Real questions: TNPSC previous year questions (Group 2/2A Prelims 2025 official answers; Group 2 2022, 2024; Group 4 2025). Practice questions: ArivArk Academy.
Finite and non-finite verbs
Finite verb: changes with the tense and with the subject. He plays. They played.
Non-finite verb: never changes with the tense or the subject. He likes to play. They like to play. ("to play" stays the same.)
The three non-finite verbs: the infinitive, the gerund and the participle.
The forms at a glance
| Form | Pattern | Works as | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| To-infinitive | to + base verb (V1) | noun, or the purpose of an action | I want to learn English. She went out to buy milk. |
| Bare infinitive | base verb without to | after make, let, see, hear, watch; after helping verbs like can, must, will, should | She made me laugh. Let him go. You must go. |
| Gerund | verb + ing | noun: subject, object, or after a preposition | Swimming is a good exercise. He is fond of reading. |
| Compound gerund | having + V3 (after a preposition or a possessive) | noun, for an action already done | I heard of his having gained a prize. |
| Present participle | verb + ing | adjective: tells what a noun is doing | The barking dog kept the neighbours awake all night. |
| Past participle | V3 (third form) | adjective: tells what happened to a noun | The broken window. The fallen leaves. |
| Perfect participle | having + V3 (opening the sentence) | shows an action that finished first | Having arrived early, Pami had time to review her notes. |
Three rules to remember
After to, always the base verb. She is bold enough to take decisions (right). She is bold enough to taking decisions (wrong).
After a preposition (of, at, in, for, about, without ...), a verb is always a gerund. He is fond of reading. She is good at drawing.
A gerund can be the subject. Waiting seemed foolish when decisive action was required.
How to tell them apart
Gerund or present participle? Both end in -ing.
The name of an action = gerund. Walking is good for health. (What is good? Walking, the action.)
It describes a noun = participle. Look at the sleeping baby. (Which baby? The sleeping baby.)
Compound gerund or perfect participle? Both use having + V3. After a preposition or his / her / their (of his having gained) it is a compound gerund. Opening the sentence and showing the first of two actions (Having arrived early, Pami ...) it is a perfect participle.
Verb + gerund or verb + infinitive?
| Verb + gerund | Verb + infinitive | Either, same meaning |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy, avoid, finish, mind, keep, practise, suggest, deny, admit, consider, give up, look forward to | want, decide, hope, plan, agree, refuse, promise, expect, wish, learn, afford | begin, start, like, love, prefer, continue |
| I enjoy reading. He avoided meeting us. | I hope to win. We decided to leave. | They began playing. / They began to play. |
The meaning changes: stop, remember, forget, try
| Verb | + gerund | + to-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | no longer do it: I stopped talking to him. | stop in order to do it: I stopped to talk to him. |
| remember | remember an earlier action: I remember locking the door. | not forget a duty: Remember to lock the door. |
| forget | forget an earlier action: I will never forget meeting her. | fail to do it: I forgot to call him. |
| try | do it as a test: Try adding some salt. | make an effort: I tried to lift the box. |
Common mistakes
1. -ing after to. Wrong: I want to going. Right: I want to go.
2. A base verb after a preposition. Wrong: He is fond of read. Right: He is fond of reading.
3. to after make. Wrong: She made me to laugh. Right: She made me laugh.
TNPSC PYQs
Answer: (A) (a). After to comes the base verb: to take. "to taking" is wrong.
Answer: (B) Compound Gerund. It follows the preposition "of", so it is a gerund; having + gained makes it a compound gerund.
Answer: (A) barking. Which dog? The barking dog. barking describes the noun, so it is a present participle.
Answer: (B) Waiting. The subject must be a noun; the gerund Waiting works as a noun.
Answer: (D) (a), (d). playing and taking are gerunds; to play and to take are infinitives.
Answer: (B) talking. stop + gerund = no longer do it: I stopped talking to him.
Practice MCQs
Why? Short explanations
1 (B) It is the name of an action, the object of love.
2 (A) to + base verb, showing the purpose.
3 (D) Which bird? The flying bird: it describes the noun.
4 (C) After the preposition at, use a gerund.
5 (B) V3 describing the car.
6 (A) let + bare infinitive (no to).
7 (A) avoid is always followed by a gerund.
8 (C) want + to-infinitive.
9 (B) make + bare infinitive (no to).
10 (D) The subject must work as a noun: the gerund Swimming.
11 (D) decide + to-infinitive.
12 (B) finish + gerund.
13 (A) stop + to-infinitive = stop in order to do something.
14 (D) stop + gerund = no longer do it.
15 (A) remember + to-infinitive = do not forget a duty.
16 (A) having + V3 opening the sentence, the first of two actions.
17 (B) After the preposition of and a possessive: compound gerund.
18 (C) Preposition + gerund.
19 (B) After a helping verb like must, use the bare infinitive.
20 (B) Walking is the name of an action, the subject.
