Adjectives - ing and ed

Adjectives ending in' ing 'and 'ed' 

 A/ Somebody is bored if something (or somebody else) is boring. Or, if something is boring, it makes you bored. So:

Tracy is bored because her job is boring.

Tracy's job is boring, so Tracy is bored, (not 'Tracy is boring')   

If a person is boring, this means that they make other people bored:

Charles always talks about the same things. He's really boring.

 B/ Compare adjectives ending in -ing and ed

You can say:

My job is boring, interesting/ tiring/ satisfying/ depressing, (etc.)

The -ing adjective tells you about the job.

Compare these examples:

Interesting:

Jenny thinks politics is very interesting.

Did you meet anyone interesting at the party?

Surprising:

It was quite surprising that he passed the examination.

Disappointing :

The film was disappointing. I expected it to be much better

Shocking:

The news was shocking.  

You can say:

I'm bored with my job.

I'm not interested in my job any more

I'm always tired when I finish work.

I'm not satisfied with my job.

My job makes me depressed, (etc.)

The -ed adjective tells you how somebody feels (about the job).

Interested:

Jenny is very interested in politics, (not interesting in politics')

Are you interested in buying a car? I'm trying to sell mine.

Surprised:

Everybody was surprised that he passed the examination.

Disappointed:

I was disappointed with the film. I expected it to be much better.

Shocked:

We were very shocked when we heard the news.

Geround and infinitives

                    Gerunds and Infinitives:

Their Noun Roles

Both gerunds and infinitives can be nouns, which means they can do just about anything that a noun can do. Although they name things, like other nouns, they normally name activities rather than people or objects. Here are five noun-uses of gerunds and infinitives (and one additional non-noun use, the adjective complement, that we throw in here, free of charge).

Gerunds and infintives can both function as the subject of a sentence:

1. Playing basketball takes up too much of her time.
2. To play basketball for UConn is her favorite fantasy.

It is not impossible for an infinitive to appear at the beginning of a sentence as the subject (as in Ib), but it is more common for an infinitive to appear as a Subject Complement:

1. Her favorite fantasy is to play basketball for UConn. The gerund can also play this role:
   
2. Her favorite fantasy is playing basketball for UConn.

Both of these verbal forms can further identify a noun when they play the role of Noun Complement and Appositive:

1. Her desire to play basketball for UConn became an obsession.
2. I could never understand her desire to play basketball for UConn.
3. Her one burning desire in life, playing basketball for UConn, seemed a goal within reach.

The infinitive is often a complement used to help define an abstract noun. Here is a very partial list of abstract nouns, enough to suggest their nature. Try following these adjectives with an infinitive phrase (their desire to play in the championship game, a motivation to pass all their courses, her permission to stay up late, a gentle reminder to do your work) to see how the phrase modifies and focuses the noun.

advice appeal command decision desire fact instruction motivation	opportunity order permission plan possibility preparation proposal recommendation	refusal reminder request requirement suggestion tendency wish

Infinitive phrases often follow certain adjectives. When this happens, the infinitive is said to play the role of Adjective Complement. (This is not a noun function, but we will include it here nonetheless.)

1. She was hesitant to tell the coach of her plan.
2. She was reluctant to tell her parents, also.
3. But she would not have been content to play high school ball forever.

Here is a list of adjectives that you will often find in such constructions.

ahead amazed anxious apt ashamed bound careful certain content delighted

determined disappointed eager eligible fortunate glad happy hesitant liable likely

lucky pleased proud ready reluctant sad shocked sorry surprised upset

Although we do not find many infinitives in this next category, it is not uncommon to find gerunds taking on the role of Object of a Preposition:

1. She wrote a newspaper article about dealing with college recruiters.
2. She thanked her coach for helping her to deal with the pressure.

Two prepositions, except and but, will sometimes take an infinitive.

1. The committee had no choice except to elect Frogbellow chairperson.
2. What is left for us but to pack up our belongings and leave?

