have eaten — Having eaten, he left.

Final Notes & Tips

✓ Use Infinitives when expressing purpose, intention, or preference.

✓ Use Gerunds when using verbs that require noun objects (e.g., enjoy, avoid).
✓ Use Participles when describing a noun or showing completed actions.

Key Differences Between Finite and Non-Finite Verbs

Features Finite Verb Non-Finite Verb

Tense ✓ Shows tense (past, present, future) ✓ Doesn’t show tense.
Subject ✓ Has a subject (agrees in number and ✓ Doesn’t change according to
Agreement person) the subject.
Main Very ✓ Functions as the main verb of a sentence ✓ Doesn’t Function as the main
verb of a sentence.

Six Forms of Verb

1. Base Form Play, Eat, Go Finite Verbs (F.V)

2. s/es Form Plays, Eats, Goes
3. V2 (Past Simple) Form Played, Ate, Went
4. V3 (Past Participle) Form Played, Eaten, Gone Non-Finite Verbs (N.F)
5. To + Verb (Infinitive) To play, To eat, To go
6. V + ing (Gerund/Present Participle) Playing, Eating, Going

Right Form of Verbs (Rules):

1. Rule: Subject-Verb Agreement

Rule: The verb must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural).
Observe Carefully: Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.
• "There (are) is also a 'dighi' by the side of the mosque." → Singular subject ('a dighi') requires a
singular verb.
• "The things that they learn at home (takes) take a firm root in them." → Plural subject ('things')
requires a plural verb.

2. Rule: Tense Consistency

Rule: Maintain consistent verb tenses unless there’s a clear reason to shift.
Observe Carefully: If the sentence starts in the past tense, stay in the past unless referring to a
universal truth or habitual action.
• "Last week we (goes) went to Bagerhat and had the opportunity to see the Shatgombuj
Mosque." → Both verbs are in the past tense.
• "The house hasn’t yet shed its festive look, which (start) started with my sister’s marriage." →
Present perfect ('hasn’t shed') shifts to past tense ('started') for clarity.

3. Rule: Passive Voice

Rule: Use passive voice when the focus is on the action, not the doer.
Observe Carefully: Structure: be + past participle.
• "The guests who (was invited) were invited started to come." → Focus is on the guests being
invited, not who invited them.
• "A dining table (is set) was set in the middle of the dining room." → Emphasizes the setting of the
table, not who did it.

4. Rule: Infinitives vs. Gerunds

Rule: Some verbs are followed by infinitives (to + verb), while others require gerunds (-ing form).
Observe Carefully: Learn common patterns like "want to do" (infinitive) vs. "enjoy doing"
(gerund).
• "We should (try to minimizing) try to minimize losses." → Infinitive after "try."
• "He tried (making) making people conscious of what was good for them." → Gerund after
"tried."

5. Rule: Modal Verbs

Rule: Modals (can, could, should, must, etc.) are followed by the base form of the verb.
Observe Carefully: Don’t conjugate the verb after a modal.
• "You (must meets) must meet your goals to succeed." → Base form 'meet' after 'must.'
• "We (should remembering) should remember that corruption is a major obstacle." → Base form
'remember' after 'should.'

6. Rule: Conditional Sentences

Rule: Use the correct verb forms for different types of conditionals.
 Observe Carefully:
• Zero Conditional: General truths (if + present simple, present simple).
• First Conditional: Real possibilities (if + present simple, future simple).
• Second Conditional: Hypothetical situations (if + past simple, would + base verb).
• Third Conditional: Unreal past events (if + past perfect, would have + past participle).
• "If Bangladesh wins, they (came) come out onto the streets to celebrate." → First conditional
(real possibility).
• "If I were you, I (would likes) would like to be an agriculturist." → Second conditional
(hypothetical situation).
• "If I (had studied) had studied harder, I (would passed) would have passed the exam." → Third
conditional (Unreal past events).

7. Rule: Prepositions After Certain Verbs

Rule: Some verbs are paired with specific prepositions.
Observe Carefully: Memorize common combinations like "depend on," "look forward to," or
"succeed in."
• "They always (look forward to getting) look forward to getting the winning news of
Bangladesh." → 'To' requires a gerund ('getting').
• "It depends (in) on how much effort you put into your work." → Correct preposition after
'depends.'

8. Rule: Articles (A/An/The)

Rule: Use 'a' or 'an' for general nouns; use 'the' for specific ones.
Observe Carefully: Countable singular nouns usually need an article.
• "A mother (exercise) exercises an undeniable influence in molding her children." → General
reference to any mother.
• "The mosque (stand) stands on sixty pillars." → Specific mosque mentioned earlier.

9. Rule: Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

Rule: Countable nouns have singular and plural forms; uncountable nouns don’t.
Observe Carefully: Words like 'advice,' 'information,' and 'furniture' are uncountable.
• "Many destructive weapons (can kills) can kill man in a moment." → 'Weapons' is countable, so it
takes a plural verb.
• "Medicine (has been discovered) has been discovered to keep an almost dead body alive
artificially." → 'Medicine' is uncountable, so it takes a singular verb.

10. Rule: Adverb Placement

Rule: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and often go before the main verb.
Observe Carefully: Place adverbs carefully to avoid confusion.
• "He hardly (remains) remains absent." → 'Hardly' modifies 'remains.'
• "They (actively liked) actively liked the book." → 'Actively' modifies 'liked.'

11. Rule: Parallel Structure

Rule: Items in a list or comparison should follow the same grammatical structure.
Observe Carefully: Keep lists consistent (e.g., all gerunds, all infinitives).
• "He attacked his enemies again and again but every time he (was defeated) was defeated." →
Parallel structure between actions ('attacked' and 'defeated').
• "The teacher said this, that, or the other (is) is a good book." → Parallel structure in comparisons.

12. Rule: Relative Clauses

Rule: Use 'who,' 'which,' or 'that' to connect additional information about a noun.
Observe Carefully: 'Who' refers to people; 'which' refers to things; 'that' can refer to either.
• "The guests who (was invited) were invited started to come." → 'Who' refers to 'guests.'
• "The book which (he read) he read was very inspiring." → 'Which' refers to 'book.'

13. Rule: Reported Speech

Rule: Change pronouns, tenses, and time expressions when reporting speech.
Observe Carefully: Backshift tenses unless the statement is still true.
• "He said, ‘I am happy.’" → He said that he (is) was happy.
• "She told me, ‘You must study hard.’" → She told me that I (must) must study hard.

14. Rule: Double Negatives

Rule: Avoid using two negatives in the same clause as they cancel each other out.
Observe Carefully: Rewrite sentences to maintain clarity.
• Incorrect: "He hardly (needs no) needs any help." → Correct: "He hardly needs any help."
• "We hardly (see) see such dedication nowadays." → No double negative here.