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Non-tensed verb phrases

215b

Although non-tensed verb phrases do not indicate tense, person or number and

usually do not have a subject, their person, tense, etc. are normally understood in

relation to items in the main clause:

Waking up in the middle of the night, he will jot down thoughts on a

complicated case. 

(assumed to mean: when he wakes up in the middle of the night)

Introduced last year by the Ministry of Health, the ban forbade doctors to

perform the operation. 

(assumed to mean: the ban was introduced last year)

Core modal verbs do not occur in non-tensed verb phrases. However, the modal

expressions be able to and have to may occur in non-tensed verb phrases:

Being able to run fast is what you miss as you get older.

It’s not nice 

having to get up at five o’clock in the morning.