GERUNDS

EXAMPLES :

A S NOUNS

SMOKING IS BAD
PLAYING BASKET IS REALLY FUNNY

CAN T HELP

A FTER CERTAIN VERBS

A FTER PREPOSITIONS

ADMIT

ENJOY

( HELP = EVITAR )

APPRECIATE

ESCAPE

IMAGINE

AVOID

EXCUSE

INVOLVE

CONSIDER

FACE

KEEP

CONTEMPLATE

FANCY

LEAVE OFF

DELAY

FEEL

MENTION

DENY

LIKE

MIND

DETEST

FINISH

MISS

DISLIKE

FORGIVE

POSTPONE

ENDURE

GIVE UP

PRACTISE

PUT OFF
RESENT
RESIST
RISK
SPEND
CAN T STAND SUGGEST
UNDERSTAND
WASTE

I NTERESTED IN WORKING
G OOD AT LEARNING
F ED UP WITH STUDYING
ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING
T HE KNIFE IS ONLY GOOD FOR CUTTING BREAD
H OW ABOUT PLAYING TENNIS TOMORROW ?
I BOUGHT A NEW CAR INSTEAD OF GOING AWAY ON HOLIDAY
H E PASSED THE EXAMS BY STUDYING PREVIOUSLY

AFTER EXPRESSIONS WITH TO

( WHEN IT IS USED AS A PREPOSITION ):

EXAMPLES :

A FTER CERTAIN EXPRESSIONS

LOOK FORWARD TO : I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU

PREFER TO :

H E PREFERS LEARNING MATHS TO WATCHING TV

BE USED TO : JANE IS USED TO DRIVING ON THE RIGHT

GET USED TO : AFTER A LOT OF PRACTICE , SHE GOT USED TO DRIVING ON THE LEFT

I T IS NO USE CRYING
I T S NO GOOD COMPLAINING TO HIM
I T S A WASTE OF TIME GOING THERE
I T S A WASTE OF MONEY BUYING THINGS YOU DON T NEED
T HERE IS NO POINT IN HAVING A CAR IF YOU NEVER USE IT
I T IS NOT WORTH WORRYING ABOUT

INFINITIVES

1. VERB + TO

AFFORD

HOPE

AGREE

LEARN

AIM

MANAGE

APPEAR

OFFER

ARRANGE

PLAN

ATTEMPT

PRETEND

CLAIM

PROMISE

DECIDE

REFUSE

DESERVE

SEEM

FAIL

TEND

FORGET

THREATEN

( E . G . DECIDE TO DO / FORGET TO DO , ETC .)

EXAMPLES :

IT WAS LATE , SO WE DECIDED TO TAKE A TAXI HOME

I AGREED TO LEND HIM SOME MONEY
THEY SEEM TO HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY
I LIKE GEORGE BUT I THINK HE TENDS TO TALK TOO MUCH
ANNE PRETENDED NOT TO SEE ME AS SHE PASSED ME IN THE STREET
2. AFTER VERB + OBJECT

ADVISE

EXAMPLES :

ENABLE
FORCE
GET

(= PERSUADE , ARRANGE FOR )

INVITE

CAN YOU REMIND ME TO PHONE ANN TOMORROW ?

PETER TAUGHT ME TO DRIVE

I COULDN T WRITE THE LETTER . I GOT SOMEBODY TO HELP ME

ORDER
PERSUADE
REMIND
TEACH
TELL
WARN

ALSO WITHOUT OBJECT :

ASK

EXAMPLES :

BEG
EXPECT
HELP
MEAN

(= INTEND )

WANT
WARN
WOLD KIKE

or

WE EXPECTED TOM TO BE LATE

WE EXPECTED TO BE LATE

WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GO NOW ?

or

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NOW ?

HE DOESN T WANT ANNE TO KNOW

or

HE DOESN T WANT TO KNOW

WOULD HATE
WOULD LOVE
WOULD PREFER

3. AFTER THE FOLLOWING EXPRESSIONS :

ASK
DECIDE
KNOW

HOW TO

REMEMBER

WHERE TO

FORGET

WHETHER TO

EXPLAIN

WHAT TO

+ INFINITIVE

LEARN
UNDERSTAND
WONDER

E XAMPLES :

W E ASKED HOW TO GET TO THE STATION

I DON T KNOW WHETHER TO APPLY FOR THE JOB OR NOT
( NOT ) ADJECTIVE / ADVERB + ENOUGH + INFINITIVE . EXAMPLE : I M NOT TALL ENOUGH TO REACH THE TOP SHELF
ENOUGH + NOUN + INFINITIVE . EXAMPLE : I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY A CAR