And, finally, both gerunds and infinitives can act as a Direct Object:

Here, however, all kinds of decisions have to be made, and some of these decisions will seem quite arbitrary. The next section is about making the choice between gerund and infinitive forms as direct object.
Verbs that take other verb forms as objects are called catenatives (from a word that means to link, as in a chain). Catenatives can be found at the head of a series of linked constructions, as in "We agreed to try to decide to stop eating between meals." Catenatives are also characterized by their tendency to describe mental processes and resolutions. (Kolln)
Although it is seldom a serious problem for native English speakers, deciding whether to use a gerund or an infinitive after a verb can be perplexing among students for whom English is a second language. Why do we decide to run, but we would never decide running? On the other hand, we might avoid running, but we would not avoid to run. And finally, we might like running and would also like to run. It is clear that some verbs take gerunds, some verbs take infinitives, and some verbs take either. The following tables of verbs should help you understand the various options that regulate our choice of infinitive or gerund.


The verbs in the table below will be followed by an infinitive. We decided to leave. He manages, somehow, to win. It is threatening to rain. Notice that many, but not all, of these verbs suggest a potential event.
Some of the verbs in the following table may be followed by a gerund if they are describing an "actual, vivid or fulfilled action" (Frodesen). We love running. They began farming the land. These are described, also, below.

Emotion
care desire hate	hate like loathe	love regret yearn
Choice or Intent
agree choose decide decide expect	hope intend need plan prefer	prepare propose refuse want wish
Initiation, Completion, Incompletion
begin cease commence fail	get hesitate manage neglect	start try undertake
Mental Process
forget know how	learn	remember
Request and Promise
demand offer	promise swear	threaten vow
Intransitives
appear happen	seem	tend
Miscellaneous
afford arrange	claim continue	pretend wait

The verbs in the next table will often be followed by an infinitive, but they will also be accompanied by a second object. We asked the intruders to leave quietly. They taught the children to swim. The teacher convinced his students to try harder.
The verbs in blue, with an asterisk, can also follow the same pattern as the verbs in the table above (i.e., the second object is optional). We all wanted to go. They promised to be home early.

Communication
advise ask* beg* challenge command convince	forbid invite order permit persuade promise*	remind require tell warn urge
Instruction
encourage help	instruct teach	train
Causing
allow cause choose	force get hire	need* would like*
Miscellaneous
dare* expect*	trust prepare*	want*

Gerunds accompany a form of the verb to go in many idiomatic expressions: Let's go shopping. We went jogging yesterday. She goes bowling every Friday night.
The following verbs will be followed by a gerund. Did I mention reading that novel last summer? I recommend leaving while we can. I have quit smoking These verbs tend to describe actual events.

Initiation, Completion and Incompletion
anticipate avoid begin cease complete	delay finish get through give up postpone	quit risk start stop try
Communication
admit advise deny discuss	encourage mention recommend	report suggest urge
Continuing Action
continue can't help	practice involve	keep keep on
Emotion
appreciate dislike enjoy hate like	love mind don't mind miss prefer	regret can't stand resent resist tolerate
Mental Process
anticipate consider forget	imagine recall remember	see can't see understand

The verbs in the following table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, and there will be virtually no difference in the meaning of the two sentences. I like to play basketball in the park. I like playing basketball in the park.

attempt begin continue hate

like love neglect prefer

regret can't stand stand start

The verbs in this next, very small table can be followed by either an infinitive or a gerund, but there will be a difference in meaning. I stopped smoking means something quite different, for instance, from I stopped to smoke. The infinitive form will usually describe a potential action.

forget

remember

stop

Finally, the verbs below will be followed by either a gerund or a simple verb and a second subject will be required. I saw the team losing its composure. I overheard my landlord discussing a rent increase. (I heard Bill sing/singing.) These verbs involve the senses.

