Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 1
Infinitives and Gerunds
When I first started teaching I didn't even know the meaning of 'gerund‘ while 'infinitive' seemed
somehow faraway and exciting.
Then I discovered the awful truth....
Mike JC Smith
The ideas and many of the examples in this presentation come from Explaining English Grammar by George Yule - Oxford University Press 1998
The awful truth....
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 2
Most people don’t understand this.
What is worse, when we teach something we don’t, ourselves, understand we often say, “Oh, you just have to remember this.
Here are some lists.”
Have you ever said this to a student... ... simply because you, yourself, didn’t or don’t
understand?
I did that for a while...
Searching for answers...
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 3
Most people don’t understand this.A quick search on Google “esl gerund and infinitive”
“When two verbs are used together, the second verb is often in the gerund form (-ing) or the infinitive. There are
no specific rules concerning which verbs take which form. Like irregular verbs, you will need to learn which
form a verb takes. ”
Kenneth Beare, ESL About.comhttp://esl.about.com/od/beginningenglish/ig/Basic-English/Gerund-or-Infinitive.htm
Searching for answers...
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 4
Most people don’t understand this.A quick search on Google “esl gerund and infinitive”
“... in many situations, although there is a slight difference in meaning, gerunds and infinitives are used
interchangeably. ”“With any luck your textbook will not address gerunds and infinitives directly but will still give students lots of
practice using them”
Hermione_111, busyteacher.orghttp://busyteacher.org/4123-gerund-vs.-infinitive-how-to-explain-the.html
Google “esl gerund and infinitive”
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 5
Plodding on with lists/exerciseshttp://www.eslpartyland.com/quiz-center/haightmult.htm
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9801/el-to-ing.htmlhttp://www.fiestaesl.com/gerinf.html
Potentially dangeroushttp://www.usingenglish.com/forum/general-language-discussions/713-infinitive-gerund.html
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/gerund_infinitive.htmhttp://esl.lbcc.cc.ca.us/eesllessons/gerundinf/gerundinf.htm
Might understand but not helpinghttp://esl.about.com/od/beginningenglish/ig/Basic-English/Gerund-or-Infinitive.htm
http://busyteacher.org/4123-gerund-vs.-infinitive-how-to-explain-the.htmlhttp://eslteachingideas.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/gerunds-infinitives-esl-grammar-ideas.html
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/infinitive-gerund
Understand and attempting to explainhttp://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/part_1.htm
http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/gerinf.htm
Understand and explaininghttp://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm
George Yule http://amzn.com/0194371727
The lists...http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm One of the best sites.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 6
Verbs Followed by an InfinitiveShe agreed to speak before the game.
The lists...http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm One of the best sites.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 7
Verbs Followed by an Object (some don’t need) and an InfinitiveEveryone expected her to win.
The lists...http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm One of the best sites.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 8
Verbs Followed by a GerundThey enjoyed working on the boat.
The lists...http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm One of the best sites.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 9
Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a GerundWe concentrated on doing well.
The lists...http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm One of the best sites.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 10
Verbs that take Gerund and Infinitives(do you agree?)
The lists...http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/infinitive-gerund Understand but not helping.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 11
Verbs that take Gerund and InfinitivesSame Meaning(do you agree?)
The lists...http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/infinitive-gerund Understand but not helping.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 12
Verbs that take Gerund and InfinitivesSame Meaning But Different Use
(do you agree?)Word Infinitive meaning Gerund meaning
forget / remember
with regard to the futureRemember to switch off the lights.
with regard to the pastDo you remember switching off the lights?
go onstart something newGo on to read.
continue with the same actionGo on reading.
regretwith regard to the futureI regret to say that.
with regard to the pastI regret saying that.
stopinterrupt another actionI stopped to smoke.
terminateI stopped smoking.
trydo something complicatedTry to solve this riddle.
do it and see what happensTry talking to him.
