What does the particle to mean before verbs? Do you know the answer to this question?
Most people learning English don't even think about it. That's why they make mistakes by using this particle before each verb. When should it be used?
In this article I will answer this question and explain to you when you need to put to before verbs and when not.
What does the particle to mean and when is it used?
In English we use the particle to before the initial (indefinite) form of the verb. The initial form of a verb is a form that does not tell us who will perform the actions and when.
Infinitive verbs answer the question “what to do?” and “what to do?” For example:
(what to do?) to write - write;
(what to do?) to see - to see.
In English we call the infinitive form of a verb infinitive.
How do we understand that this is an infinitive?
In Russian, we understand that we have a verb in the indefinite form at the end TH: skaz t, rice t, call t. In English, the endings of words do not change.
And here it comes to our aid particle to, which serves precisely as an indicator, which in Russian is the ending TH. That is, if we see a particle to before a verb, we can safely say that this verb is in the indefinite form: to say, to paint to call.
If you look at the particle to and pronounce it, you will see that it is VERY similar to Russian TH, but only at the beginning of a sentence.
I want to call my sister.
I want (what to do?) call t to my sister.
I forgot to give him his book.
I forgot (what to do?) yes t him his book.
I will go to swim tomorrow.
I'll go (what to do?) swim t Tomorrow.
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When do we not put the particle to before infinitive verbs?
There are exceptions to every rule. Let's look at them:
1. When a verb is preceded in an indefinite form by a verb that expresses not an action, but a possibility, necessity, ability.
In English we call such verbs modal: can (can), may (I can), must (must), need(necessary), should(should). After them we do not use the particle to.
I can run fast.
I can run fast.
You must tell me the truth.
You must tell me the truth.
He should be more careful.
He should be more careful.
True, there are several modal verbs that must be used with the particle to: have to (need), oughtto(should).
They have to work hard.
They have to work hard.
She ought to help me.
She must help me.
2. After the verb let (give, let).
Let's me know how you are.
Let me know how you are.
Let's him say.
Let him speak.
3. After the verb make if we use it meaning "to force".
You make me think about it.
He made me think about it.
He makes me smile.
He makes me smile.
4. If in one sentence there are two verbs in the indefinite form and between them there is and or or (or), then we do not put the particle to before the second verb.
I want to sing and dance.
I want to sing and dance.
I don't know to cry or laugh.
I don't know whether to cry or laugh.
The difference between the particle to and the preposition to in English
It is very important not to confuse particle to With preposition to. Even though they sound and spell the same, they are actually two different words.
Particle to we use it with a verb in its initial form.
Preposition to we use with nouns. To this preposition we can ask the question “Where?” Let's look at a few examples.
Particle to
I like (what to do?) to read interesting books.
I like (what to do?) cheat t interesting books.
I want to meet my friends.
I want (what to do?) meet t with my friends.
Preposition to
I go (where?) to the cinema today.
I'll go (where?) V cinema today.
Every day I go to my work.
Every day I go (where?) on work.
Together now
I want (what to do?) to drink the water so I go (where?) to the kitchen.
I want (what to do?) bittern t water, so I went (where?) on kitchen.
When asking a question, we can easily determine whether it is a particle or a preposition.
Summarize
1. We put the particle to before verbs in the initial form (infinitive).
2. There are exceptions when we do not use a particle: after modal verbs (see above), after the verbs let and make, when in a sentence 2 verbs are connected by the preposition and/or (see above).
3. The particle to is used with verbs, and the preposition to is used with nouns. These are different words.
4. How to check whether the to particle should be used or not? To do this, we ask the question “what to do?”, “what to do?”. If these questions sound logical, then we put to before the verb.
Think about it.
(Do what?) Think about it.
I want to think about it.
I want to (do what?) think about it.
I hope now you won’t be confused about where you need to put the to particle and where you shouldn’t. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article.