Verbs Involving Senses
feel hear listen to	look at notice observe	overhear see watch

Verbs of perception — hear, see, watch — and a handful of other verbs — help, let, and make — will take what is called the bare infinitive, an infinitive without the particle "to." This is true of these verbs only in the active voice.

1. We watched him clear the table.
2. They heard the thief crash through the door.
3. She made me do it.
4. We helped her finish the homework.

Infinitives and Gerouns. Correct form of the verbs.

                        Correct form of verbs

The position of the verbs in a sentence has a major impact on their forms.
In general, but not a rule, the verb 'spend' is followed by a verb with -ing form.
He spent his day listening to music.

So I will try to give a brief list of verb forms.

a) verbs in the infinitive with to are used after: 
 try, promise, agree, choose, forget, learn, want etc....
 can't afford.., to be able...,etc...

b) verbs with -ing form are used after:
 hate, dislike, avoid,enjoy, finish, spend, etc...
 do/would you mind...,  can't help...,etc..
 up,in, of, with/out, etc...

 c)both, gerund(-ing form) or to are used after certain verbs:
 begin, start,continue,like, love, prefer, etc...

This is just a brief view about verbs, we may find more details about them elsewhere.

What is Grammar?

Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo 

Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Humanas y Tecnologías

Carrera de Ingles

What is Grammar?

Grammar is the system of the language wich people describe Grammar as the rules and structures of the language.

Reference books, dictionaries, digital sources are usually say something like

• The systematic study and description of a language.
• The whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and sometimes also phonology and semantics.
• Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves.
• Grammar is the system of a language. People sometimes describe grammar as the “rules” of a language.

Most of the people hate grammar and think it is the most boring part of learning a new language. However, we cannot run away from it because grammar constitutes the rules and framework, changing the form of words and joining them into sentences. If there are no rules, or if everybody follows their own rules, it creates problems in communication for everyone. So we can finalize grammar is an important factor to learn a new language.

How to learn English Grammar?

Many people have problems with English grammar, but it isn’t really as difficult as you might think, I assure. Here you will find really clear explanations and examples, so you can easily review all important English grammar building blocks. Learn all tenses and parts in English without getting complicated.

English Grammar Building Blocks:

What Is Grammar’s collection of articles on grammar rules and usage is here to help you get started on this hunt. Learn deeper and become a true grammarian.

Question-word Subject

Question words

Questions about the subject

When we ask questions about the subject of a sentence, the word order in the question and the answer is the same:

Ben designed this house.     

Who designed this house?

X Who did build this house?/ Who built this house?

• We use what, who, which, whose and how many in-questions about the subject.

Questions about the object

Questions about the object need an auxiliary verb (do, have, is, etc.) before the subject:

Wren designed this cathedral.

What did Wren design?

• We use what, which, who, whose, when, where, how often, etc. in questions about the object.
X Which cathedral Wren built?  / Which cathedral did Wren build?

Here is a summary of question words with examples:

  

Question word	Example: subject question	Example: object question
Who	Who is teaching you?	Who do you know here? (Whom is very formal.)
What	What caused the problem?	What film did you see?
What kind of	What kind of people live here?	What kind of TV programmes do you watch?
Which	Which book sold most?	Which picture do you like?
Whose	Whose book won the prize?	Whose book did you borrow?
How many	How many pupils came to the lesson?	How many people did you see?
Why		Why did you get up so late?
When		When did you go to England?
How		How do I get to your house?
How far		How far is the college from here?
How long How often		How long does it take to get there? How often do you go swimming?

What or which?

We use what when the choice is open. We use which when there is a limited choice:

What colour do you like? (= open choice)

Which colour do you prefer, red or blue? (= limited choice)

What countries have you visited? (= open choice)

Which countries in South America have you visited? (= limited choice)

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Exclamatory sentences.

Exclamatory sentences: verb patterns

Exclamatory sentences are often constructed with what and how or with so and such. 

Negative question forms are also used.

