ENGLISH FOR STUDENTS

Uses of Do, Does and Did :

In the simple present tense, do will function as an auxiliary to express the negative and
to ask questions. (Does, however, is substituted for third-person, singular subjects in the
present tense. The past tense did works with all persons, singular and plural.)

I don't study at night.

She doesn't work here anymore.

Do you attend this school?

Does he work here?

These verbs also work as "short answers," with the main verb omitted.

Does she work here? No, she doesn't work here.

With "yes-no" questions, the form of do goes in front of the subject and the main verb
comes after the subject:

Did your grandmother know Truman?

Do wildflowers grow in your back yard?

Forms of do are useful in expressing similarity and differences in conjunction
with so and neither.

My wife hates spinach and so does my son.

My wife doesn't like spinach; neither do I.

Do is also helpful because it means you don't have to repeat the verb:

Larry excelled in language studies; so did his brother.

Raoul studies as hard as his sister does.

The so-called emphatic do has many uses in English.

1.

To add emphasis to an entire sentence: "He does like spinach. He really does!"

2.

To add emphasis to an imperative: "Do come in." (actually softens thecommand)

3.

To add emphasis to a frequency adverb: "He never did understand his father." "She
always does manage to hurt her mother's feelings."

4.

To contradict a negative statement: "You didn't do your homework, did you?" "Oh,
but I did finish it."

5.

To ask a clarifying question about a previous negative statement: "Ridwell didn't take
the tools." "Then who did take the tools?"

6.

To indicate a strong concession: "Although the Clintons denied any wrong-doing,

they did return some of the gifts."

In the absence of other modal auxiliaries, a form of do is used in question and negative
constructions known as the get passive:

Did Rinaldo get selected by the committee?

The audience didn't get riled up by the politician.

GERUND
is the continuous form of a verb.
Read this sentence.
. Smoking is prohibited here.
The word smoking is formed from the verb smoke by adding ing.
You can see that here in this sentence, the word smoking does the function of
a subject (Noun). So, it is a Verb-Noun.
That is called Gerund.
On many occasions the continuous form of the verb can be used as a noun.
Smoke is the simple present-tense form.
Smoked is the past-tense form of the verb smoke.
Smoking is the continuous form of the verb smoke.
Those continuous forms of many verbs can be used as nouns.
Those nouns are called verbal nouns.
GERUND is one of the two verbal nouns.
The other verbal noun is Infinitive.
We have seen the Infinitive in another section.

Let us see Gerund now.

A gerund is that form of the verb which ends in ing and has the force of a noun and a
verb.
1. A gerund is used as the subject of a verb.
Examples:
Smoking is prohibited here.
Reading improves your knowledge.
Running behind a running-car is dangerous.
Walking alone is what he likes the most.
Buying vegetables in that market is a difficult affair.
Following others is not advisable.
You can easily see that the subjects in all these sentences are in gerund forms.
2. A gerund is used as an object of a verb.
Examples:
Begin reading the book.
I like going for a walk.
They prefer buying online rather offline.
3. Object of a preposition.
Examples:
My neighbor is good at breeding dogs.
I am fond of eating sweets.
Before entering the room, please remove your foot-wear.
4. Complement of a verb.
Examples:

 What I detest the most is drinking alcohol.

Seeing is not believing.

5. A gerund is used in the following construction.

Examples:
Nehru did a lot of reading.
We used to do a lot of writing when we were at school.
6. Only a gerund is used after the following verbs.
Confess, imagine, finish, practice, hinder, excuse, forgive, drop, stop, prevent, mind etc
Examples:
Stop talking nonsense.
I could not help admiring the picture.
He did not mind waiting.
I can not imagine his doing like this.
They could not prevent her coming to the function.
7. Few verbs of sensation take the gerund-forms if the action of the verb is in
progress.
Examples:
I saw him doing that work.
She felt an insect going up her leg.
Have you ever heard a bird talking?
NOTE-1:
Compare the following two sentences.

