120 Questions
What is a split infinitive?
A construction where an adverb is placed between the infinitive and its sign to.
What is the difference between a present participle and a gerund?
A present participle can act as a verb or an adjective, while a gerund always acts as a noun.
What is the grammatical function of a gerund?
A gerund always acts as a noun in a sentence.
What are the grammatical categories of the -ing participle?
The grammatical categories of the -ing participle are voice and aspect.
How is the active form of the indefinite participle formed?
By adding the inflection -ing to the bare infinitive of the lexical verb.
What are perfect participial phrases?
Past participial phrases that start with the word 'having' and describe an action that has already finished.
What are examples of how the gerund can be used in a sentence?
The gerund can be used as the subject of a sentence, as an object, or as a predicative expression.
What is a finite verb?
A fully specified verb form according to all verbal categories relevant to the specific language, like voice, aspect, mood, tense, person, or number.
What is the main verb of a sentence?
Usually, the finite verb is the main verb of a sentence.
What are non-finite verb forms?
Underspecified verb forms that leave out some of the categories required for a finite verb form (typically tense, person and number).
What are examples of non-finite verb forms?
Infinitives, gerunds or participles.
How do languages vary in terms of non-finite verb forms?
Languages vary in the number of non-finite verb forms they have and how they mark them (usually marked with special inflection).
How many inflectional forms do the great majority of verbs in English have?
Four inflectional forms, with the exception of the highly irregular verb “be” which has eight forms and modal auxiliary verbs which have only one.
What are the three non-finite forms of verbs in English?
The infinitive, the -ing participle (also called present participles) or the ed/-en participles (also called past participles).
What is the infinitive in English and how is it identified?
The infinitive in English is the bare verb stem with no inflection. It is identified by its distribution, such as after auxiliary verbs or after 'to' in certain environments.
What are the categories of aspect and voice that the infinitive can have?
The categories of aspect and voice that the infinitive can have are progressive, perfective, active, and passive voice forms.
What is the difference between the 'to' that precedes an infinitive and the 'to' that is a preposition?
The 'to' that precedes an infinitive is an infinitival marker, while the 'to' that is a preposition is followed by a noun phrase, not a verb.
When is the full infinitive used in English?
The full infinitive is used after transitive verbs or after intransitive verbs, as a subject or modifier, to join two clauses, after verbs be and seem, after some semi-auxiliaries, with too/enough constructions, and as part of idiomatic expressions.
When is the bare infinitive used in English?
The bare infinitive is used as the main verb after the auxiliary verb 'do', most modal auxiliary verbs, common verbs of perception with a direct object, common causative verbs, and certain expressions such as 'had/would better/rather'.
What is the function of the infinitive when it is used as a subject?
When the infinitive is used as a subject, its function is like that of a noun.
What are some examples of nouns and adjectives that can be followed by the full infinitive?
Certain nouns (a book to read, a day to remember) and certain adjectives (easy to understand, nice to meet you) can be followed by the full infinitive.
What verbs require the use of a gerund after them?
avoid, begin, continue, risk, suggest, etc.
What types of verbs require the use of a gerund after them with an obligatory preposition or particle?
accuse of, depend on, feel like, give up, insist on, look forward to, etc.
What are some adjectives that can be followed by a gerund, with or without a preposition?
afraid of, bad at, capable of, fond of, good at, interested in, proud of, responsible for, etc.
What are some prepositions that can be followed by a gerund?
on, upon, without, by, despite, etc.
What are some phrases that require the use of a gerund?
can’t help, can’t stand, can’t resist, can’t bear, there is no, there is no point in, there is nothing worse than, what about, how about, it’s no use, it’s no good, etc.
What verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in meaning?
advise, allow, attempt, begin, cease, continue, deserve, disdain, fear, forbid, forget, go on, intend, leave, neglect, need, omit, prefer, plan, permit, propose, remember, recommend, regret, require, recollect, start, try, urge, etc.
What are the verbs that, when followed by a gerund, are used to make general statements, and when followed by an infinitive, are used for reference to a particular occasion?
love, like, prefer, etc.
What is the difference in meaning between using 'remember/forget + gerund' and 'remember/forget + infinitive'?
remember/forget + gerund mean to remember or forget what one has done or what has happened, but when followed by infinitive, they mean to remember or forget what one has to do in the present or future.
What is the difference in meaning between using 'stop + gerund' and 'stop + infinitive'?
stop + gerund means to stop what one is doing, and if followed by the infinitive, means a break or pause in order to do something.
