Unit 6_gerunds and Infinitives

LENGUA INGLESA II

1 Grado Estudios Ingleses 2011-2012 Lecturers: Drs. Juan Fco. Cerd, Manuel Cobarro and M del Mar Vilar

Facultad de Letras Departamento de Filologa Inglesa 1

Campus Universitario de La Merced. C/. Santo Cristo 1 - 30001 Murcia T. 868 883 191 F. 868 883 185 www.um.es/dp-filologia-inglesa

UNIT 6: GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES (2)

PART I: Explanation on unit 20.2 (pp. 130 & 205-206, from Objective FC). See: Assignment 7 for the related activities in EGU

1. VVEERRBBSS WWIITTHH AA SSLLIIGGHHTT CCHHAANNGGEE IINN MMEEAANNIINNGG WHETHER USED WITH

ING OR TO + INF

EXAMPLES: LIKE, PREFER, HATE, LOVE

In British English, there is sometimes a difference between I like to + inf and I like + ing:

I like to get up early / I like getting up early.

COMPARE:

I like doing something means: I enjoy it. [= IN GENERAL] ALSO: referring to a past event

= I didnt like seeing that film last night I like to do something means: I think it is a good idea. [= STH IN PARTICULAR, A HABITUAL ACTION]

WATCH OUT!

Would like, would love, would hate, would prefer are followed by to +

inf to express a particular occasion or event:

Would you like to go for a drink?

Would mind is followed by -ing:

Would you mind closing the door, please?

Prefer to do and prefer doing:

I prefer noun (phrase) to (noun) phrase. I prefer (travel by train) to (drive).

I prefer to (travel) rather than (drive).

I prefer red to pink. I prefer travelling by train to driving.

I prefer to travel by train rather than drive.

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2. VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER INFINITIVE WITH TO OR ING, WWIITTHH NNOO CCHHAANNGGEE OOFF MMEEAANNIINNGG

EXAMPLES: ATTEMPT, BE ACCUSTOMED TO, BE COMMITTED TO, BEGIN, BOTHER, CANT BEAR, CONTINUE, INTEND, START

I attempted leaving / to leave but the police stopped me.

Dont bother locking / to lock the door.

She began crying / to cry her eyes out.

Although hed been arrested for drunk driving he continued drinking and driving / to drink and (to) drive just the same.

John intends buying / to buy a house.

It has started raining / to rain.

3. VERBS FOLLOWED BY EITHER INFINITIVE WITH TO OR ING OR A THAT CLAUSE, WWIITTHH CCHHAANNGGEE OOFF MMEEAANNIINNGG

forget

Forget + infinitive

I forgot to buy any coffee.

(I didnt remember) I forgot the coffee.

I wont forget to go there.

Forget + gerund

(Ill remember)

I wont forget meeting you. (It will stay in my memory)

I forgot that I had invited ten people

to lunch.

regret

Regret + infinitive

I regret to inform you that your car

tax has expired.

Regret + gerund

Kate regretted not buying the house.

(Giving bad news and other

formal statements)

(Being sorry about past events)

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remember

Remember + infinitive

Please remember to lock the door.

Remember + gerund

(dont forget a future action)

I remember locking the door. (remember a past action)

I remembered Sues birthday.

I remembered that I had left my keys

behind.

stop

Stop + infinitive

I stopped to buy some coffee

Stop + gerund

I stopped going to evening classes

Its time you stop working so hard

NOT *Its time you stopped to work...

I stopped the car.

(in order to do something)

(give up / to cease)

COMPARE: He stopped to listen (Purpose: in order to do something) The lights were switched off and everybody had to stop talking (Give up)

try

Try + infinitive

Try to be careful

(warning)

I tried to get up early, but I couldnt.

Try + gerund

(try to do, make an effort to do)

Why dont you try getting up early? (suggesting an action)

I tried a new kind of toothpaste.

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COMPARE: I tried to open the window, but it was stuck (I couldnt do it) It was hot, so I tried opening the window (I did it to see if some fresh would help)

need

Need + infinitive

You need to work harder if you want

to make progress.

