English Verb Order
What do we mean exactly by English verb order? Well, when should you use a gerund, 'to + infinitive' or a bare infinitive?
English Verb Order
Native speakers know that the following sentences are correct:
- I might see her later.
- Did you consider leaving him a message?
- Take this to them to obtain your purchase.
- This program is for helping others.
Why can’t we say the following?
- I might seeing her later. = X.
- Did you consider leave him a message? = X.
- Take this to them obtain your purchase. = X.
- This program is for help others. / this program is to help others. = X.
How can you, the English learner, know when you need to use either “to + infinitive”, the bare infinitive or a gerund?
Fortunately, there are rules that you can follow so that you can correctly ascertain which verbal structure to use. Check out the links above on “to + infinitive”, the bare infinitive and the gerund.
Gerunds also function as subjects and objects
A quick tip that will save you heaps of confusion. Remember, in English, gerunds are fairly dynamic, in that, not only do they function as verbal gerunds such as:
- I’m swimming this evening.
The gerund “swimming” is verbal in nature and is part of the present continuous tense.
- Swimming is fun.
The gerund “swimming” is functioning as a subject (nominal subject) and not as a verb.
- She loves swimming.
The gerund “swimming” is functioning as an object (nominal object) and not as a verb.
The fact that gerunds function both as verbs and as nouns is important when learning about English verb order. Check out the links above to get a complete explanation of bare infinitives, to + infinitives and gerunds.