4. AFTER TOO / ENOUGH

WITH THE SAME SUBJECT : TOO + ADJECTIVE / ADVERB + INFINITIVE . EXAMPLE : I M TOO SHORT TO REACH THE TOP SHELF .
WITH A DIFFERENT SUBJECT : TOO + ADJECTIVE / ADVERB + FOR SUBJECT + INFINITIVE
EXAMPLE : THAT SHELF IS TOO HIGH FOR TOBY TO REACH

( NOTE : THE SUBJECT OF THE MAIN VERB , THAT SHELF , IS ALSO THE

OBJECT OF THE INFINITIVE , IT . WE HAVE TO TAKE THE WORD IT OUT OF THE SENTENCE )

AFTER MODAL VERBS . EXAMPLE : IT MAY RAIN or I WOULD GO

AFTER WOULD RATHER AND HAD BETTER
5. INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO

EXAMPLE : I D RATHER HAVE A CUP OF TEA

or

YOU D BETTER CLEAN UP THIS MESS BEFORE MUM GETS BACK

VERB + OBJECT + INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO : FEEL , HEAR , HELP , LET , LISTEN , MAKE , NOTICE , SEE , TASTE , WATCH
EXAMPLE : HOT WEATHER MAKES ME FEEL TIRED

or LET ME CARRY YOUR BAG FOR YOU

VERBS FOLLOWED BY GERUNDS OR INFINITIVES

BEGIN
BOTHER
CAN T BEAR
CONTINUE

1. WITH THE SAME MEANING

LIKE , LOVE , HATE , PREFER

START

EXAMPLES :

I LIKE WATCHING THE LATE NIGHT SHOW

I LIKE TO WATCH THE LATE NIGHT SHOW

EXAMPLES :
ADVISE

NEED

ALLOW

SOMETHING NEEDS DOING

(= SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ). E . G . THE BATTERIES IN THE RADIO NEED

CHANGING

GO ON

2. WITH DIFFERENT MEANING

(= IT IS NECESSARY FOR ME TO DO IT ). E . G . I NEED TO STUDY SO AS TO PASS THE

EXAM .

FORBID
FORGET

I NEED TO DO SOMETHING

HELP

REMEMBER

MEAN

REGRET

(= I LOCKED IT , AND NOW I REMEMBER THIS )

E . G . PLEASE REMEMBER TO POST THE LETTER

(= DON T POST IT )

TRY

STOP
TRY

I M ABSOLUTELY SURE I LOCKED THE DOOR .

YOU REMEMBER TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE YOU DO IT .

RECOMMEND

REMEMBER

YOU REMEMBER DOING SOMETHING AFTER YOU HAVE DONE IT . E . G .

I CLEARLY REMEMBER LOCKING IT .

NEED
PERMIT

(= THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED )

TRY TO DO

(= ATTEMPT TO DO , MAKE AN EFFORT TO DO ). E. G . I WAS VERY TIRED . I TRIED TO KEEP MY EYES

OPEN BUT I COULDN T .

TRY

DOING

(= DO SOMETHING AS A AN EXPERIMENT , PROBAR ). E. G . THE PHOTOCOPIER DOESN T SEEM TO BE

WORKING . TRY PRESSING THE GREEN BUTTON .

ADVISE
ALLOW

3. OTHERS ( TWO
STRUCTURES )

ENCOURAGE

1. VERB + GERUND
I WOULDN T RECOMMEND STAYING IN THAT HOTEL
SHE DOESN T ALLOW SMOKING IN THE HOUSE

FORBID
PERMIT
RECOMMEND

2. VERB + OBJECT + INFINITIVE

I WOULDN T RECOMMEND YOU TO STAY IN THAT HOTEL
SHE DOESN T ALLOW US TO SMOKE IN THE HOUSE

VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE WITHOUT TO OR GERUND

AFTER THE VERBS :

SEE , WATCH , NOTICE , HEAR ,
LISTEN TO , TASTE , FEEL

1. VERB + OBTECT + INFINITIVE ( SEE IT HAPPEN )

E . G . WE SAW LOUISE PLANT THE TREE ( LOUISE PLANTED THE TREE . WE SAW HER DO THE WHOLE JOB
E . G . THE REPORTERS WATCHED THE PLAYERS TRAIN IN THE GYM ( THEY WATCHED ALL THE TRAINING )
2. VERB + OBJECT + GERUND ( SEE IT HAPPENING )
E . G . WE SAW LOUISE PLANTING THE TREE ( LOUISE WAS PLANTING THE TREE . W E SAW HER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JOB )
E . G . THE REPORTERS WATCHED THE PLAYERS TRAINING IN THE GYM ( THEY WATCHED SOME OF THE TRAINING , PERHAPS NOT ALL
OF IT