Reinforcement task
Now let's check how well you understand where the to particle should be placed and where not. Put the verb in brackets into the correct form. Don't forget about exceptions.
For example: “She will go (play) tennis. - She will go to play tennis."
1. My sister can (run) fast.
2. (Look) at this picture.
3. I want (cook) dinner.
4. Let him (help) you.
5. My friend forgot (call) me.
6. She decided (sell) her car.
7. He made me (buy) it.
8. You may (sit down) here.
9. I can (bring) your book.
10. We like (eat) sweets.
11. They should (write) it.
12. She wanted (drink) and (eat).
As always, write your answers in the comments. I'll definitely check them out.
There are several verbs in the English language that are not very common, and their use is not always clear to people who have just begun to learn the language. One of these verbs is the verb to be, and is, in turn, is one of the forms of this verb. So what does is mean? Is is the 3rd person singular present tense form of the verb to be. Simply put, we can only use it after the words he (he), she (she), it (it) or words that can be replaced by this pronoun. For example: President, this word can be replaced by the pronoun he, accordingly, after it in English there will be is. But we cannot replace the word clouds with any of these pronouns; only “they” is suitable for it, which is not in this list. Therefore, we can no longer use is after it.
So, the verb to be, and therefore its form is, can be used as:
- a semantic independent verb, i.e. a verb that carries the meaning of being or existing. For example: He is at home - He is at home. The meaning of the word is is that he IS at home, but in translation into Russian this word is superfluous, and we omit it. Or She is beautiful - She is beautiful (She IS beautiful). The fact is that in Russian a sentence can do without a verb, but in English there must be a verb;
- auxiliary verb, i.e. a verb that helps form tense forms for other verbs. In such cases, it is not translated at all, but serves as an assistant. For example: She is writing a letter now. - She is writing a letter now. The tense is present continuous. Here it is important to remember how this or that tense is formed, and is itself will also be in the 3rd person, singular, present tense;
- modal verb, i.e. a verb that does not itself denote any action, but expresses an attitude towards it. It expresses either a planned action or instructions and orders. And always after is in such sentences there is a particle to. In such cases, is is translated as “should,” but with different meanings. Let's look at examples that will explain everything to us. Marry is to arrive on Friday – Mary must arrive on Friday (planned action). The boss says he is to call her, because it is his job - The director says that he should call her because it is his job.
This is what is means... Of course, it cannot be studied separately, because it is closely related to other forms of the verb to be, which can only be understood together. Only when the grammatical material is mastered in the system will it be easy to master it.
The further you delve into learning English, the more you begin to appreciate and love your familiar native Russian language. It seems to us that in Russian there are no confusing tenses, no regular/irregular verbs, no articles. Everything is simple and clear. But this, of course, is not true. And the Russian language has its own complex rules and confusing definitions. In this article we will look at the slightly confusing construction there is/are, which is quite unusual because it is at the beginning of a sentence and is usually not translated in any way.
How and when to use there is/there are?
We use this construction when we need to say about location any item. That is, that something (someone) somewhere located. You need to immediately remember that we always put it at first offers. I think you have already guessed that we use there is when we are talking about one subject, and there are when we are talking about several.
We will literally translate the first sentence as follows: "There there is (is) book on the shelf". Of course, in Russian it sounds ugly, and no one talks like that in real life. But at the first stage it is important to understand meaning what we say .
This literal translation will help you speak correctly and, most importantly, understand the logic of this construction. But when you say this phrase many times and there is no need to translate it word for word, then you can move on to a beautiful literary translation: There are two books on the shelf.
Order of words in a sentence
with there is/are
Remember to put “there is/ there are” at the beginning when you talk about the location of something. This will help your interlocutor understand from the very beginning that we are talking about finding something somewhere. In such a sentence, each word is in its specific place. Let's look at the word order in a sentence.
| 1 place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place |
| There | be (in the required form) | What (who) is | Where is |
| There | is | a cat | in the room |
| There | are | cats | in the street |
Negative form c there is/are
The negative form is formed by adding a particle not. It is used when you want to say that something no/wasn't/won't be anywhere. We can cut there is not = there isn't And there are not = there aren't.
