o The main verbs which function as noun, adjective or adverb.
o They do not change their form as per the tense or subject.
o They do not indicate any particular tense.
• Infinitive
Form: V1 /original form of the main verb (with or without ‘to’)
Function: noun or adjective
Ex. 1. He loves to dance. (noun)
2. This is not the time to play. (Part of the noun phrase)
3. To err is human but to forgive is Devine. (noun)
4. Dry fruits are good to eat. (Part of the adjective phrase)
5. It is necessary to discuss things openly. (Part of the noun phrase)
6. It requires great strength to change the wrong habits. (Part of the noun phrase)
7. His greatest desire is to perform live. (Part of the noun phrase working as a complement)
8. The children were eager to go home. (Part of the adjective phrase)
• Gerund
Form: V4 / ‘- ing’ form of the main verb
Function: noun
Ex. 1. The beginning of the movie was promising but the ending was disappointing. (nouns)
2. Cheating will never be tolerated here. (noun)
3. He loves dancing. (noun)
4. We were prevented from playing cricket there. (Part of the noun phrase)
5. Marketing helps to increase the sale. (noun)
• Participles
Types
I. Present participle
Form: V4 / ‘- ing’ form of the main verb
Function: adjective or adverb
Ex. 1. Working women need the skill of time management. (adjective)
2. Developing countries face many issues due to lack of sufficient resources. (adjective)
3. Disturbing facts can not be ignored. (adjective)
4. Thinking it’s safe, he crossed the road. (adverb)
5. Playing various games, he gained health. (adverb)
6. Playing cricket, he gained popularity. (adverb)
II. Past participle
Form: V3 /perfect form of the main verb
Function: adjective or adverb
Ex. 1. Advanced information will help you to perform well. (adjective)
2. Well connected network is the need of the day. (adjective)
3. Self created problems need self analysis to solve them. (adjective)
4. Recycled material will decrease the burden on the earth. (adjective)
5. A drunk man was driving the car. (adjective)
6. The documents should be signed by an authorised person. (adjective)
7. Armed forces were sent to rescue them. (adjective)
8. Fried food is not good for health. (adjective)
9. Driven by hunger, he stole a piece of bread. (adverb)
# Functions of noun: Subject, object, complement and object of the prepositional phrase (Ex. He’s interested in collecting stamps.)
# Exercises for conversion
1. He loves to play football. (Remove the Infinitive and rewrite the sentence.)
2. Working with you is an honour. (Remove the gerund and rewrite the sentence.)
3. Dealing with you is difficult. (Use an Infinitive and rewrite the sentence.)
#Answers
1. He loves playing football.
2. It is an honour to work with you. / To work with you is an honour.
3. It is difficult to deal with you.
