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Base form of verbs

THE INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

The use of the infinitive without to (the base verb) seems to be difficult to handle for learners of English. They don't use this construction spontaneously.

When speaking English, you have to make a choice between the full infinitive form, the gerund, or  the "infinitive without to" form (base verb).

Yet, the infinitive without to form must be used in many constructions. 

A) The BASE VERB must follow many expressions:

1) The base verb must be used after modal auxiliaries:

- He can understand; She may not be; We must pay; They should answer

2) ...and after the expressions HE'D BETTER (he had better= it would be better for him) and HE'D RATHER (he would rather= he would prefer).

- I know he'd better stay home, but he'd rather go with his friends.

3) The base verb is used after the verbs of perception (to see; to hear; to feel; to taste):

- I saw him bite his sister.

  : the –ing form may be found behind these verbs, but then, it describes an action which is being done.

- I saw her falling; You heard him singing (he was singing at that moment.)

4) After WHY/WHY NOT  in questions without a subject:

- Why stay ? Why not go away immediately ? 

B) The base verb is also used:

1) With verbs such as LET, HAVE et MAKE (causatives clauses).

- Your parents won't let you go abroad alone. 

- The teacher made them work like mad. 

- Mom had her write the letter. 

 2) In order to form the imperative form (in the affirmative and negative forms):

- Answer immediately and don' t give him help. 

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1. In my opinion, you should never to cheatcheatedcheatcheatingI don't know during a test… If you do, you’ll get caught and excluded.
2. When I was leaving home, I saw him takintakesto taketakeI don't know a bag out of the neighbour’s car.
3. Oh no! My parents will never let me goinggoto goI don't know out alone in that city. It’s too dangerous and I can’t speak the language.
4. Come on! HelpingTo helpHelpI don't know him! This exercise is too difficult for him, that's obvious... Yet, please, don't to givegivinggiveI don't know him the solution right away... Let him to thinkthinkingthinkI don't know a little!
5. Our theatre coach will have us learnto earnearningI don't know our parts by the end of the month. She says that if we don't remember enough, she'll make us repeatingrepeatto repeatI don't know our lines again till we collapse.
6. Why to repeatrepeatingrepeatI don't know the same sentence again and again? Why not startstartinto startI don't know with another sentence ?
7. He was left sulkto sulksulkedto sulkingI don't know alone in his room while the others were playing outside.
8. I know you'd rather hangs aroundto hang aroundhang aroundhanging aroundI don't know with your friends, but you do know that you'd better learnlearningto learnI don't know for your exams again.