Mike Smith 1 Infinitives and Gerunds When I first started teaching I didn't even know the meaning...

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....


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...


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...


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”


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.


Verbs Followed by an InfinitiveShe agreed to speak before the game.



Verbs Followed by an Object (some don’t need) and an InfinitiveEveryone expected her to win.



Verbs Followed by a GerundThey enjoyed working on the boat.



Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a GerundWe concentrated on doing well.



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.


Verbs that take Gerund and InfinitivesSame Meaning(do you agree?)



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.



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...



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’.


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?


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


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


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


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)


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 (*)


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)


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)


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)


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)


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


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


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


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


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)

Mike Smith 1 Infinitives and Gerunds When I first started teaching I didn't even know the meaning...

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