Need + gerund

(it is necessary to do something)

The batteries in the radio need

changing.

(passive: something needs to be

done)

mean

Mean + infinitive

I mean to work hard at university.

Mean + gerund

(intention)

It will mean going to the library more

often.

(involve/this is the result)

go on

Go on + infinitive

When Ive finished shopping, I think

Ill go on to see a film.

Go on + gerund

(do something new, change of

activity)

Please dont stop, go on showing your

photos.

(continue with the same thing)

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4. ADJ + to / ADJ + prep + -ing (see EGU, unit 66)

AFRAID + to (afraid to do) / AFRAID + prep + -ing (afraid of ing)

You are afraid to do something because you are afraid of something

happening to you as a result.

I was afraid (go) near the dog because I was afraid (be bitten).

I was afraid to go near the dog because I was afraid of being bitten.

INTERESTED + to (interested to do) / INTERESTED + prep + -ing

(interested in ing)

Im interested in joining the club.

I was interested to hear that she had joined the club.

(interested to hear/see/read/learn/know/find)

We are sorry (hear) Nicky lost her job.

I am sorry (shout) at you yesterday.

We are sorry to hear that Nicky lost her job.

I am sorry for / about shouting at you yesterday.

I am sorry I shouted at you.

5. See somebody do and see somebody doing (see EGU, unit 67)

See somebody do

I saw Tom get into his car and drive away.

[he did x and I saw it from beginning to end]

BUT after a Passive: He was seen to get in the car.

See somebody doing

I saw him walking along the street.

[he was doing it and I saw it when he was in the middle of doing it]

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ALSO: Structures with HEAR, FEEL, FIND, NOTICE, SMELL, etc.

I didnt hear you coming.

I could hear it raining.

6. -ing clauses (see EGU, unit 68)

Feeling tired, I went to bed early.

[Complex Sentence]

Kate is in the kitchen making coffee.

[When two things happen at the same time]

Having finished her work, she went home.

[When one action happens before another action]

After finishing her work, she went home.

[Idem]

PART II: Review of Unit 7.1 (Gerunds and Infinitives

1) and p. 201 in OFC

A GGEERRUUNNDD can:

follow a preposition

(e.g. be used to, believe in, difficulty in, feel like, good at, hear

from, keen on, look forward to, proud of, trouble for, etc.)

be the subject of the sentence

(e.g. Snowboarding is a very popular sport, etc.)

follow an expression

(e.g. Its not worth going to watch our local football team

because they always lose!, Theres no point in playing today, Its

not good trying to persuade me, etc.)

follow a verb

(e.g. admit, avoid, consider, deny, enjoy, fancy, finish, imagine,

keep, mind, postpone, risk, stand, suggest, worth, etc.)

follow a phrasal verb

(e.g. give up, go on, keep on, put off, take up, etc.)

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An IINNFFIINNIITTIIVVEE can:

follow an adjective

(e.g. They are unlikely to hold the Olympics in Cambridge, etc.)

follow a modal auxiliary

(e.g. You must not run with the ball in some sports, etc.)

follow a main verb

(e.g. afford, agree, appear, arrange, ask, beg, claim, dare, decide,

deserve, enable, encourage, expect, explain, fail, force, forget,

get, help, hope, invite, know, learn, manage, offer, order,

persuade, plan, pretend, promise, recommend, refuse, remind,

seem, teach, tell, tend, threaten, understand, want, warn,

wonder, would like, would prefer)

be used to express purpose

(e.g. Im going to the pool to have my swimming lesson, etc.)

have an infinitive without to

(e.g. They let me do the judo classes even though I had never

done it before. Hot weather makes me feel tired, etc.)

follow the object of a verb

(e.g. We encouraged them to run faster by cheering loudly, etc.)

Verbs followed by ing or a noun

EXAMPLES: LIKE, LOVE, HATE, CANT BEAR, ENJOY, DISLIKE, CANT

HELP, MIND, CANT STAND, PREFER

These verbs and expressions are normally followed by ing:

Paula hates cooking.

