G Verb + gerund Verb + infinitive • After to stop the gerund refers to something that has/might come to an end. • After to stop the infinitive expresses the reason for stopping. I’ll never forget seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. Do you remember flying through it in that helicopter? I mustn’t forget to put all those fantastic pictures in an album. Please remember to lend me the album when you’ve finished. • After to forget and to remember the gerund describes an event/activity that has already taken place. • After to forget and to remember the infinitive expresses an intention to do something new. e) Participle constructions The present participle (e.g. exciting) is active in meaning; the past participle (e.g. unexpected) is passive in meaning. Participle constructions How to use them I thought the film was very exciting. There were lots of frightening scenes. My feelings about the unexpected ending are somewhat mixed. • You can use participles as adjectives. Like adjectives, they can be used attributively (frightening) and predicatively (mixed). Lots of workmen stood waiting for the doors to open. Two policemen came running along the road. The factory will remain closed because of the strike. • Present and past participles can be used after verbs describing a static action (a “position”) or motion (to stand, to come, to remain, to sit, to stay, etc.). We watched a black car waiting in front of the bank. Then we noticed a policeman standing near the entrance of the bank. • Verbs like to watch, to notice, to hear are verbs of perception. You can use a direct object + present participle (e.g. a black car) after them. f) Participle or infinitive after verbs of perception? Present participle: Activity in progress How to use it We heard three men near the black car talking to each other in a strange language. Then we observed them slowly moving towards the bank. • The present participle describes an activity in progress. Only part of the action is seen or heard. It corresponds to the progressive form. Infinitive: Completed activity How to use it Suddenly we noticed the men take out their guns, and we saw the policeman take out his gun, too. We saw the three men run across the road, saw one of them stumble and fall and then heard the film director shout, “Cut!” • The infinitive describes a completed action. It is seen from its beginning to its end. This is especially the case when the activity is short or when a series of actions is described. It corresponds to the simple form. Modal verbs a) Forms of modal verbs Can, may, must, and needn’t are the most common modal verbs. May, must and needn’t can only be used in the present tense; can has the past tense form could. Use substitutes for all the other tenses. G 4 174 Grammar for reference (2) Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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