Also with the construction there is/ there are the word is often used no (No). But abbreviations in such phrases are not allowed, because not is a particle that can be abbreviated, and no is a word that cannot be abbreviated.
How to ask questions with there is/are?
The construction of questions with this construction follows the standard rules of the English language. To ask a question, just move the words is/are to the beginning of the sentence, before the word there. Let's look at an example of how to turn an affirmative sentence into an interrogative one.
Statement
Question
A positive response will look like this.
At negative answer we add the particle not.
To reinforce this, let's look at another example.
How to ask questions using question words?
With the phrases there is/there are, you can also build sentences using question words. Here are some of them:
- what - what,
- which - which,
- why - why,
- how long - how long,
- when - when.
In such questions, we put these words first, and then the sentence is built as in a simple question.
There is/are in past and future tenses
If you want to talk about something that was or will be somewhere, then for this it is enough to change form of words is/are (verb be). We will look at how this verb changes in great detail in the next article. For now, just remember that to change the tense using the construction there is/are, you need to change the verb.
Since there is/there are is mainly used to say where is this or that object, then you can easily practice using this construction. Take a look around. What do you see? Where are the things you are used to? So, There is...
Knowing English opens many doors. That is why it is actively studied in almost all countries of the world. Currently, more than a billion people around the planet use this language on a regular basis. This number includes those for whom English is their native language, as well as those who use it as a foreign language: for contacts with business partners, communication with foreign friends, entertainment of various kinds and, in fact, study. In general, learning any foreign language increases mental activity, logical and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to navigate unexpected situations.
How to Master English Grammar
For many students of English, its grammatical structure poses a certain difficulty. In reality, there is nothing complicated there (especially if you compare, for example, with the Russian language!), it is enough to understand the important patterns once and remember the basic forms well. However, memorization comes through practice: doing exercises, reading, writing letters or essays, oral communication. The best way to master English grammar is to do it naturally.
It often happens that a person knows a rule, but cannot apply it in his speech. Such difficulties are eliminated by practice - and the more and more varied it is (writing, reading, speaking, listening), the faster and better the result.
Remember also that each person has his own, purely individual, pace of mastering new knowledge and the ability to apply it in the practice of his own speech. For example, if you are studying in a group where some students master grammatical rules faster and more correctly than you, there is no need to lose heart. you, too, will one day begin to speak English confidently and without mistakes. The main thing is to keep training.
Verb forms “is”/“are”: use in speech
If you have recently started learning English, then you are familiar with this situation: you want to say something, but the fear of making a mistake gets in the way and causes timidity. To avoid this, try to understand the rule and, most importantly, practice the exercises more.
One of the common grammatical difficulties arises when the verb connectives “is”/“are” are confused. The use of data to be depends solely on the person of the pronoun in each specific case. We are talking about a pronoun that functions as a subject. For example:
I am a student. - I am a student.
If the subject is a noun or proper name, then you need to mentally replace it with the appropriate pronoun. Then a conjugation scheme will definitely come to your mind, including the connecting verbs “is”/“are”, the use of which often causes difficulties.
Kate (?) a student -> She is a student.
To be sure which form of the verb to use, you need to firmly remember the principle of conjugation.
to be (present tense)
Statement
Negation
Question
Cases such as the use of “is” in English usually refer to descriptive situations. When we want to characterize something that is in the singular (can be replaced by the pronoun it), or someone acting as “he” or “she”, then, without a doubt, we need to use the form “is”. Examples:
It is great. - (It is perfectly.
He is old. - He is old.
She is a doctor. - She is a doctor.
The main thing that needs to be firmly understood: “am”, “is”, “are”, the use of which sometimes causes difficulties, are not three different verbs, but one and the same - the verb to be (to be).
