A. Infinitives
An infinitive will almost always begin with to. Exceptions do occur, however. An infinitive will lose its to when it follows certain verbs. These verbs are feel, hear, help, let, make, see, and watch.
An infinitive will almost always begin with to. Exceptions do occur, however. An infinitive will lose its to when it follows certain verbs. These verbs are feel, hear, help, let, make, see, and watch.
The pattern looks like this:
special verb + direct object + infinitive - to
Here are some examples:
As soon as Theodore felt the rain splatter on his hot, dusty skin, he knew that he had a good excuse to return the lawn mower to the garage.Felt = special verb; rain = direct object; splatter = infinitive minus the to.
When Danny heard the alarm clock buzz, he slapped the snooze button and burrowed under the covers for ten more minutes of sleep.Heard = special verb; alarm clock = direct object; buzz = infinitive minus the to.
Although Dr. Ribley spent an extra class period helping us understandlogarithms, we still bombed the test.Helping = special verb; us = direct object; understand = infinitive minus the to.
Because Freddie had never touched a snake, I removed the cover of the cage and let him pet Squeeze, my seven-foot python.Let = special verb; him = direct object; pet = infinitive minus the to.
Since Jose had destroyed Sylvia's spotless kitchen while baking chocolate-broccoli muffins, she made him take her out for an expensive dinner.Made = special verb; him = direct object; take = infinitive minus the to.
I said a prayer when I saw my friends mount the Kumba, a frightening roller coaster that twists and rolls like a giant sea serpent.Saw = special verb; my friends = direct object; mount = infinitive minus the to.
Hoping to lose her fear of flying, Rachel went to the airport to watch passenger planes take off and land, but even this exercise did not convince her that jets were safe.Watch = special verb; passenger planes = direct object; take, land = infinitives minus the to.
| agree appear be able begin* can(’t) afford choose decide | expect forget hope know how learn like* manage | need offer plan prefer* prepare pretend promise | refuse seem start* tend try want would like |
Negative
- To make an infinitive negative, put not before the infinitive.
- In a sentence with two infinitives connected by and, the second to is usually omitted.
Some verbs can be followed by an (pro)noun + infinitive
| advise allow appoint ask beg | choose convince encourage expect forbid | force invite need permit persuade | select teach tell urge want would like |
Allow
Please allow me to help you.
Help + base form or infinitive
Sigurd helped his brothers (to) shovel the snow.
Let + base form
She let him borrow her car.
Some adjectives can be followed by an infinitive. Many of these adjectives describe a
person’s emotions or mental state.
| glad happy pleased delighted content relieved lucky fortunate | sorry sad upset disappointed proud ashamed ready | prepared anxious eager willing motivated determined careful | hesitant reluctant afraid surprised amazed astonished shocked stunned |
Use infinitives with too and enough.
That hill is too steep for me to ski up.
I’m not strong enough to lift a car.
Causative verbs:
make + simple form
Sad movies make me cry.
have + simple form
I had the maid polish my shoes.
get or persuade + infinitive
Sigurd got Haakon to give him a ride to school.
have or get + object + past participle
She got her shoes repaired in University Village.
The following verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no
change in meaning:
| attempt begin can’t stand | continue deserve hate | like love prefer | start |
B. GERUNDS
- the subject of the sentence Swimming is my favorite sport.
- the object of the sentence They enjoy watching movies.
- the object of the preposition He’s concerned about passing Grammar 5.
Note: A gerund subject takes a singular verb. Eating raw oysters is disgusting.
| admit advise appreciate avoid can’t help consider complete | delay deny discuss dislike enjoy finish | imagine keep mind miss permit postpone | practice quit regret risk suggest |
A larger list of verbs followed by a gerunds: http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/gerund_list.htm
Go + gerund (recreational activities)
| boating bowling camping dancing | fishing hiking hunting jogging | sailing shopping sightseeing skating | skiing swimming |
Remember, forget + gerund
refers back to the past – to things that one did. Forget...ing is used mostly in the phrase I’ll never forget...ing... and expressions with similar meanings.
I still remember buying my first bicycle.
I’ll never forget meeting the President.
Regret + gerund
refers back to past–something that one is sorry one did
I regret leaving school at 14 – it was a big mistake.
Try + gerund
I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters, and giving her presents, but she still wouldn’t speak to me.
Special expressions + verb-ing
have: fun, a good time, trouble, difficulty, etc.
She had a good time watching the ice skating competition.
spend time, waste time
He spends a lot of time playing computer games.
sit, stand, or lie + expression of place
I stood at the bus stop waiting for 45 minutes.
find or catch + (pro)noun
I found the cat sleeping in my bed.
A gerund can be the object of a preposition after a verb or adjective (see list below)
He complained about getting a bad grade.
She is upset about leaving her homework at home.
Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a Gerund:
approve of
argue about
believe in
care about
complain about
concentrate on
confess to
depend on
disapprove of
discourage from
dream about
feel like
forget about
insist on
object to
plan on
prevent (someone) from
refrain from
succeed in
talk about
think about
worry about
C. Exercises
Gerunds and Infinitives 1
Multiple Choice Exercise
Choose the correct answer for each gap below
Gerunds and Infinitives 2
Multiple Choice Exercise
Choose the correct answer for each gap below.
Gerunds and Infinitives 3
Multiple Choice Exercise
Choose the correct answer for each gap below
C. What about you? Use gerunds and infinitives to describe your personal stories
Review the grid below and answer the question in each of the squares
Talk about something you stopped doing because it’s bad for you.
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Talk about something you would stop to do on a long car journey.
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Talk about something you’ve tried doing to improve your English.
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Talk about a language you once tried to learn but gave up.
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Talk about a sport or physical activity you tried to do but couldn’t.
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Talk about the first place abroad you remember visiting.
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Talk about something important that you have done in your life but can no longer remember doing.
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Talk about something you regret doing as a teenager.
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Talk about something you regret not doing as a teenager.
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Tell the other members of the group that there will be no break in the lesson today. Begin, I regret…
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Talk about an activity you like doing when the weather is wet.
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Talk about something you like to get done early in your working day.
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Talk about something your parents made you do that you hated doing.
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Talk about something that your parents let you do on special occasions.
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Talk about someone you know who goes on talking for ages at meetings.
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Talk about someone who started their life poor but went on to become rich.
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Recommend a way of keeping fit even if you are busy. Begin, Try…
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Talk about something you once forgot to do and were embarrassed as a result.
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Talk about how you remember to do all of the things you need to do at work every day.
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Talk about something you should stop doing but can’t.
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D. Time off at work: what country wins the contest...you may be surprised!
How does France fare among western nations? Is France's reputation accurate? Read the following article and find out. Some of the information may be surprising! http://www.marketwatch.com/story/countries-where-workers-get-the-most-vacation-2013-06-27?dist=beforebell
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