The great majority of verbs in English have four ______ forms
inflectional
English has three ______ forms, namely the infinitive, the -ing participle (also called present participles) or the ed/-en participles (also called past participles)
non-finite
Some grammarians use both the present participle and the gerund as the –ing form because they look the same in ______
form
Languages vary in the number of non-finite verb forms they have and how are they ______ them
marking
Examples of ______ verb form include infinitives, gerunds or participles
non-finite
It is not easy to provide a satisfactory cross-linguistic definition of these ______
terms
The analysis of some ______ verb forms will be in the focus of the following essay
non-finite
These phrases describe an action that has already finished (Having ______ all day, Lila decided to stay home and relax.)
worked
A verb that has 'ing' added to the end of it is either a present participle or a __________.
gerund
The active form of the indefinite participle is formed by adding the inflection '-ing' to the bare infinitive of the lexical verb, followed by the auxiliary 'be' in the __________ voice.
passive
The gerund is a noun that is constructed by nominalisation of the corresponding __________.
verb
Present participles can act as verbs or as __________.
adjectives
The __________ participle denotes an action or a state in progress.
-ing
The gerund can be used as the subject of a sentence, as an object, or as a __________ expression.
predicative
Auxiliary verbs in English ______ a following infinitive, as in She must study hard or I do like him
require
The 'to' that precedes an infinitive is an ______ marker, not to be confused with the entirely different 'to' which is a preposition
infinitival
The categories of aspect and voice apply to the ______ in English
infinitive
The 'short' or bare infinitive is used as the main verb after the auxiliary verb 'do', or most modal auxiliary verbs '______, can, will, etc.' and after common verbs of perception with a direct object, and common causative verbs such as make and let. It sometimes follows the question word 'why' and the verb help, in colloquial English. Finally, it is used after certain expressions such as had/would better/rather
should
The 'full' infinitive is used after ______ verbs or after intransitive verbs
transitive
The infinitive can be found after impersonal expressions with introductory 'it', such as 'It is easy to travel in Europe.' When the infinitive is used as a subject, its function is like that of a ______
noun
The infinitive is used as a modifier: after certain nouns and after certain ______
adjectives
______ verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, and, in most cases, there is no change in meaning.
Certain
After certain ______, with or without preposition (afraid of, bad at, capable of, fond of, good at, interested in, proud of, responsible for - I’m fond of drawing)
adjectives
The use of the ______ is compulsory after some transitive verbs (avoid, begin, continue, risk, suggest etc - He suggested travelling to the countryside)
gerund
Verbs such as love, ______, prefer etc. followed by gerund are used to make general statements, and followed by infinitive are used for reference to a particular occasion (I hate dancing vs I hated to dance with my uncle).
like
After verbs with obligatory ______ or particle (accuse of, depend on, feel like, give up, insist on, look forward to - I gave up studying)
preposition
Finally, verb ______ used with gerund means to ______ what one is doing and if followed by the infinitive means a break or pause in order to do something (They ______ped fighting when I entered the room vs Billy ______ped to fight with his friend over a toy).
stop
Verbs remember and forget followed by a gerund mean to remember or forget what one has done or what has happened but when followed by ______, they mean to remember or forget what one has to do in the present or future (I remember giving you all the details of the project. (previously) vs Please remember to give me all the details of the project.
infinitive
After certain ______ like on, upon, without, by, despite (On hearing the news, they started packing)
prepositions
Certain ______ can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, and, in most cases, there is no change in meaning. Such verbs are: advise, allow, attempt, begin, cease, continue, deserve, disdain, fear, forbid, forget, go on, intend, leave, neglect, need, omit, prefer, plan, permit, propose, remember, recommend, regret, require, recollect, start, try, urge, etc.
verbs
What is the main difference between a finite and non-finite verb?
Finite verbs have tense, person, and number while non-finite verbs do not have all of these categories
What are the three non-finite forms of a verb in English?
Infinitive, gerund, participle
What is the difference between the present participle and the gerund?
The present participle is used as an adjective while the gerund is used as a noun
Which verb in English has eight inflectional forms?
Be
What are some examples of non-finite verb forms?
Infinitives, gerunds, participles
What is the function of the infinitive when it is used as an object?
To act as a noun
What is the difference between the present participle and the past participle?
The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form of a verb while the past participle is formed by adding -ed or -en
What is the difference between a present participle and a gerund?
A present participle can be used as a verb or an adjective, while a gerund can only be used as a noun
What is a gerund?
A noun that is constructed by nominalisation of the corresponding verb
What is a split infinitive?
A type of infinitive that is sometimes separated by an adverb
What is the function of a present participle in a sentence?
To denote an action or state in progress
What is the difference between a gerund and a perfect participle?
A gerund is used to describe an action that has already finished, while a perfect participle is used to describe an action that is happening at the same time as the action in the sentence
What is the active form of the indefinite participle?
Adding 'ing' to the bare infinitive of the lexical verb
What is the grammatical category of the -ing participle?
