1. Have you finished reading a book you borrowed from me?

2. They are not advising their brother

3. Complaining makes all people unhappy

4. I have bought some interesting books for you

5. That crying little boy is looking for his mother

6. We met the boring student of our class last night

9. GERUNDS AND TO-INFINITIVES
GERUNDS
Gerund: the “ing” form of the verbs (talking, playing, understanding) and is always used as
nouns. Since gerunds are always nouns, they may serve as the subject of a sentence, as the
direct object, and as the object of prepositions.
Gerund: Verb 1 + ing (playing, studying, recovering, etc) = function as a noun
The use of gerund in sentences:
1. Playing tennis is fun (as the subject of the sentence)
2. We enjoy playing tennis (as the object of the verb enjoy)
3. He is excited about playing tennis (as the object of preposition about)

Learn and compare the uses of the “ing” form below:

1. Smoking is not good for your health (noun=gerund as subject)
To smoke is not good for your health
2. Sarah and Maria are reciting the Qur’an (verb=continuous tense)
3. They bought some interesting books (adjective)
4. I hate translating your paper (gerund as object)

(1) Smoking: A gerund, used as the subject of the sentence

(2) Are reciting: A present participle, used in the present continuous/progressive tense, it is a
verb
(3) Interesting book: A present participle, used as an adjective

To-Infinitive : to + the simple form of the verb (to talk, to play, to understand). To infinitive
may also serve as the subject and the object of the sentences.

GERUND AS SUBJECT
Examples:
Complaining is not a good habit
Traveling makes us happy
Having breakfast every morning can supply energy to the bodies
GERUND AS OBJECT
There are some common and certain verbs may be followed by gerunds, by to infinitives, and by
either to infinitives or gerunds.
Verbs followed by gerunds: (see betty azzar p.168)
Admit enjoy keep practice stop*
Appreciate consider excuse prevent
Avoid delay mind recall
deny finish miss remember
dislike forgive regret understand

Examples:
1. He has avoided corrupting the budget
2. Sue enjoyed writing a novel
3. They regret telling him the truth
4. My son is keeping asking me about my experience

Verbs followed by to-infinitives: (see betty azzar p. 168-169)

Verb + to-infinitive
hope promise offer refuse decide deserve
Plan agree seem want prepare intend
Decide appear pretend need manage etc

Examples:
1. The board agreed to sign the agreement
2. The pet seems to be friendly
3. I want to tell you the secret
4. We have decided to mail the letter

Verb + objective (pro)noun + to- infinitive

Tell advise invite permit remind
Allow warn expect want need

Examples:
1. The dean told me to conduct the meeting
2. The committee expect us to come on time
 3. Mother reminds me to lock the door

Verbs followed by either gerund or to- infinitives (find it in some grammar books such as :
Betty Azzar ; Marcella Frank ; etc.)
Begin like start remember continue stop prefer
Examples:
1.She began studying Arabic Last year
She began to study Arabic last year
2. They started helping each other
They started to help each other
3. He remembered mailing the letter
He remembered to mail the letter

GERUND AFTER PREPOSITION

Prepositions:
In, on, at, by, with, without, of, from, off, etc
Examples:
He left me without saying goodbye
You must focus in understanding statistics
Before taking the test, all students must register themselves
Practice
Ask some students to make the sentences consist of
a. Gerund as Subject to-infinitive as subjects
b. Gerund as objects to-infinitive as objects
c. Gerund after preposition
 AN APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF RELIGION

There Is a crucial question about the study of religion. The question is “Is it possible to
study religion scientifically?”. Religion is a social phenomenon as are politics, economics,
psychology, anthropology and the like. These social sciences can be studied scientifically, so can
religion. Religion is a universal phenomenon and is the most important ingredient in the study
of human life.
There are two approaches to the study of religion. These approaches are linked through
the unbroken line of the two extremes. The first approach is normative and the other is
descriptive. The normative approach is based on the criteria of what is true and good and what
is bad, what one ought to do and ought not to do. This is based on the personal internal
experiences of the religion founder or the messenger in contact with the divinity; the
transcendental experience. This approach can be looked at two ways. The first one is Theology;
that is an attempt to give a systematic traditional expression of religious experience. In Islam it
is called Aqa’id, something which must be accepted and believed. The second way is religious
ethics or moral behavior; how to act with one’s fellow man. The second approach is descriptive
which is based on intellectual curiosity rather than on belief.
These are a number of disciplines which will help in understanding religion. The first is
the history of religion; looking at religious behavior historically. The second is the psychology of
religion; understanding the mental process and feeling of religious people, and the last is the
sociology of religion; trying to understand how religious group organized themselves, the role
of religious institution, religious leaders, law, and the state. Using the descriptive approach, it is
possible to study religion scientifically.

(Adapted from a lecture by Prof. Dr. Charles J. Adams)

1. Is it possible to study scientifically?

2. How many approaches are there to study religion?

3. Using what approaches that we can study religion scientifically?

4. What is sociology of religion?