Conjugation of the verb to be (past tense)
Now let’s look at the next issue that causes difficulties for some English learners, namely the rules for using “was”/“were”. This is also the same verb, and not two different ones at all. Moreover, these two verb forms are directly related to “am”, “is”, “are”. Can you guess why? That's right, it's all the same verb to be.
And now more about these correspondences. The past tense form “was” is used only in the singular and corresponds to the pronouns: I, it, he, she. The form “were” is used with the pronouns you, we, they and is most often used in the plural. For example:
I was at home. - I was at home.
It was hot. - It was hot.
They were happy. - They were happy.
There are only two situations where the predicate verb “were” in a sentence can refer to a singular subject. The first case: when the pronoun “you” implies the translation of “you” or “You” (that is, one person). The second case: the so-called conditional clauses, in which the form “if I were” is possible.
Have you been to...
In communication between people, situations often arise when you need to ask a person about his past experience: where he was, what he did, whether he finished the job he started. In such cases, a special construction is used from the forms of two verbs: to have + semantic verb.
Often the already well-known “to be” appears. Depending on the subject used (and which pronoun can be replaced), there are two varieties: “have been” and “has been”. The first is used with the pronouns you, we, they, the second - with I, it, he, she. For example:
Have you been to Europe? -Have you been to Europe?
She has been on the excursion. - She was on an excursion.
As a rule, the use of has been is associated with such situations when we mean:
- some lived experience;
- completeness or result of some matter;
- the importance of the fact that the action was performed (while the time of its occurrence is not particularly important);
- the need to emphasize how long this action has been taking place.
Let's look at the last mentioned situation in a little more detail.
How long...?
In such cases, the tense is used. It is formed according to the scheme: have (has) + been + Ving, where V is a semantic verb. For example:
I have been studying English for 3 months. - I have been studying English for 3 months already (that is, I started studying in the past and have continued to do so for a certain period of time).
He hasn’t been riding a bike for a long time. - He hasn’t ridden a bike for a long time (that is, he stopped riding sometime in the past, hasn’t ridden for a long time and still hasn’t ridden a bike).
I am going to do...
In English, in addition to the usual future tense, the construction “to be going to” is actively used. The use of this grammatical construction refers to situations where you are planning or know exactly what you will do. Often this construction is used to predict what (in your opinion) should happen soon: it will rain, there will be a traffic jam on the road, whether someone will like or not like a gift given to them. “Intend”, “get together” - this is how the phrase “to be going to” is most often translated. Its use in a sentence is associated with the change to be to “am”, “is”, “are”.
For example:
I am going to learn English next month. - I intend to learn English starting next month.
We are going to visit granny at the weekend. - We are going to visit grandma this weekend.
It's going to rain. - It's going to rain.
I am used to...
In conclusion, let’s look at the use of “be used to”. This stable construction is used quite often in colloquial speech. Its meaning is “to get used to something.” For example:
It is used to Russian winter. - He is accustomed (used) to the Russian winter.
He is used to living in winter cold. - He is accustomed (used) to living in the winter cold.
However, you need to watch and listen carefully so as not to confuse “be used to” with the very similar construction “use to” (and its corresponding past tense form, “used to”).
What is the difference between these two expressions? Firstly, in the meaning: “be used to” - “get used to”, “use to” - “do something in the past, but now no longer” (analogous to the Past Simple). This is best understood through examples.
Be used to
I’m used to my work hours. - I'm used to my working day.
He is used to TV noise. - He got used to the noise of the TV.
I used to live here before. - I lived here before (but I don’t live here anymore).
I didn’t use to have a mobile phone 10 years ago. - I didn’t have a mobile phone 10 years ago (but now I do).
From the examples, the second difference between these two, at first glance very similar, structures is also obvious. The one that is translated “get used to” is equipped with the verb to be (am, is, are). And the other one, accordingly, is not. Simple attentiveness, a little practice - and you will easily learn to distinguish between these two “insidious” formulations.
