Infintives and gerunds

Introduction to gerunds and infinitives

Consider the differences in meaning between the following sentences:

• Watching a lot of tv is not good for you!• I want to watch The Simpsons at 8.• Saving money is hard.• My parents want to save 2000 euros this

year.• I love playing football.• We are going to play football tomorrow

What is a gerund and what is an infinitive?

• A gerund is a word that ends with –ing

• An infinitive is combination of to + verb

• For example to buy, to show, to find etc

Consider the differences in meaning between the following sentences:

• Watching a lot of tv is not good for you!

• Reference to the activity

• Specific intention

• I want to watch The Simpsons at 8.

Consider the differences in meaning between the following sentences:

Saving money is hard.

Reference to the

activity• Specific intention

• My parents want to save 2000 euros this year.

Consider the differences in meaning between the following sentences:

I love playing football.

Reference to the activity• Specific intention

• We are going to play football tomorrow

What is a gerund?

• A gerund = a reference to the activity.• A gerund is a word with –ing that refers to

an activity in general NOT a specific moment or intention. Examples:

• I love travelling!• Buying a house is complicated.• Getting up early is not easy.

What is an infinitive?

• An infinitive= a verb + to= to go, to buy• An infinitive= a specific intention to do an

action at a specific moment.• We need to buy the ticket tomorrow.• I need to show you something now.• What do you want to do tomorrow?

Important rules for the infinitive

• Exceptions for the infinitive= MUST + CAN• Must or can never take “to”• Examples:• I can do it never I can to do it

• We can’t find it never I can’t to find it

• We must show her never we must to show her

Important rules for the infinitive

• Look at the following incorrect sentences

• I came for to tell you the news• For to go there, you need a car• I am here for to show you what to do.

Important rules for the infinitive

• The infinitive is already two words in English. To go, to buy etc.

• When you are speaking about a logical progression of events it is not necessary to put for in front of the infinitive= for to go there.

• I came to tell you the news• To go there, you need a car• I am here to show you what to do.

Important rules for the infinitive

• The infinitive is already two words in English. To go, to buy etc.

• When you are speaking about a logical progression of events it is not necessary to put for in front of the infinitive= for to go there.

• I came to tell you the news• To go there, you need a car• I am here to show you what to do.

A word that ends in ING.It can be three things

AdjectiveDescribing characteristics

VerbContinuous tenses

GerundA reference to the activity

InterestingBoringDepressingConfusing

I am teachingI am buying a carI was walking

Drinking beer is cool! Getting up early is a pain!Travelling is so much fun.

Common errors with gerunds

• I love sleep!• Travel is amazing!• My friend really likes drink beer

The 6 most common verbs with ING

• To love/ to like• To hate• To mind (used in the negative or

questions) don’t mind• To avoid• To enjoy

To mindTo avoidTo enjoy

• To mind (used in the negative) don’t mind• To avoid• To enjoy• ALWAYS take gerund• I don’t mind cleaning the house• I avoid walking in the rain• I enjoy going to the cinema

The 6 most common verbs with ING

• To mind (used in the negative) don’t mind• To avoid• To enjoy• ALWAYS take gerund• I don’t mind cleaning the house• I avoid walking in the rain• I enjoy going to the cinema

To loveTo likeTo hate

• To love/ to like• To hate• These verbs can take gerund and infinitive

with almost no difference in meaning.• Native speakers tend to prefer the gerund in speaking

I love doing it 70% I hate doing it 70 %

I love to do it 30% I hate to do it 30%

A more complete picture

to Love /like To Hate I Don’t mind To Avoid To enjoy

I love readingI love to read

I hate washing clothesI hate to wash clothes 

I don’t mind working extra hours

I avoid paying taxes!

I enjoy listening to music. 

Stop and check!Try to find the mistakes in these sentences.You will see the answers in the next slide.

• I don’t mind to go• We can to go there tomorrow if you

want• She came to Ireland for to study• It must to be ready for tomorrow• Do you mind to help with me

tomorrow?• We chose do that because it was an

important thing do.• I promise doing that for you

tomorrow.• It’s going taking a long time for to do

that.

• I couldn’t to find it yesterday I looked for it everywhere.

Stop and check!Find the mistakes.

• I don’t mind to go– I don’t mind going

• We can to go there tomorrow if you want– We can go there tomorrow if you want

• She came to Ireland for to study– She came to Ireland to study.

• It must to be ready for tomorrow• It must be ready for tomorrow

• Do you mind to help with me tomorrow?– Do you mind helping me tomorrow?

