Contrasting Gerunds & Infinitives Ch. 11

 A gerund is a verb (or verb phrase) that is functioning as a noun in a sentence.  Gerunds ALWAYS end in –ing, but not every verb ending in –ing is acting as a gerund. What is a Gerund

 I am running. (present cont. verb – notice the helping verb)  Running is fun. (Running = gerund, no helping verb) Example:

 Gerunds can also be added AFTER the verb in a sentence.  You can use gerunds as:  Adverb phrases  Prepositional phrases  Objects of verbs Gerunds After Verbs

 You should consider driving slowly.  He suggested eating quickly.  She recommended leaving shortly. Gerund as Adverb Phrase

 You should work towards becoming a good student.  Sue is in charge of organizing the meeting.  I’m interested in learning about your work. Gerunds as a Prepositional Phrase

 You should avoid owning a big SUV.  He suggested eating Chinese.  She recommended leaving a tip. Gerunds as Objects

 We’re going to Hawaii on vacation next month. I’m really looking forward to _____________ (take) it easy for a change. Complete with a Gerund

 I want to spend some time ___________(learn) how to use a surfboard.

 She wasn’t used to __________(speak) with people in English.

 Now she has no trouble __________(make) herself understood when she wants to.

 You can shop at home instead of __________ (go) to a store.

 You can buy whatever you need just by __________(click) a mouse!

 Kevin’s car wasn’t running very well. He was having trouble __________ (start) it.

 In the end, he wound up ________ (give) it to a friend.

 Handout, Exercise 14 More Practice

 To + Verb  I hate to drive.  I had to move to Houston.  I prefer to eat slowly.  I like to walk the dogs. Infinitives

 An infinitive can be as short as 2 words (to drive), or a longer phrase with an adverb (to eat slowly), prepositional phrase (to move to Houston), or object (to walk the dogs). Infinitives

 Almost ALWAYS comes after the verb in a sentence.  (In a very few instances, you can use an infinitive as the subject of a sentence, but it’s a really good way to accidently write a sentence fragment). Infinitives

Instead of starting a sentence with an infinitive, we often start it with the pronoun “It” as the noun. The infinitive in the sentence refers back to the pronoun. It costs a lot to own a car. Vs. To own a car costs a lot. Infinitives

 To live in Hong Kong will be an awfully big adventure.  Vs.  It will be an awfully big adventure to live in Hong Kong. Example

 When I’m at home, I never have time ________(go) to the beach. Complete with an Infinitive

 When Keiko first came to the U.S., she found it hard _________ (speak) to Americans.

 Shopping on the internet has made our lives a lot easier. It’s now possible _________ (shop) at home.

 He wasn’t sorry _________ (get) rid of it, because he found a great deal on another car.

 Ex.  Raising children is not easy.  It is not easy to raise children Reword the Gerund as an Infinitive

 Studying all night is not a good idea.

 Walking to work takes too much time.

 Getting exercise is important.

 Owning a house costs a lot of money.

 Knowing a foreign language can be useful.

 Verb + Infinitive  I agreed to chair the committee.  He planned to go to the store.  She refused to wait on him.  Verb + Object + Infinitive  She taught me to dance.  I warned the girl to not pet the dogs.  He required a passing test score to take the class. Infinitive Patterns

 Ask  Choose  Expect  Help  Need  Pay  Promise  Want  Wish  Would Like  See Appendix 9 for more verbs followed by infinitives. Verbs That Can Be Followed by an Infinitive With or Without an Object

 Handout, Exercise 25 (use chart 14-6 for help) Practice

 Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund OR an infinitive – See p. A-7 and A-8  Some verbs can be followed by both – A-9 Gerund or Infinitive

 B1 – Listening – p. 234  (CD2, Track 13) Gerund or Infinitive?

 I’m planning ____________________. Complete with “seeing it” or “to see it” – Use p. A-7 and A-8

 Do you recommend ___________________?

 You should consider ________________.

 I’ve decided _____________________.

 I suggest ________________________.

 Don’t expect me __________________.

 He refuses _____________________.

 I warn you not ______________________.

 You should avoid __________________.

 I urge you _________________________.

 B8, p. 237  Handout, Exercise 43 and 44 Practice

 Do you expect to travel or stay home next summer?  Do you suggest staying home or seeing a movie tonight?  Do you hope to live in a big city or in a small town?  Do you need to study a lot or a little?  Do you recommend eating or skipping breakfast?  Do you want to stay in your apartment or find a new apartment? Answers

 Read over p  Some verbs can be followed by both gerunds and infinitives and have the same meanings:  I like to swim. VS. I like swimming  Other verbs that can be followed by both have different meanings:  I stopped to smoke. VS. I stopped smoking. Verbs followed by both gerunds and infinitives

 Started – Continued – Began  After started, continued and began, both the infinitive and the gerund have the same meaning.  I started eating lunch. VS. I started to eat lunch.  If the continuous form of the verb (starting, continuing, beginning) is used, then use the infinitive after it.  I am starting to eat lunch VS. I am starting eating lunch. Verbs w/ Same Gerund & Infinitive Meanings (p. 238)

