Gerund, Infinitive, and Participle: Master Verb Forms

What do we mean by gerund, infinitive, and participle?

Gerund, infinitive, and participle are verb forms. Though they may look similar, they are different in nature and are used in different ways in a sentence.

Gerund

A gerund is a verb form that ends in -ing and functions as a noun in a sentence.

How to use it?

A gerund is usually used as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence to describe actions that are real, constant, or complete in meaning.

As the subject of a sentence
Reading is a good habit.
(What is a good habit? → Reading.)

As the object of a transitive verb
I like reading.
(What do I like? → Reading.)

As a subject complement
What I like is improving myself.
(“Improving myself” renames/completes the subject.)

As the object of a preposition
I am busy solving sums.
After learning for an hour, he went to watch TV.
(“Solving” and “learning” follow prepositions.)

After a possessive adjective
I hate his torturing her.
(“Torturing” is a gerund, modified by “his.”)

After certain expressions / phrasal verbs (optional but useful)
They look forward to meeting you.

Special note on "Being" and "Having":

• When "Being" or "Having" does not follow a be verb and appears before a noun, it acts as a gerund.

• When used before a past participle, it becomes a participle.

Being indicates a state, while having indicates possession.

Examples:

1. "Being a salesman is not easy."

• Gerund: Being

• Gerund Phrase: Being a salesman

• Function: Subject of the sentence

• Explanation: Being (the -ing form of "be") acts as a noun and is the subject of the verb is.

2. "Having a smartphone is beneficial."

• Gerund: Having

• Gerund Phrase: Having a smartphone

• Function: Subject of the sentence

• Explanation: Having (the -ing form of "have") functions as a noun, and the whole phrase is the subject.

  Participle

A participle is a verb form that functions as an adjective. It describes or modifies a noun.

While it may look like a gerund (especially when ending in -ing), its function is what sets it apart.

How to identify a participle?

When a verb form like verb+ing or verb+ed/en works as an adjective, it is called a participle.

Example:

• The working woman is walking alone.
  (Working describes the woman → it acts as an adjective.)

Participles can replace adjective clauses or adverbial clauses for concise expression.

Types of Participles:

1. Present Participle – verb + ing
   Example: The barking dog chased the cat.

2. Past Participle – verb + ed/en (or irregular form)
   Example: The broken glass looks untidy.

3. Perfect Participle – Having + past participle / Having been + past participle / Being + past participle
   Examples:

   • Having finished his homework, he went out.

   • Having failed, she cried.

Infinitive

An infinitive is the base form of a verb usually preceded by "to".

To + Verb = Infinitive

Example:

• I want to play now.
  (To play is the infinitive. It acts as the object of the verb want.)

Infinitives describe unreal, future, or intended actions. They can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

(i) Infinitive as a Noun

• I want to play.
  (What do I want? → To play. It acts as a noun.)

(ii) Infinitive as an Adjective

• Kolkata is the best place to travel.
  (To travel describes the noun 'place' → It functions as an adjective.)

(iii) Infinitive as an Adverb

• Souravi reads every day to pass her examination.
  (To pass gives the reason for reading → It functions as an adverb.

• 🎬 Watch the Full Video Lesson on YouTube!
  Want to see how gerunds, infinitives, and participles work in real sentences?
  👉 Click here to watch now, or hit play below!
  Let’s master English together—one concept at a time! 🌟

  Disclaimer: This content is created solely for educational and informational purposes. It draws upon publicly available educational materials, literary texts, and the author's own interpretation. All summaries, analyses, and explanations are original and intended to support learning. No copyright infringement is intended.