• We chose do that because it was an important thing do.– We chose to do that because it was

important thing to do

– I promise doing that for you tomorrow.

– I promise to do that tomorrow

• It’s going taking a long time for to do that.– It’s going to take a long time to do that

• I couldn’t to find it yesterday I looked for it everywhere.– I couldn’t find it yesterday I looked for it

everywhere

What about you?

• Finish the sentences yourself with gerunds. • Example:I love watching sport, I hate washing clothes.• What are some things you enjoy doing everyday?• What do you always avoid doing until the last minute?• Name something that a friend of yours hates doing• What is something your mother or father love doing?• What is something you love doing but don’t have enough

time for?• What is something you plan to do soon?• Is there anything specific you would like to learn?

It’s + adjective+ infinitive

• One common pattern in English is :• It’s + adjective+ infinitive• Examples:• It’s impossible to sleep in this heat• It’s difficult to find a new apartment• It’s important to eat well• Avoid the common error with this pattern:• Is impossible sleep in this heat• Is difficult find a new apartment• Is important eat well.

It’s + adjective+ infinitive

• We can rephrase these sentences and use the gerund.• It’s impossible to sleep in this heat• Sleeping in this heat is impossible

• It’s difficult to find a new apartment• Finding a new apartment is difficult

• It’s important to eat well• Eating well is important

It’s + adjective+ infinitive

• Essentially there is no difference in meaning.• It’s impossible to sleep in this heat

» Specific intention

Reference to the

Activity

• Sleeping in this heat is impossible

Over to youpractise these structures

It’s important to____________

____________ is important.

It’s boring to ____________

____________ is boring

It’s tiring to ____________

____________ is tiring

It’s stressful to ____________

____________ is stressful

It’s annoying to ____________

____________ is annoying.

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund but with a change in meaning.

Some common verbs take infinitive or gerund and change meaning.

To stop

To forget

To remember

To try

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider differences in meaning with the following sentences

To stop to talk to someone

To stop talking to someone

I can’t stop to talk

I can’t stop talking

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider the differences in meaning in the following sentences:

I stopped to talk to my friend

the reason why you stopped

Ending the action

I stopped talking to my friend

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider the differences in meaning in the following sentences:

I can’t stop to talk

the reason why you stopped

Ending the action

I can’t stop talking

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider differences in meaning with the following sentences

To remember to do the laundry

To remember doing the laundry

I forget to say it to him

I forget saying it to him

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider the differences in meaning in the following sentences:

To remember to do the laundry

Something you are supposed to do

A memory of the past

To remember doing the laundry

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund with a change in meaning

To remember or to forget to do something= something you are supposed to do

To remember or forget doing something is

A memory of a past event.

To remember to do the laundry

To remember doing the laundry

I forget to take my vitamins

I will never forget taking my vitamins

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider the differences in meaning in the following sentences:

I never remember to buy a tv license

An obligation or something

You are supposed to do

memories of a past event

I remember talking to him

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund with a change in meaning

To try to do something

To try doing something

Try + gerund = an experiment or to see if something works

To try looking for a job in the newspaper

Try+ infinitive = you want to do it but you do not succeed

To try to open the door

Verbs that can take infinitive or gerund and finally

Consider the differences in meaning in the following sentences:

I tried learning Japanese last summer

An experiment to see if I liked it

something you wanted to do but did not succeed

I tried to open the door

What about you?

What is something you’ll never forget seeing for the first time?

Tell me something that you sometimes forget to do before you leave the house in the mornings.

What is something crazy/silly you remember doing when you were a teenager?

What is something you need to remember to do this week?

What is something you try doing when you can’t sleep at night?

What is something you tried to learn but couldn’t?

What will you never stop doing?

What is something you miss doing?

What do you miss most about your country?

What are you thinking about doing next year?

Name one thing you are looking forward to doing?

Important expressions with gerund

After – before- by

After starting something

Before starting something

To manage to do something by doing something

Adjective+ preposition

To be afraid of doing something

To be good or bad at doing something

To be interested in doing something

To be sick of doing something

To be sorry for doing something

To be worried about doing something

Important expressions with gerund

What is something you always do before going to bed?

What is the first thing you do after getting up in the morning?

Name something one of your friends is afraid of doing?

What are you good at doing ?

What is something you are interested in doing this year?

What is something you are sick of doing ?

What are you thinking about doing this year?

What are you planning to do this year?