 He started to laugh  He started laughing  Same or different? Example

 It was beginning to snow.  It was beginning snowing.  Which is correct? Example #2

 Like, love, hate, prefer  The infinitive and gerund following these verbs are similar in meaning.  I prefer to eat alone. VS. I prefer eating alone.  Sometimes it is more common to use an infinitive to talk about an activity AT A SPECIFIC TIME, and a gerund to talk about the activity IN GENERAL.  I prefer to eat alone at lunch. VS. I prefer eating alone everyday. Similar Meanings

 I like to swim early in the morning. (specific time)  I like swimming and boating (activity in general) Example

 Would you prefer to play tennis or swim today? (specific time)  Do you prefer playing tennis or swimming? (activity in general) Example #2

 After try when used in the present tense, the gerund and infinitive are similar in meaning.  Try to relax more.  Try relaxing more. Try – Present Tense

 When try is in the past, the infinitive implies that an action did NOT occur.  The gerund implies that the action occurred but may or may not have been successful.  I tried to take some aspirin for the pain, but I couldn’t get the bottle open. (never took it)  VS.  I tried taking some aspirin for the pain, but it didn’t help. Try – Past Tense

 Remember & Stop  The infinitive refers to an action that happens AFTER the action of the main verb.  I remembered to mail the letter.  The gerund refers to an action that happened BEFORE the action of the main verb.  I remembered mailing the letter. Different Meanings

 I stopped to listen to him.  (I stopped what I was doing. Then I listened to him)  VS.  I stopped listening to him.  (I was listening to him. Then I stopped listening.) Example #2

 Forget  Usually used with an infinitive  I always forget to close the door.  With a gerund, it mostly occurs in sentences with “will never”  I will never forget winning my first game. Different Meanings

 I forgot to pay my telephone bill.  Don’t forget to pick up dinner on the way home.  I forgot to buy a gift for Katie’s birthday. Example

 I will never forget living in Ecuador.  I will never forget swimming with a dolphin.  I will never forget jumping out of an airplane. Example - Gerund

 Regret  With verbs including: inform, tell, say and announce – regret can take either an infinitive or a gerund.  I regret to inform you that this class is closed. VS. I regret informing you that this class is closed.  For all other verbs, regret takes a gerund.  I regret working overtime last night. VS. I regret to work overtime last night. Different Meaning

 I regret to inform you that I am leaving.  I regret informing you that I am leaving.  I regret to announce I will not be teaching level 4 next spring.  I regret announcing I will not be teaching level 4 next spring. Example

 I regret leaving class early.  I regret paying my bill late.  I regret studying until 2 am this morning. Example – Gerund Only

 Can we stop watching the movie?  Can we stop to watch the movie? Same or Different Meaning?

 The cleaners didn’t start working until noon.  The cleaners didn’t start to work until noon.

 It will continue raining through the evening.  It will continue to rain through the evening.

 I didn’t remember locking the door.  I didn’t remember to lock the door.

 We regret to say that Mr. Jones died.  We regret saying that Mr. Jones died.

 The roof has begin leak.  The roof has begun to leak.

 I tried to send a message on Ben’s computer.  I tried sending a message on Ben’s computer.

 I’ll never forget doing that.  I’ll never forget to do that.

 Handout, Exercise 30 More Practice

 P shows several other situations when gerunds/infinitives can be used that don’t really fit into the categories of “verb + ____”  There are a lot of different structures that will be very difficult to memorize. It is best to just practice them and use them as much as possible (and, as always, read, read, read!) EVERYTHING ELSE

 Some verb phrases that end in adjectives or nouns can be followed by gerunds. (Handout, Chart 14-5  Common Verb Phrases Are:  Be busy  Have fun  Have a good time  Have trouble  It’s no use  It’s not worth  Spend an hour  Spend time  Waste time Verb Phrases Followed by Gerunds

 Verb Phrase + Gerund  She will have fun playing volleyball next year.  He has a good time playing football.  I waste time watching TV.  It’s not worth fixing the car.  Do you have trouble writing essays?  Do you spend time working on your homework?  Handout, exercise 20. Example

 A preposition is a word which precedes a noun (or a pronoun) to show the noun's (or the pronoun's) relationship to another word in the sentence.noun pronoun  The cat is sitting on the TV.  (The word preposition comes from the idea of being positioned before. It is not true to say that a preposition always precedes a noun or a pronoun, but it does most of the time.) Prepositions - Review

 Aren’t sure a word or phrase is a preposition?  Try to tack “the tree” onto the end of it.  If it makes sense, then the word or phrase is a preposition  Examples:  In “the tree”  Around “the tree”  Without “the tree”  Instead of “the tree” Easy Preposition Test

 One-word and phrasal (fancy term for multiple-word) prepositions can sometimes be followed by gerunds. (Handout, Chart 14-2)  Common Prepositions:  After  Before  Besides  By  In  In addition  Instead of  Without Preposition + Gerund