The lists...http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/infinitive-gerund Understand but not helping.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 13
Verbs that take Infinitives or Present Participle
Words Infinitive meaning Gerund meaning
feelhearsee
Emphasises that the action is completed.Example: I saw him go up the stairs.
Action can be completed, but not necessarily.Example: I saw him going up the stairs.
gocome
expresses a purposeExample: She is coming to show us the pictures.
in connection with activitiesExample: Let’s go shopping / dancing.
Let’s become more helpful...
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 14
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 15
Major ConceptsWe look at three major concepts to give the
learner a better chance of producing correct or acceptable language
● time sequencing● 'noun-ness'
● factuality and reality
Does not put the whole truth, but it is the truth and can be confidently applied by learners.
Avoids 'negative learning’.
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 16
Native Utterences
Do you surf?Yep I like/enjoy surfing.
Like to surf this afternoon?Sure, surfing is better than studying.
Hmm, the surfing is better at Bondi than Manly.Yep, I saw people surfing there today.
Let’s go surfing now...
Can you explain all this to a learner of English?
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 17
Time Sequence InfinitiveThis rule of thumb (by itself) is about 80% correct and
works for both transitive and intransitive verbs.
Would you like to surf?Do you want to eat?
My doctor encouraged me to get fit.He entered the competition to win a holiday.
All these are simple time sequences of verbs:first like then surffirst want then eat
first encourage then get fitfirst enter then win
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 18
Reverse Time Sequence Gerund
This rule of thumb (by itself) is about 60% correct.It is sometimes called ‘experiential’.
I like/love/enjoy surfingHe resented cooking for her.He finished working at 4pm.
All these are reverse time sequences of verbs(often as a consequence):enjoyment follows surfing
resentment follows cookingfinish follows working
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 19
Contrasting Time Sequences
He stopped to buy a magazine yesterday.first stop then buy
She stopped buying magazines last year.stop follows (and concludes) buying
You must remember to pay the bills.first remember then pay
You must remember paying the bills.remember follows pay
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 20
Same Time Gerund/Pres Participle
This rule of thumb overlaps with ‘reverse time’ and also covers sensory verbs.
I enjoy surfing. (enjoyment happens whilst surfing)He resented cooking. (resentment during cooking)
He finished working at 4pm. (may refer to packing up)
I saw him going up the stairs. (see/go concurrent)We heard her singing. (hear/sing concurrent)
Let’s go shopping. (go/shop concurrent)Seeing is believing. (see/is/believe concurrent)
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 21
Sensory ContrastsSensory verbs can refer to completed actions or actions
that are felt to be repetitive or ongoing.
I saw him go/going up the stairs. We heard her sing/singing.
I felt her touch/touching my hand. I heard him knock/knocking.
He was talking*.
Completed – second verb is so close to the first verb that it is part of it and becomes tenseless (non-finite)
Ongoing – action is continuous, progressive (*)
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 22
Noun-ness of GerundsGerunds can name an activity.
(take articles, possessives, determiners like nouns)
The surfing is better at Bondi today.I like her singing.
Gerunds can also name an event / course of action (focus not on event / course of action, and
the performer / agent can be a different person)
He considered walking to the city.She suggested driving.
(conveys a sense of time duration)
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 23
Verb-ness of Infinitives
Infinitives cannot name an activity (cannot work with determiners and possessives).
The *to surf is better at Bondi today.I like her/his *to sing.
Infinitives focus on action and actor/agent.
He wanted to eat. (never to be completed)She told him to cook. (completed)
(no sense of time duration)
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 24
Factuality and RealityGerunds convey a sense of fact and reality
He denied shooting the bank teller.a statement of fact meaning “I did not shoot the teller.”
although the teller had been shot (fact – something happened)
Infinitives convey a sense of action or inaction .