1. We expected his being admitted into the university.

2. We expected him being admitted into the university.
In the first sentence, the word preceding the gerund being is his. This is in the
possessive case.
While, in the second sentence, the word preceding the gerund being is him. This is in
the objective case.
Both the sentences are correct to convey the same meaning.
So, we can use either possessive case or objective case before gerunds.
Examples:
All depends on John/Johns coming in time.
Your future depends on your uncle/your uncles meeting your educational expenses.
I do not mind his/him sitting on this table.
They insisted on my/me being present in the function.
NOTE-2:
As both the gerund and infinitive have the force of noun and a verb, they have the same
uses.
Thus, in many sentences either of them may be used without any special difference in
meaning.
Examples:
Teach me to swim. (Infinitive)
Teach me swimming. (Gerund)
Both these sentences convey the same meaning.
To forgive is better than to punish. (Infinitive)
Forgiving is better than punishing. (Gerund)
Both these sentences convey the same meaning.
Exercises:
i. He is interested in becoming a politician.
ii. Imagine crossing the river.

iii. We saw the lady running up the stairs.

iv. A professor has to do a lot of reading.
v. I do not like your risking your life.
vi. Would you mind helping me?
vii. I suggest his taking up the job immediately.
viii. I do not deny his speaking well.
ix. Do not postpone your learning Hindi.
x. Speaking to your child few minutes a day will develop the rapport between your child and
you.

INFINITIVE

Eat, read, write, go, get, speak, walk, smile, cry and laugh are few of the verbs in the
"infinitive" forms.
When the preposition to is placed before such a verb, that verb is called full infinitive.
To eat, to read, to write, to go, to get, to speak, to walk, to smile, to cry and to laugh are
few of the "full-infinitive" forms.
This type of the noun is called verbal-noun.
This verbal-noun is called Infinitive which has the features of both a verb and a noun.
There is another type of verbal-noun. That type is called Gerund which we have seen in
another section.
An infinitive can be used differently.
1. It can be used as the subject of the verb.
Examples:
To swim is good for health.
To eat too much makes one fat.

To go for walk early in the morning is advised by the doctors.

To read means to grow.
2.It can be used as the object of the verb.
Examples:
I forget to tell you an important matter.
All of you begin to work.
The doctor has come to check you up for blood-pressure.
3. The following verbs take only the infinitive as the object.
Afford, appear, arrange, care, chance, come, dare, decide, fail, determine, happen, hurry,
manage, mean, offer, pretend, promise, prove, refuse, seem, trouble, undertake, wish etc
Examples:
I can not afford to pay so much.
The man pretended to be innocent.
The thief managed to escape.
We have undertaken to do the job.
How dare you do it?
They refused to pay the bill.
She offered to go alone.
We are determined to complete the project.
4. The following verbs take only an infinitive as an object,
but also are used in the ways as given below.
Ask, like, choose, want, intent, mean, hate, beg, love, expect, wish etc
a. Subject + verb + infinitive
Examples:
My sister loves to sing.
I like to view few television shows.
They hate to borrow money form the bank.
Mr. Ramah expected us to help him when he was in London.

She chose to stay away from the program.

Our Professor asked us to come back after 6pm today.

b. Subject + verb + object + infinitive

Examples:
My sister likes my mother to sing.
They begged me to help him.
The committee chose me to sing in the function.
My father wished me to succeed in the competition.
5. The following verbs take only the verb + object + infinitive construction.
Allow, advice, cause, compel, encourage, force, instruct, invite, oblige, order, permit,
persuade, press, request, teach, tell, tempt, warn etc
Examples:
Do not allow him to interfere with his work.
The circumstances forced him to tell a lie.
I warned him not to take up that job.
They permitted me to take the exam without my hall-ticket.
My teacher taught us how to calculate the profit.
Our father forced us to continue our studies.
He was tempted to take sweets every day.
6. The infinitive without to is used after the verbs make and let.
Examples:
Let him go.
Make them do the job very well.
7. The full infinitive is used with the be verb to indicate commands or
agreements or plans.
Examples:

Everybody is to wear a full suit.

Nobody is to touch these things without permission.
They are to be married next week.
The committee is to meet next month to discuss this matter.
8.It is used in the following construction.
For + object + infinitive
Examples:
It is not for me to advice you.
Is the road safe enough for the driver to take the bus on it?
9.It is used in the place of clauses.
Examples:
Tell him what to do?
She does not know who to approach?
Can you tell me how to stop the bleeding?
So in these ways the infinitives can be used as nouns in the sentences.
Note-1
The word to is frequently used with an infinitive. But to is not the essential part or sign of
an infinitive verb.
After few verbs (let, need, make, see, bid, hear, dare), we use the infinitive without to.
Examples:
You need not come to the function.
The Doctor can make him walk in a month of time.
How dare you open the door!
I did not see him do that.
They will not let you go out.
She bade me go.
I have not heard a bird sing.

Note-2
The word to need not be added after 'had better', 'had rather', 'would rather', 'sooner than'
and 'rather than'.
Examples:
You had better leave now.
I had rather walk than take rest.
They would rather leave the show than see the dull-movie.
They will come late rather than stay at home.