1. GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

2. When one verb follows another, the second verb is either a gerund (-ing form) or an infinitive (to + verb) I hope to study abroad next year. She wants to live in France. We plan to go the the seaside this summer. They like playing tennis. He enjoys speaking English. We love listening to jazz.

3. How do we know which form to use? Unfortunately, there is no rule to guide you. However, I can give you a few tips. 1. Verbs of feeling (sentimenti) take the +ing form. like, love, adore, enjoy, hate, detest Also some expressions which show feeling take the +ing form: look forward to, don’t mind, can’t stand, can’t help, feel like Examples

4. I enjoy reading travel magazines. I love skiing. I can’t stand studying Maths. I don’t mind doing grammar exercises I don’t feel like going out this evening. We are looking forward to finishing our degree.

5. 2. When we have a preposition + verb, we must use an –ing form. Alice dreams of being an opera singer. Which British Prime Minister was famous for smoking cigars? Eric is interesting in working with foreign companies. Don’t worry about paying the bill. We can pay at the end of the month. I’m thinking of doing an internship in the UK.

6. 3. We use gerunds as subjects of a sentence more often than infinitives. Swimming is slower than running. Flying is faster than going by train. Reading in English is easier then speaking. Listening to songs in English is a good way to improve. Driving makes me tired.

7. 4. Some of the most common verbs must be memorised. For example: admit, appreciate, avoid, practise, risk, ***suggest He avoids investing in start-up companies. He prefers to buy shares in solid, established companies. I practise playing piano everyday. I suggest going to Tommy’s Tavern for dinner. or I suggest you go to Tommy’s Tavern for dinner.

8. 4. Memorise the most common verbs that are followed by the infinitive. I suggest the following: want, hope, plan, decide, deserve, expect, promise, need, learn, prepare, try, choose Remember that although like is followed by a gerund, would like is followed by an infinitive: I would like to make an appointment with Mr. Smith.

9. 5. With the verb ‘be’ + adjective, use the infinitive. I’m pleased to meet you. I was happy to leave London because I wanted to come home to my family, but I was sorry to say goodbye to my friends. He is often difficult to understand. Languages are hard to learn perfectly. They are very interesting to listen to.

10. 6. With verb + object, use the infinitive. For example: want, advise, tell, ask, invite, remind, help My teacher wants us to read the whole book. She told me to be at the meeting at 9:00. I advised her to stay at the Jolly Hotel in Rome. My boss asked me to finish the report by Friday. They invited us to stay for dinner. Can you help me to control these statements?

11. 7. A few verbs are followed by neither a gerund nor an infinitive. They are followed by the verb without ‘to’. The most common and important are: suggest, recommend and let I suggest you call the sales representative to confirm your appointment. I recommend you stay at a hotel near the station. Let me know if you need further assistance.

12. 8. Some good news ….. the verbs start, begin and continue can be followed by either the gerund or the infinitive. You can choose! I started working there 9 years ago. I started to work there 9 years ago. I began studying English in high school. I began to study English in high school. You can continue to play if you want to. The courts are free. You can continue playing.

13. Pleas read the grammar manual and do the exercises on page 51-52. You can refer to the table which shows which verbs are followed by which verb form. You should be aware of the different verbs. During the next years of your course, as you begin to read authentic texts, pay attention to the verb forms. But, for this year, I would like you to know the verbs that are listed in this document for the final test. Practice

14. I hope ______you again soon. (see) We enjoy _______.(dance) He dreamt about __________a musician. (be) I'd love ________another holiday in Spain.(have) How about ________ to the cinema tonight?(go) His jokes made us. They practised ________the guitar.(play) I told him __________ us at 9:00 in the office.(meet) She was sorry __________ the party but she had to study. (miss) Do you mind _____________the window? (close) We look forward to _______________from you soon. (hear) It is hard ___________certain customers. (please) Let me begin by _______you something about our company's history. (tell) We risked ___________a lot of money on that investment. (lose) check

15. answers I hope to see you again soon. (see) We enjoy dancing.(dance) He dreamt about being a musician. (be) I'd love to have another holiday in Spain.(have) How about going to the cinema tonight?(go) His jokes made us. They practiced playing the guitar.(play) I told him to meet us at 9:00 in the office.(meet) She was sorry to miss the party but she had to study. (miss) Do you mind closing the window? (close) We look forward to hearing from you soon. (hear) It is hard to please certain customers. (please) Let me begin by telling you something about our company's history. (tell) We risked losing a lot of money on that investment. (lose)