English Verb Forms: Infinitives, Gerunds, Participles & More
English verb forms determine meaning, grammar, and style. Whether you use an infinitive or a gerund after a verb can completely change what you mean. This guide covers the six core form categories with real examples and searchable cards — explore below.
48 items · 6 topics
"want to do"
infinitive after verbs of desire
"She wants to learn Spanish before travelling."
"decide to leave"
infinitive after decision verbs
"He decided to leave the company last month."
"too tired to run"
infinitive expressing result after too + adjective
"I was too tired to run another kilometre."
"in order to save"
infinitive expressing purpose
"She studies hard in order to save time later."
"seem to understand"
infinitive after linking verbs
"They seem to understand the instructions perfectly."
"make someone cry"
bare infinitive after causative make
"That film always makes me cry."
"let him go"
bare infinitive after let
"The teacher let the students go five minutes early."
"old enough to vote"
infinitive after adjective + enough
"At eighteen you are old enough to vote."
"enjoy swimming"
gerund after verbs of enjoyment
"She enjoys swimming in the sea every morning."
"avoid making mistakes"
gerund after avoidance verbs
"Proofread carefully to avoid making mistakes."
"keep practising"
gerund after keep meaning continue
"Keep practising and your accent will improve."
"mind closing the door"
gerund after mind in polite requests
"Would you mind closing the door, please?"
"finish writing"
gerund after finish
"I need to finish writing the report by Friday."
"can't help laughing"
gerund after can't help
"I can't help laughing every time I watch that clip."
"worth reading"
gerund after worth
"This book is definitely worth reading twice."
"good at explaining"
gerund after preposition
"She is very good at explaining complex ideas."
"the running water"
present participle as pre-noun modifier
"Listen to the sound of the running water."
"broken window"
past participle as pre-noun modifier
"The landlord repaired the broken window."
"walking down the street"
present participle clause replacing adverb clause
"Walking down the street, she saw an old friend."
"having finished the test"
perfect participle for completed prior action
"Having finished the test, he handed it to the teacher."
"exhausted by the heat"
past participle clause showing cause
"Exhausted by the heat, they stopped for water."
"the results obtained"
past participle in post-noun modification
"The results obtained were better than expected."
"sitting there quietly"
present participle describing simultaneous action
"She sat at the desk, working quietly."
"given more time"
past participle in conditional sense
"Given more time, they could have done better."
"have already eaten"
present perfect for completed action with present relevance
"I've already eaten, thanks."
"had left before she arrived"
past perfect for earlier past action
"By the time she arrived, everyone had left."
"will have finished by noon"
future perfect for action completed before a future point
"She will have finished the report by noon."
"have been waiting for hours"
present perfect continuous for ongoing action
"We have been waiting here for two hours."
"had been studying all night"
past perfect continuous for ongoing action before past event
"He had been studying all night when the alarm rang."
"should have called"
perfect modal for past obligation not fulfilled
"You should have called before coming over."
"must have forgotten"
perfect modal for deduction about the past
"She must have forgotten about the meeting."
"could have been worse"
perfect modal for unrealised past possibility
"It was a bad fall, but it could have been worse."
"is working right now"
present continuous for action in progress
"She is working on the project right now."
"was sleeping when you called"
past continuous for interrupted action
"He was sleeping when you called."
"will be travelling next week"
future continuous for action in progress at a future time
"I will be travelling next week, so call me after."
"always losing his keys"
present continuous with always for annoying habit
"He is always losing his keys."
"are meeting tomorrow"
present continuous for fixed future arrangement
"We are meeting the client tomorrow at ten."
"was constantly interrupting"
past continuous with constantly for repeated past habit
"She was constantly interrupting during the lecture."
"has been raining all day"
present perfect continuous for recent prolonged action
"It has been raining all day — the streets are flooded."
"will be waiting at the gate"
future continuous for parallel future action
"I will be waiting at the gate when you land."
"have your hair cut"
have + object + past participle for arranged service
"She had her hair cut at the salon yesterday."
"get the car repaired"
get + object + past participle (informal causative)
"You should get the car repaired before the trip."
"make the students repeat"
make + object + bare infinitive for forced action
"The teacher made the students repeat the exercise."
"let the children play"
let + object + bare infinitive for permission
"They let the children play in the garden."
"have someone deliver it"
have + object + bare infinitive for arranged action
"Can you have someone deliver the package today?"
"get him to sign"
get + object + to-infinitive for persuaded action
"She managed to get him to sign the contract."
"had the report checked"
have something done passive causative
"He had the report checked by a colleague."
"got the project approved"
get something done for bureaucratic success
"She finally got the project approved by the board."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a gerund and a present participle?
Both gerunds and present participles end in -ing, but they function differently. A gerund acts as a noun ("Swimming is good exercise"), while a present participle acts as an adjective or part of a continuous verb phrase ("She is swimming"). The key test: can you replace it with a noun? If yes, it's a gerund.
When do I use the infinitive instead of the gerund?
The choice is largely determined by the main verb. Verbs like want, decide, promise, and hope take the infinitive (want to go). Verbs like enjoy, avoid, finish, and keep take the gerund (enjoy going). Some verbs like remember, stop, and try can take both, but with different meanings: "I stopped to smoke" (stopped in order to smoke) versus "I stopped smoking" (quit).
What is a perfect participle and when do I use it?
A perfect participle is formed with having + past participle (e.g., "having finished"). It shows that one action was completed before another action in the same sentence. Example: "Having checked all the data, she submitted the report." It is common in formal writing and adds concision by replacing an adverb clause.
What is the causative structure in English?
The causative describes arranging for someone else to do something. The two main patterns are: have/get + object + past participle for services ("I had my car serviced") and have/get + object + bare or to-infinitive for direct instruction ("She got him to sign it"). The causative is essential for professional and formal English.
How do I choose between perfect and continuous verb forms?
The perfect form (have + past participle) focuses on the result or connection to the present moment. The continuous form (be + -ing) focuses on the process or activity itself. The perfect continuous (have been + -ing) combines both: it highlights an ongoing action with a current result, e.g. "I've been studying — that's why I'm tired." Context and intended meaning guide the choice.
Verb forms stick fastest when you hear them in natural speech — not just textbooks.
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