 Preposition + Gerund  Without realizing it, drivers speed.  After eating, I like to take a nap.  Before starting college, I graduated from high school.  Instead of teaching high school, I teach college.  D2, p. 245 Examples

 Sometimes you can follow a verb with a preposition then a gerund (Chart 14-2). Common Verb + Preposition Patterns (phrasals):  Approve of  Believe in  Depend on  Disapprove of  Insist on  Look forward to  Talk about  Think about  Work on  Worry about Verb + Preposition + Gerund

 Verb + Preposition + Gerund  Think about slowing down.  He disapproves of playing video games.  She looks forward to graduating.  I worry about passing my classes.  Handout, Exercise 5 Examples

 Common Combinations (Chart 14-2):  Be accustomed to  Be afraid of  Be good at  Be interested in  Be surprised at  Be tired of  Be used to  Be worried about  Note: “be” = ANY “be” very (be/am/is/are/was/were) Be + Preposition + Adjective + Gerund

 Doug and Hogan are accustomed to eating breakfast in bed.  My sister is afraid of speaking in public.  They are interested in learning English.  I am tired of failing students. Examples

 Handout, Exercise 4 Practice

 Many adjectives can be followed by infinitives (chart 15-2)  Common Examples:  Afraid  Determined  Eager  Embarrassed  Excited  Happy  Hesitant  Ready  Sorry  Surprised Adjective + Infinitive

 He was afraid to talk.  She is too embarrassed to sing.  They are ready to go.  I was surprised to win.  Handout, Exercise 9 Examples

 Sometimes to show you did something to accomplish the verb in the infinitive, you put the phrase “In Order” in front of the infinitive (chart 15-1)  Examples:  I quit school in order to work full time.  I put music on in order to relax.  The teacher gave the students a test in order to determine how well they had learned the material. In Order + Infinitive

 The negative form of “In Order” is “In Order Not”  I took a deep breath in order not to yell at my students for not following directions.  He went to college in order not to be disinherited.  I planned out my week carefully in order not to forget anything.  Complete D4, p. 246 In Order Not + Infinitive

 Can you ask Gary ______ me a call when he comes back?  A. give  B. to give  C. given Chapter Review

 Please put on a sweater when you go out. I don’t want ________ cold.  A. you get  B. to get  C. you to get

 Celia would like _______ some time off because her father is sick.  A. take  B. to take

 Don’t ask _____ that. I can’t understand a word of it.  A. I translate  B. translating  C. me to translate

 I’m going to want ________ me a hand with this sofa. It’s heavy  A. him to give  B. him give  C. giving

 You’ve worked hard all week. It’s time _____ (enjoy) life. You don’t want _________ (waste) time all weekend ______ (run) errands. The idea of ________ (stand) in line at the supermarket fills you with horror. You simply don’t have the time _______ (go) to the post office. Or maybe you just hate _______ (shop). But things need _______ (get) done. Don’t worry. Try _______ (use) a shopping service. A growing number of companies exist ________ (meet) the needs of people who are too busy ______ (run) all their errands themselves. For fees that start at $50 an hour, these companies provide a variety of services from _______ (register) their clients’ car to _______ (clean) their house. Complete with a Gerund or Infinitive

 You’ve worked hard all week. It’s time to enjoy life. You don’t want to waste time all weekend to run/running errands. The idea of standing in line at the supermarket fills you with horror. You simply don’t have the time to go to the post office. Or maybe you just hate to shop/shopping. But things need to get done. Don’t worry. Try to use/using a shopping service. A growing number of companies exist to meet the needs of people who are too busy to run all their errands themselves. For fees that start at $50 an hour, these companies provide a variety of services from registering their clients’ car to cleaning their house. Answers

 I forgot to mail the letter.  ___ I mailed the letter True or False

 I didn’t remember to take out the garbage.  ___ I took out the garbage.

 I’ll never forget opening that letter.  ___ I opened the letter.

 I always avoid eating sweets.  ____ I eat sweets.

 They permitted me to leave.  ___ I left.

 She stopped to eat lunch.  ___ She didn’t eat lunch.

 I tried soaking my ankle, but it still hurts.  ___ I soaked my ankle.

 I heard about his winning the race.  ___ He won the race.

 He was surprised at my failing the exam.  ___ I failed the exam.

 I had him complain to the manager.  ___ I complained to the manager.

 Use the gerund, infinitive or pronoun+infinitive of resign  I have decided _____________________.  I appreciate ________________________.  I expect ____________________________.  I invite ____________________________.  I’m concerned about _________________.  I urge _______________________.  I want ____________________________.  I don’t mind ______________________. Situation: You are going to resign from your job because of a scandal.

 Use the gerund, infinitive or pronoun+infinitive of run  I have decided _____________________.  I appreciate ________________________.  I expect ____________________________.  I invite ____________________________.  I’m concerned about _________________.  I urge _______________________.  I want ____________________________.  I don’t mind ______________________. Situation: You are going to run for president.