I dont like people screaming at me.

My favourite Elvis song is Cant help falling in love with you.

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FURTHER EXAMPLES: Other verbs followed by ing or a noun:

AVOID, BE WORTH, FANCY, KEEP, PRACTICE, RISK

Try to avoid walking as much as possible.

Its not worth waiting for a bus at this time of the day.

I dont fancy going out this evening.

I wish you wouldnt keep interrupting.

We cant risk starting a fire in the forest.

Verbs followed by ing, a that clause, or a noun

EXAMPLES: ADMIT, CONSIDER, DENY, IMAGINE, REPORT

Jack admitted stealing the money.

Jack admitted that he had stolen the money.

When accused of stealing the money, Jack admitted it.

Have you considered taking up jogging?

You must consider that Jim has never driven abroad before.

SUGGEST

Martin suggested going to the cinema.

Martin suggested that we went to the cinema.

(NOT * Martin suggested to go the cinema)

Is Martin going to the cinema with us?

Martin suggested that I should go to the cinema to switch off.

(NOT * Martin suggested me to go to the cinema)

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Verbs followed by infinitive with to

EXAMPLES: AFFORD, APPEAR, CHOOSE, FAIL, REFUSE, SEEM, TEND, WAIT

I cant afford to go on holiday abroad this year.

The car appears to have broken down.

I chose not to go to university.

Gerry failed to arrive on time.

Verbs followed by infinitive with to, or a that clause

EXAMPLES: AGREE, APPEAR, ARRANGE, DECIDE, DEMAND, DESIRE, EXPECT, HOPE, INTEND, LEARN, PLAN, PRETEND, PROMISE, SEEM,

THREATEN

Tom agreed to meet us outside the cinema.

Tom agreed that he would meet us outside the cinema.

We arranged to leave at 5.30.

We arranged that we would leave at 5.30.

John decided to take the bus.

John decided that he would take the bus.

He seems to have been ill. (Perfect infinitive)

I pretended to be reading the magazine. (Continuous infinitive)

VERB + ING OR VERB or OBJECT + TO

EXAMPLES: ADVISE, RECOMMEND, ENCOURAGE, ALLOW, PERMIT, FORBID

I wouldnt recommend going to that restaurant.

I wouldnt recommend anyone to go to that restaurant.

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VERBS FOLLOWED BY TO + INFINITIVE + OBJECT

EXAMPLES: ASK, FORCE, ENABLE, ENCOURAGE, GET, INVITE, MANAGE, OFFER, ORDER, PERSUADE, PREPARE, REMIND, TELL, TEACH, WANT, WARN

Dont force her to study if she doesnt want to. I ordered him to leave the room. I got somebody to teach me to use computers. David asked me to give this to you.

VERB FOLLOWED BY TO + INFINITIVE OR INFINITIVE

EXAMPLE: HELP

I helped her move out. I helped her to move out.

YOU CAN USE A QUESTION WORD (WHAT/HOW, ETC.) + TO +

INFINITIVE AFTER THE FOLLOWING VERBS:

EXAMPLES: ADVISE, ASK, DECIDE, KNOW, REMEMBER, FORGET, EXPLAIN, LEARN, SHOW, UNDERSTAND, WONDER, TEACH

I got somebody to teach me to use computers (or how to use computers).

Do you understand what to do?

She explained to me how to get there.

Adapted from:

- Capel, A. & Sharp. W. (2008). Objective First Certificate. Self-Study Students Book.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [henceforth referred to as OFC]

- Murphy, R. (2004). English Grammar in Use with Answers. A Self-study Reference

and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English. (3rd revised edition).

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [henceforth referred to as EGU]

- Vince, M. (2009). First Certificate Language Practice: English Grammar and

Vocabulary. With Key (4th ed.). Oxford: MacMillan [henceforth referred to as FCLP]

Unit 6_gerunds and Infinitives

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