Treating an Activity as a Subject

Level 3

Keep the whole activity phrase together as the subject.

How It Works

English often uses an -ing word where Urdu uses an infinitive. That English ending does not mean the Urdu sentence needs رہا.

An infinitive subject can include a time, object or other phrase: ہر روز پیدل چلنا names the whole daily activity.

The activity is treated as a masculine singular verbal noun in the simple pattern taught here. Its form does not change just because the person considering it is feminine. Other constructions involving infinitival agreement have their own rules.

Examples (4)

  1. تیرنا اچھی ورزش ہے۔

    Swimming is good exercise.

    تیرنا is the activity subject; اچھی agrees with the predicate noun ورزش.

  2. ہر روز پیدل چلنا فائدہ مند ہے۔

    Walking every day is beneficial.

    The whole walking phrase is the subject.

  3. یہاں خاموش رہنا ضروری ہے۔

    Remaining quiet here is necessary.

    The statement evaluates an activity rather than asserting who is currently quiet.

  4. دیر سے پہنچنا میرا مقصد نہیں تھا۔

    Arriving late was not my intention.

    The infinitive phrase stays the subject in a negative past statement.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Treating an Activity as a SubjectLevel 3

Learn This First

Recognize the infinitive as a form that can name an activity. Build a statement that describes that activity.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.