Exclamations with what

What a/an + (adjective) + singular countable noun

• What a beautiful girl! (NOT What beautiful girl!)
• What a lovely song!
• What a rude man!
• What a pleasant surprise!

What + a/an + (adjective) + noun + subject + verb

• What a fool you are! (NOT What a fool are you!)
• What a charming girl she is! (NOT What a charming girl is she!)
• What a beautiful smile you have! (NOT What a beautiful smile have you!)

What + adjective + uncountable / plural noun

• What lovely flowers!
• What beautiful weather! (NOT What a beautiful weather!)

Exclamations with how

How + adjective / adverb + subject + verb

• How tall you have grown! (NOT How you have grown tall!)
• How cold it is!
• How clever she is!
• How beautifully she dances!
• How quickly he speaks!

Exclamations with so and such

So + adjective

• You are so sweet!
• She is so tall!

Such a/an + adjective + singular countable noun

• She is such a lovely girl. (NOT She is a such lovely girl!)

Such + adjective + uncountable / plural noun

• They are such kind people! (NOT They are so kind people!)
• They are so kind!. (NOT They are such kind!)
• He talks such rubbish! (NOT He talks such a rubbish!)

Negative question forms

British speakers often use negative question forms in exclamations.

• Hasn’t she grown!

Americans often use non-negative question forms in exclamations.

• Boy, did I make a mistake! (US)
• Boy, didn’t I make a mistake! (GB)

              Negative Questions

Negative questions are of two kinds: contracted and uncontracted. They have different word order. Note that uncontracted negative questions are usually formal.

Contracted negative questions

Form: auxiliary verb + n’t + subject

Didn’t she come?
Don’t you understand?
Weren’t you surprised?

Uncontracted negative questions

Auxiliary verb + subject + not

Did she not come?
Do you not understand?
Were you not surprised?

Non-auxiliary have and non-auxiliary be can begin negative questions.

She hasn’t any friends to help her. (negative statement – formal GB)
Hasn’t she any friends to help her? (contracted negative question)
OR Doesn’t she have any friends to help her?

She is not at home. (negative statement)
Is she not at home? (Uncontracted negative question)
Isn’t she at home? (Contracted negative question)

Two meanings

Negative questions can have two different kinds of meaning. For example, a negative question can ask for confirmation of a positive belief. In this case it expects the answer ‘yes’.

Isn’t it true that she is going out with an old man? (I believe that she is going out with an old man. Now I am just asking for confirmation.)

A negative question can also ask for confirmation of a negative belief. In this case it expects the answer ‘no’.

Aren’t they coming? (= Am I right in thinking that they aren’t coming?)

Note that the meaning of a negative question is usually clear from the context and situation.

Negative questions

Structure:

To form negative questions we simply add n’t (not) after the auxiliary

Negative Questions
Aren’t you married?Don’t you know English?	PRESENT SIMPLE
Isn’t Juan working?	PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Wasn’t Felipe sick?Didn’t Mary study for the test?	PAST SIMPLE
Haven’t you sent the email	PRESENT PERFECT
Aren’t you going to the doctor tomorrow?	FUTURE

 USE of negative questions

Compare the following questions

-          Are you sick?

This is a normal information question. I want to know if the person is sick in general.

-          Aren’t you sick?

In this case you have the idea that the person is sick. For example, let’s suppose that Mario arrived late to work and said he was sick. Later that afternoon you see him drinking a cold beer. You say “Hey Mario, aren’t you sick?”

We use the negative questions:  

• To show surprise :
  Didn’t you send the email? Why? That was so important.
• To show doubt; to check information
  -Aren’t you the Carlos? Don’t you teach English on-line? Wow! Nice to meet you.
  - Doesn’t she work for City Bank. I think I know her
• When you expect the listener to agree-Isn’t it a great day. It is so sunny and the sky is blue.
  - Doesn’t this food tase delicious? Yummy Yummy.