Test yourself Test on the Infinitive

1. State the functions of the Infinitive.

1. It is better to be alone than in bad company.

2. Those who make the best use of their time have none to spare.

3. She noticed her mother catch sight of her in the darkness.

4. I arrived at the station only to be told that my train had left.

5. We were impatient to start.

6. We were too tired to continue the trip and decided to make a halt.

7. I’ll have you regret your words.

8. They are expected to become champions again.

9. We don’t seem to be acquainted, I’m afraid.

10. Will you come to see me off?

2. Paraphrase the sentences using the Infinitive.

1. You are not a man who can remain alone for very long.

2. It seemed that she was doing her best.

3. I can’t bear it when you look unhappy.

4. We all find that he is a reliable fellow.

5. This man is so old that he can be your father.

6. What shall I do so that you could forgive me?

7. If you hear him talk you may think he is a great expert.

8. It is reported that a delegation from China has arrived in our city.

9. He was so astonished that he couldn’t utter a word.

10. It is most unlikely that they’ll become friends. They are so different.

3. Find and correct an error.

1. I’ve been doing nothing but eating since morning.

2. I find useful to learn poems by heart.

3. Hadn’t we better to postpone our trip?

4. The house appeared to be recently repaired.

5. The book is so difficult to read it for pleasure.

6. He was a gentleman enough to offer her a lift.

7. He was a too young poet to be famous.

8. I have no one to discuss it.

9. He couldn’t make up his mind to join their company or not.

10. He seemed not to realize the danger.

4. Translate into English.

1. Как досадно быть спрошенным, когда ты меньше всего этого ожидаешь.

2. Мне осталось сдать еще два экзамена.

3. Вы все еще любите ходить в походы? – Не так сильно, как раньше.

4. Говорят, что он знаком со многими знаменитостями. – Да, но я никогда не видел, чтобы он появлялся с кем-нибудь из них.

5. Я никак не могу решить, браться ли за это трудное дело.

6. Он вернулся домой и обнаружил, что дверь не заперта.

7. Я не хотел вас огорчить, но боюсь, что мне придется.

8. Почему вы думаете, что он откажет нам? Он как раз тот человек, на которого можно положиться.

9. Требуется много истории, чтобы создать немного литературы.

10. Как ты находишь его новую работу в театре? – По правде говоря, я нахожу ее скучной. Игра оставляет желать лучшего.

(Keys, p.125) the gerund

Module 5. The general characteristics, forms and grammatical categories of the Gerund

Principal Ideas:

1. As a Non–Finite form of the verb the Gerund (GER) possesses verbal and nominal features. Verbal features are displayed mainly in the forms and grammatical categories of the GER (Voice and Time Correlation). GER does not have aspect forms - Continuous forms are not possible, because two ing-forms cannot be used together.

The functions of the GER in the sentence display mostly its nominal nature, as GER can be used in any function that is performed by a noun. Hence GER is sometimes named a verbal noun. The combinability of the GER is both nominal and verbal: like verbs it can make phrases with objects and adverbial modifiers; like nouns it can have possessives as its modifiers – Possessive Pronouns and Possessive Case Nouns – and can be used with a preposition.

2. The grammatical meaning of GER is a kind of ‘process’ or ‘activity’ stretched in time (repeated, practiced or otherwise known to the speaker by experience). In this respect GER is a more generalized expression of some action or event than INF. The latter in many cases focuses on the abstract idea of a certain action in a particular situation. Thus, I enjoy dancing generalizes the speaker’s dancing experience (=I did this many times before) but I would like to dance focuses on the idea of performing specific action in the given situation.