The same applies to any grammar. Understand the essence and practice more often: in exercises, reading, writing or oral communication. As the British say: “Practice makes perfect.” This can be translated into Russian as: “The master’s work is afraid.” So let the most difficult and tricky grammatical rules be afraid of your determination. Have a great time!
When it comes to learning any language and breaking down language barriers, polyglots always highlight knowledge of verbs. And it’s true: knowing verbs and knowing how to use them in various forms, you just need to “string” other words on them and you will already have whole sentences. In this situation, it is not surprising that most of the standard vocabulary of a native speaker of Russian, English, Chinese, and another arbitrarily chosen language is made up of this part of speech. But wait, this doesn’t mean that you should immediately start chaotically memorizing any verbs that catch your eye. If this makes any sense, it will be very small. Instead, it is better to analyze in detail those English verbs that are often and actively used in speech. This is exactly what we will do by studying the verb to be in English.
The verb to be, which is equivalent to the Russian “to be”, “to appear”, “to be”, is one of the most universal and most commonly used verbs in the English language. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that, unlike other representatives of this part, the verb to be is conjugated, changing in persons and numbers.
In addition, to be can be used as a semantic verb or assisted by another verb, acting as an auxiliary. But let's talk about everything in order.
The verb to be belongs to irregular verbs, therefore it has 3 forms. These forms are formed independently, without being explained by rules, so they simply need to be memorized:
The verb to be in the Past Simple or simple past tense in the number of its forms is reduced to two. Their use again depends on the person and number:
This, however, was not always the case. Previously, the future tense form shall be was used for first person pronouns (I / we). Nowadays you can find it very rarely, so just knowing about its existence is enough. In all cases, use the form will.
Please note that other verbs in English are not conjugated. The fact is that there are no conjugations in this language at all, which greatly simplifies English grammar. The verb to be is an exception to the rule.
The forms of this verb in Simple tenses were presented above. All tense forms of the verb to be can be expressed in the following table:
| Simple (Simple) |
Continuous | Perfect (Perfect) |
|
| Past (Past) |
was / were | was / were being | had been |
| Present (The present) |
am/is/are | am / is / are being | have / has been |
| Future (Future) |
will be | will be being | will have been |
The verb to be may not be used in all tenses. So, in the Perfect Continuous the verb to be is not used. It can also be noted that continuous tenses with the verb to be are not very rare. The use of verbs in continuous forms is possible only in certain situations.
Verb to be in English: sentence forms
Affirmative form
The affirmative form of a sentence with the verb to be is constructed in a standard way: first comes the subject, followed by the verb to be in the required form as a predicate. Study the table:
Negative form
Negative forms of sentences with this verb are formed by adding the negative particle not after to be. No auxiliary verbs are required to use the form:
In both affirmative and negative sentences, the verb to be can be shortened:
There are no shortened forms for the past tense in the statement.
I am not, unlike other verbs, is shortened as I’m not. I amn't is used only in Scotland and Ireland.
Interrogative form
The English question form depends on the type of question:
- In general questions or alternative questions, the verb be in the correct conjugation is placed before the subject. Tables for clarity :
The answer uses only the verb to be:
The answer uses an affirmative sentence:
If you want to use the future form of the verb, then will must be brought forward, while be will remain in its original place:
- In special questions, an English question word is added to the form above:
The answer is used in the affirmative form:
In your answer it is enough to use the verb to be:
- As part of a nominal predicate, which consists of a linking verb (to be) and a nominal part expressed by nouns or adjectives. In this case, the verb is translated into Russian as “is”.
Although " There is” can be used, its presence will seem inappropriate, and the proposal will turn out somehow ugly. Judge for yourself:
The Russian language does not need this verb, so it is not usually used. The English language will not allow this, because the peculiarity of English sentences is that they are strictly ordered. In simple terms, if you, for example, are composing a complete affirmative sentence, then it must consistently use a subject and a verb, nothing else. In some way, a similar role to be can be associated with the obsolete “is”, which previously performed exactly the same function in the Russian language.