Tense and aspect
What is the difference between the use of gerunds and infinitives with verbs like love, like, and prefer?
Gerunds are used for general statements, while infinitives are used for specific occasions.
What is the difference in meaning between the use of gerunds and infinitives with the verbs remember and forget?
Gerunds refer to past events, while infinitives refer to present or future events.
Which of the following is NOT a category of verbs that can be followed by both gerunds and infinitives with no change in meaning?
love, like, prefer
What is the difference in meaning between the use of gerunds and infinitives with the verb stop?
Gerunds indicate stopping an action, while infinitives indicate taking a break from an action.
Which of the following is NOT a preposition that can be followed by a gerund?
within
What is the difference in meaning between the use of gerunds and infinitives with the verbs remember and forget?
Gerunds refer to past events, while infinitives refer to present or future events.
Which of the following is NOT a category of words that can be followed by a gerund?
auxiliary verbs
Which of the following is a verb that requires the use of a gerund after it?
recommend
Which of the following is NOT a phrase that requires the use of a gerund?
there is no way to
What is the function of the infinitive when used as a subject?
To act as a noun
Which of the following verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in meaning?
All of the above
What is the difference in meaning between using 'stop + gerund' and 'stop + infinitive'?
Stop + gerund means to take a break or pause, while stop + infinitive means to finish doing something
What is the function of the particle 'to' when it precedes an infinitive?
To mark the infinitive
Which of the following is not a use of the bare infinitive in English?
After transitive verbs
Which of the following is not a use of the full infinitive in English?
After transitive verbs
Which of the following is a semi-auxiliary that can be followed by an infinitive?
Should
What is the traditional definition of a finite verb?
A verb that is inflected for number and person
What grammatical categories do finite verbs often provide information on?
Person and tense
What distinguishes finite verbs from non-finite verbs?
Non-finite verbs mark grammatical categories to a lesser degree or not at all
In how many clauses can there be one finite verb at the root in many languages, including English?
One
What is the maximum number of non-finite verbs that can appear in a clause in many languages, including English?
Four or five
Which of the following is an example of a finite verb?
Walked
Which of the following is an example of a non-finite verb?
Walking
What is the origin of the term 'finite verb'?
It comes from the Latin word for 'bound' or 'limit'
What is the newer articulation of a finite verb?
Any verb that heads a simple declarative sentence
What are some examples of non-finite verbs?
To walk, walking, walked
What are the seven grammatical categories that finite verbs can inflect for in some languages?
Gender, person, number, tense, aspect, mood, voice
Which type of sentences lack a finite verb, and were common in old Indo-European languages and still occur in many present-day languages?
Nominal sentences
What are some words in Latin and Romance languages that can be used to form sentences without verbs?
Ecce, eis, voici, voilà, ecco
Which type of languages allow the subject to be omitted in a finite verb?
Null-subject languages
What are the four categories that finite verbs can inflect for that serve to situate the clause content according to time in relation to the speaker?
Tense, aspect, mood, voice
Which type of verbs are defective and lack non-finite forms in English?
Modal verbs
Which type of sentences are described as phrases or minor sentences and lack a finite verb?
Sentence fragments
In what type of sentences are finite verbs lacking subjects normal in English?
Imperative sentences
What are the three types of voice that finite verbs can inflect for in some languages?
Active, middle, or passive
What is the grammatical term for the agreement information that the finite verb gets from its subject?
Subject-verb agreement
What is the main difference between analytic and synthetic languages?
Analytic languages use auxiliary verbs to express categories while synthetic languages use verb inflection.
What is the function of finite verbs in syntactic analyses of sentence structure?
Finite verbs are the root of the entire clause and the most prominent structural unit in the clause.
What do highly inflected languages like Latin and Russian frequently use to express categories?
Verb inflection
What is the purpose of the -s ending in the verb form 'laughs' in the sentence 'Sam laughs a lot'?
To indicate number (singular) and person (3rd) agreement with the subject
Which of the following categories needs to be expressed using auxiliaries in English?
All of the above
What do the auxiliaries 'will', 'have', and 'been' express in the sentence 'Sam will have been examined by this afternoon'?
Future time, perfect aspect, passive voice
What is the head of the entire sentence in phrase structure grammars?
The finite verb phrase
What is the difference between analytic and synthetic languages in terms of expressing categories?
Analytic languages use verb inflection while synthetic languages use auxiliary verbs.
What is the root of the entire clause in dependency grammars?
The finite verb
What is the function of the -s ending in the verb form 'laughs' in the sentence 'Sam laughs a lot'?
To indicate number (singular) and person (1st) agreement with the subject
Test your knowledge of verb forms with this quiz! From split infinitives to present participles and gerunds, this quiz will challenge your understanding and usage of these important grammatical constructs. See how well you know your verbs and improve your writing skills!
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