In the affirmative present simple, the forms for he/she/it use different conjugation to the bare infinitive (the “third person S” rule, for regular verbs). Otherwise you may not notice a difference, for example: I like cheese (present simple form of to like) vs I do like cheese (bare infinitive form of to like). This means that if you confuse a present simple verb with a bare infinitive, or the other way round, you will only notice a mistake in its form when the subject is he/she/it. The following exercise tests the understanding of when a different conjugation is necessary, with answers below.
Bare infinitives in the present simple – exercise
Complete the following sentences in the present simple using the verb in brackets. Should it be a bare infinitive, or a he/she/it (third person S) form?
- Wilson ______ to his garden every day. (to tend)
- Does she ______ any more beans? (to want)
- How far does he ______ each morning? (to run)
- I don’t know what she ______. (to need)
- The dog ______ under the table. (to sleep)
- The boat does not _____ any more. (to float)
- It does ______ strange, doesn’t it? (to seem)
- What ______ that new perfume you are wearing? (to be)
- Does Mr Carpenter ______ here? (to live)
- Let him ______ the documents. (to see)
- He ______ on a train, always moving, never stopping. (to live)
- Don’t _____ paper, re-use some of the scrap. (to waste)
Answers:
- tends (verb)
- want (bare infinitive)
- run (bare infinitive)
- needs (verb)
- sleeps (verb)
- float (bare infinitive)
- seem (bare infinitive)
- is (verb)
- live (bare infinitive)
- see (bare infinitive – an imperative statement)
- lives (verb)
- waste (bare infinitive)
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