English Grammar Exercises — Rules, Examples and Quizzes
Like be, the verb get may be used as an auxiliary verb to form passives. Some verbs can only be followed by a verbal noun. Some verbs can only be followed by an infinitive. A few verbs can be followed by either a verbal noun or an infinitive. Some verbs can be followed by either a verbal noun or an infinitive, but unlike the verbs in group above, the two constructions have different meanings.
Past participles are used along with the modal verb be to form passive constructions, that is, constructions which describe what happens or happened to someone or something. In grammar, passive constructions are normally contrasted with active constructions. When the subject of a verb performs the action described by the verb, then the verb is said to be in the active voice. The object of a verb in the active voice becomes the subject of a corresponding verb in the passive voice.
When a verb phrase consists of the auxiliary verb do or any of the modal auxiliaries and a lexical verb, the lexical verb takes the form of an infinitive. When the two parts of a to-infinitive are separated by one or more words, such as an adverb or adverbial phrase, this is known as a split infinitive.
Most past participles are formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb (or simply -d if the verb ends in e). The auxiliary verb have and the past participles of lexical verbs are used to form what are known as perfect tenses. Perfect tenses may be used to describe actions or states that begin in the past and continue through to the present or the future.
When a verb phrase consists of the auxiliary verb be and a lexical verb, the lexical verb has the form of a present participle. Verbal nouns also end in -ing. In fact, all verbal nouns have exactly the same spellings as the corresponding present participles. Both present participles and verbal nouns can be used as adjectives, but there is an important difference in their meanings.
The present participle, the past participle and the infinitive are the three non-finite verb forms in English. Verbal nouns or gerunds have the same form as present participles, but behave as nouns rather than verbs. For example, a verbal noun can act as the subject or object in a sentence. Infinitives are often used after other verbs. A modal verb is followed by a bare infinitive [infinitive without to].