The verb to be in a nominal predicate can also be used to mean “be” in imperative sentences:
- As an auxiliary verb in Continuous and Perfect Continuous. In this case, the auxiliary verb to be is used with semantic verbs. The verb to be itself is usually not translated in such sentences. Study the examples in the table:
The verb to be can also be used to use the passive voice:
- In addition to the functions mentioned, the verb to be is also used as a component in the constructions:
- to be going to (getting ready);
| Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in Present Perfect tomorrow. | Tomorrow Lena is going to learn how to form verbs in the Present Perfect. |
| He is going to speak five languages. | He's going to speak five languages. |
| My family is going to London. | My family is going to London. |
| I was going to tell him but she didn’t allow me. | I was going to tell him, but she wouldn't let me. |
| George is going to make this operation in December. | George is going to have this operation in December. |
| We are going to buy some products. | We are going to buy groceries. |
| The students are going to do this whole list of exercises. | Students are going to do a whole list of exercises. |
- there is / are / (there is / exists);
- The use of the verb is also possible as a modal verb in the meaning of “should”, “agreed”, “agreed” when we are talking about obligations, orders, schedules and plans, the inevitability of events. In this case, to verb the to particle is added:
- And also when using the verb to be in English in the following constructions:
| to be good at (good to understand) |
We are good at this English grammar rule. | We are fluent in this rule of English grammar. |
| to be aware of (realize) |
We're aware of all possible risks. | We are aware of all possible risks. |
| to be late (be late) |
My co-worker was late for work because of the traffic jam. | My colleague was late for work due to traffic jam. |
| to be fond of | I'm fond of nature. | I love nature. |
| to be interested in (to be interested) |
They are interested in helping people. | They are interested in helping people. |
| to be sorry about (to regret something) |
I'm sorry about what happened. | I'm sorry about what happened. |
| to be sorry for (to feel sorry for someone) |
We are so sorry for your son. | We are very sorry for your son. |
| to be hungry (be hungry) |
I am so hungry! I haven’t eaten since morning. | I am so hungry! I haven't eaten since morning. |
| to be thirsty (feel thirst) |
After the marathon everyone was thirsty. | After the marathon, everyone was thirsty. |
| be about to (going to) |
Boris is about to start learning German and French languages. | Boris is going to start learning German and French. |
- Frequent uses of the verb are also associated with idioms. Here are some of them:
| be up to someone (depends on someone) |
We can either win or lose. It's up to you! | We will either win or lose. Everything depends on you! |
| be a man (be a man) |
Stop crying. Be a man! | Stop crying. Be a man! |
| be in love with (to be in love with) |
I should admit that I’m in love with her! She is gorgeous! | I must admit that I am in love with her! She is gorgeous! |
| be as stubborn as a mule (analogue in Russian: stubborn as a donkey) |
We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong but he is as stubborn as a mule. | We can't work together because he doesn't want to listen to me. I say his approach is wrong, but he is stubborn as a donkey. |
| be (a bit) on the expensive side (expensive / a bit expensive) |
That service is a bit on the expensive side. Maybe, we try to fix it ourselves, huh? | This service is a bit expensive. Maybe we can try to fix it ourselves, huh? |
| be on cloud nine (to be very happy) |
I'm on cloud nine! She said yes to me! Can you believe it? | I'm incredibly happy! She told me yes! Can you believe it? |
As you can see, the verb to be is very popular and varied, so it can be used in any situation with almost any tense. Once you understand the conjugations of this verb and its role in a sentence, you should not have any difficulty using it. Devote some time to English exercises on this topic to reinforce the material, compose your own examples, and most importantly, practice the language with native speakers. Because you won't find as much benefit in any exercise as you can get from people who use the language on a daily basis and can help you with any language barriers.