Stop being silly. Come here.
Infinitives and participles
R124 Infinitives and -ing participles are used after certain verbs such as stop, like, and want (see paragraphs 3.182 to 3.212) and -ing and -ed participles also used in certain subordinate clauses (see the section on subordinate clauses in Chapter 8). Infinitives and -ing participles are also used in some structures with impersonal it (see paragraphs 9.31 to 9.45).
To-infinitives are also used after some nouns and adjectives (see paragraphs 2.293 to 2.302, and 2.51 to 2.62). You can also use -ing participles as the objects of prepositions.
Participles and infinitives can have objects, complements, or adverbials after them, just like verbs that have a tense. A clause beginning with a to-infinitive is called a to-infinitive clause, a clause beginning with an -ing participle is called an -ing participle clause, and a clause beginning with an -ed participle is called an -ed participle clause.
R125 The order of auxiliaries is the same as for verbs that have a tense (see paragraph R89).
R126 The active to-infinitive consists of to and the base form of the verb. This is sometimes simply called the infinitive.
I want to escape from here.
I asked David to go with me.
R127 The active infinitive without to consists of the base form of the verb. It is sometimes called the bare infinitive.
They helped me get settled here.
R128 Other active infinitive forms are occasionally used.
The present progressive infinitive consists of to be or be, followed by the -ing participle.
It is much better for young children to be living at home.
The perfect or past infinitive consists of to have or have, followed by the -ed participle.
Only two are known to have defected.
She must have drowned.
The perfect or past progressive infinitive consists of to have been or have been, followed by the -ing participle.
I seem to have been eating all evening.
R129 There are also passive infinitives. The ordinary passive infinitive consists of to be or be, followed by the -ed participle.
I didn’t want to be caught off guard.
He let it be known that he would be home all evening.
The perfect or past passive infinitive consists of to have been or have been, followed by the -ed participle.
He seems to have been completely forgotten.
R130 The table below gives a summary of infinitives. The passive infinitives marked with a star are very rarely used.
active passive present progressive
perfect
perfect progressive (to) eat
(to) be eating
(to) have eaten
(to) have been eating (to) be eaten
(to) be being eaten*
(to) have been eaten
(to) have been being eaten*
R131 The -ing participle is used as a verb phrase, usually with an active meaning.
You could play me a tune, said Simon, sitting down.
He could keep in touch with me by writing letters.
R132 Combinations beginning with having are occasionally used.
The perfect or past-ing form consists of having and the -ed participle.
Ash, having forgotten his fear, had become bored and restless.
R133 There are also combinations beginning with being and having, which have a passive meaning.
The ordinary passive -ing form consists of being and the -ed participle.
…fears that patients would resent being interviewed by a computer.
The perfect or past -ing form consists of having been and the -ed participle.
Having been declared insane, he was confined in a prison hospital.
They were taken to hospital after having been wounded by gunshot.
R134 The table below gives a summary of -ing forms. The -ing form marked with a star is very rarely used.
active passive perfect
perfect progressive eating
having eaten
having been eating being eaten
having been eaten
having been being eating*
R135 The -ed participle is also used as a verb phrase, with a passive meaning.
Stunned by the attack, the enemy were overwhelmed.
When challenged, she seemed quite surprised.
Forming adverbs
R136 The uses of adverbs are explained in Chapters 2, 4, 6, and 10.
R137 Most adverbs are related to adjectives in form, and often in meaning. They are formed by adding ly to the adjective. For information on which adjectives you can add ly to, see paragraphs 6.17 to 6.27.
sad
R138 Sometimes the formation is slightly different.
With adjectives ending in le, you replace the le with ly.
suitable