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Using
gerunds as subjects
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A gerund is frequently used as the subject of a sentence as in: Riding with a drunk driver is dangerous. Sometimes an infinitive is used as the subject of a sentence as in: To ride with a drunk driver is dangerous.
The word 'it' refers to and has the same meaning as the infinitive phrase at the end of the sentence.
Tom was drunk. It was dangerous riding with him. Infinitive of purpose: in order to 'In order to' is used to express purpose. It answers the question "why?" He came here in order to study English. 'In order to' is often omitted from the sentence, as in: He came here to study English. Adjectives followed by infinitives: Certain adjectives can be immediately followed by infinitives, as in:
In general, these adjectives describe a person, not a thing. Here are some common adjectives followed by infinitives:
Summary: So, let us review the main points in this lesson. We said that the future perfect tense is one that shows the action will be complete in the future. For example, I will have studied for one hour when I finish this lesson. This means that you have not completed one hour of studying yet, but it will be an hour when you come to the end of the lesson. We have also examined the use of gerunds and infinitives. We said that there are some verbs that are followed by gerunds, and others are followed by infinitives. We also looked at some verbs that can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive. If you read the lesson slowly, review the listed examples, and complete the exercises, you will have no problem. Please review the frequently asked questions. Also complete the quizzes and check out the cool Internet sites listed for you. Happy studying Frequently Asked Questions: Q. Why do we have to use the future perfect? A. Well, the future perfect is another important tense in the English language. We use it when we want to give the impression that an action is not yet complete, but will be complete in the near future. Remember, the word 'perfect' means complete, so, the future perfect means complete in the future. Q. Can the future perfect be in a progressive tense? A. Yes, you can say: I will have been studying for one hour by the time I complete this lesson. Remember that the progressive tense gives the impression of continuity. Do you remember the example we used in lesson 03FAQ? Let us look at the following situation: Assume that you are waiting for your friend in a coffee shop. Your friend had told you to wait for him at 6:00. Now it is 8:00 and your friend is not there. Now you are not very happy because of the long wait. You call your friend on the telephone, and he answers the phone. Now, which of the following two sentences you are most likely to say:
What was your choice? If you have selected the second sentence, you are absolutely right. The second sentence gives the feeling of the wait because of its continuous form. The future perfect is the same idea. So it is safe to say that the progressive form is used to emphasize continuity, yet the meaning is the same. Q. What is the gerund? A. The gerund is the noun form of the verb. Notice that a gerund is not a verb at all. Read the following sentence:
What is the verb in that sentence? You are right; it is verb 'to be' (is). So, what is "running?" You are right again; it is the subject of the verb. It is a noun, not a verb. Q. The past participle in English is difficult. Do I have to memorize all the irregular verbs? A. No, do not memorize. Try to pay attention to such verbs when you hear them. Eventually, you will learn them. Please use the correct form (gerund or infinitive) of the word in parentheses:
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