He refused to talk further.a statement of action or lack of action
cannot be true/false(action – something was done or not done)
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 25
Verb Types and Distance
CommitmentSelf-directed NP V infdemand, agree, decide, apply, ask, consent, aim, attempt, beg
Other-directed NP V NP inforder, command, tell, convince, persuade, urge, advise, ask, permit
AspectualPoint Time – infinitivePeriod time - gerund
begin, commence, finish, remain, start, continue, cease, carry on, quit, stay, stop,
Sensoryfeel, look at, hear, see, smell,watch, sense, observe, noticetime limited, completed, single act-> bare inftime unlimited, incomplete, series of acts -> gerund
Linguistic Distancereflects Conceptual Distance(reality, factuality, future, formality)
I told her to leave (separate)I saw her leave (concurrent)I saw her leaving (concurrent,
incomplete)
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 26
Discussion 1
● Complements following adjectivesIt’s hard (find) a parking place here. (time sequence)I was sorry (miss) you. (‘miss’ is a point-in-time verb)It’s awful (work) here. (conceptual distance = formality)It was good (see) you again. (conceptual distance = formality)
● Try these adjectivesafraid, curious, first, kind, slow, annoying, delighted, free, quick, stupid, careful, difficult, glad, reluctant, unkind, certain, eager, impossible, ridiculous, unlikely, crazy, easy, keen, rude, willing
● Can you apply any of the rules-of-thumb?time sequencing, 'noun-ness‘, factuality and reality
● Who is helping whom? He is quick to help. vs He is hard to help. Categorise the adjective set accordingly
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 27
Discussion 2
● Complements following prepositionsHe left without …I thought about …He stopped me from …I dream of …We decided against …
● Complements following nounsIt’s a nice change (go) somewhere different.He regrets his decision (sell) the land.Do you have enough money (pay) for all this?She never has a kind word (say) about him.
hint: duration, course of action
hint: time sequence
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 28
Teaching Ideas 1
● Simple Sequences -> Infinitives(Choose verbs carefully)encourage / staywarn / be carefultell / keep quietconvince / stay
● Clause elements -> Infinitives We tell / they come early -> We told them to come early.We ask / we leave -> We asked to leave.You promise / you helpHe order / we stand upShe pretended / she is illThey permit / we enterWe agree / we work harder
● Plans and Goals -> Infinitives
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 29
Teaching Ideas 2
● Turning over a new leaf. -> gerundsI should start/stop … begin, start, stop, quit, give up
● Rules prohibiting and encouraging The following are prohibited: running, smoking, eating, chewing gum
The following are encouraged:doing your homework, coming early, talking to native speakers, drinking
● Personal adsBlonde, enjoys running and dancing
Mike Smith www.mjcsmith.net 30
Real teaching ideas...
It (was / is / will be) a nice change (go) somewhere different.
I should stop (smoke cigarettes). I really want (stop).
We decided against (see a movie). We decided (not see a movie). We decided (go walk in the park.) **
He denied (rob the bank). Really? I thought he (suggest rob the bank) in the first place.
I’m afraid (of) (ask for a raise). I’ve always been (too) nervous (about) (ask for raises).
I’ve always been curious (try yoga / about try yoga). Nah, I’m reluctant (try). I propose/suggest (try it). **
I was sorry (miss you) yesterday. Yes, I regret (miss my train). ***
I loved (hear you / your sing) yesterday. Oh yes, I (see you leave) afterwards. It was kind of you (come).
I (feel her brush past me) as I stood on the crowded platform. Later, I (notice her brush her hair). ***
Identify Verb 1 and 2
Verb 1: sensory AND Verb 2: complete? (verbs are joined as one) Yes => bare infinitive
Verb 2: course of action, activity OR time duration OR V2 before OR concurrent with V1? Yes => gerund
Verb 2: after Verb 1? point-in-time-verb? Yes =>infinitive
** leads into non-finite relative clauses*** point-in-time verbs (like stative verbs they change in meaning in the v-ing form)