Language Schools December
Focus on activity: Gerund or Infinitive
Target audience (age): young adults, adults
Lesson link: English ID 3B, Unit 10
Aim: practicing verb + gerund or infinitive
Duration: 30-40 minutes
Organization: individual, pair and group work
Material: worksheets, internet access, printed prompts
Preparation: have worksheets ready, print the prompts, check the links:
Game: http://www.eslgamesplus.com/ing-gerunds-infinitive-spin/ (accessed on 10/17/2014)
http://www.vagalume.com.br/the-beatles/we-can-work-it-out.html (accessed on 11/6/2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS276uYV0Uk (accessed on 11/6/2014)
http://www.vagalume.com.br/arctic-monkeys/when-the-sun-goes-down.html (accessed on
11/6/2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqkBRVukQmE (accessed on 11/6/2014)
http://www.vagalume.com.br/shakira/whenever-wherever.html (accessed on 11/6/2014)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weRHyjj34ZE (accessed on 11/6/2014)
Procedure:
• Revise the use of gerunds and infinitives.
• Play the videos/songs suggested or any other that you choose and tell students to write down at least
two examples of infinitive, two of gerunds and two of bare infinitives while they watch/listen to them.
• Play it again if necessary. Check what students wrote down and compare to the examples given.
• Have students compare their examples in activity 1 to the ones they wrote down while watching the
videos.
• Ask students if they can come up with any patterns, by asking them to choose the correct endings in
activity 4.
Verbs followed by an infinitive: agree, ask, be able, choose, continue, dislike, forget, get, have, intend,
love, start, stop, try, use, wait, want, wish etc.
Verbs followed by an object and an infinitive: allow, ask, buy, choose, have, hire, leave, let, like, love,
pay, remind, teach, want etc.
Verbs followed by a gerund: admit, have, avoid, can’t help, enjoy, finish, permit, practice, resist,
suggest, waste (time) etc.
Verbs followed by a bare infinitive: modal verbs: can, could, may, might, should, must, will, would,
make, let, see, watch, feel, notice, hear etc.
• Divide students into pairs and give each two prompts. Students should talk for one minute including
the prompts they were given.
• Invite some students to present their conversations to the class.
Wrap up: use the link to have students play online. There can be up to four teams.
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/ing-gerunds-infinitive-spin/ (accessed on 10/17/2014)
Photocopiable – Teacher’s copy
Answer key
1. Make up sentences using the gerund, the infinitive or bare infinitive depending on the verb.
Answers will vary.
agree – infinitive
suggest – gerund
can’t help – gerund
should – bare infinitive
love – infinitive
practice – gerund
continue – infinitive
make – bare infinitive
finish – gerund
want – infinitive
watch – bare infinitive
2. Write three examples of gerund and three examples of infinitive in songs you are familiar with.
Answers will vary.
3. Watch the videos or listen to the songs and write two examples of gerund, two examples of
infinitive and two examples of bare infinitive. Answers will vary.
4. Compare the examples in 1, 2, and 3.
5. Underline the correct pattern.
a) Prepositions are usually followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
b) Adjectives are usually followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
c) Modal auxiliary verbs are followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
d) When a verb is the subject of a sentence, it is usually a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
e) When a verb is used to say why somebody does something, it is usually a gerund / a full infinitive / a
bare infinitive.
f ) When there are two verbs in a sentence, the second one is a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive / it
varies
g) A few verbs such as ‘make’ and ‘let’ are followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
6. Talk to your partner for one minute using two prompts.
Suggested prompts:
I bought a notebook…
I’m crazy about…
I’m interested in…
I’m writing…
I think it’s silly…
I expect…
I hate…
I should…
I let…
I find it easy…
I’m quite good at…
I don’t mind…
I’d love to…
I always avoid…
My parents made me…
I called my friend…
I bought an iPod…
I think it’s rude…
Sometimes I pretend…
I spend a long time…
Photocopiable – Teacher’s copy
Name____________________________________________________________ Date___/___/___
1. Make up sentences using the gerund, the infinitive or bare infinitive depending on the verb.
agree – infinitive
should – bare infinitive
continue – infinitive
finish – gerund
suggest – gerund
love – infinitive
make – bare infinitive
want – infinitive
can’t help – gerund
practice – gerund
watch – bare infinitive
2. Write three examples of gerund and three examples of infinitive in songs you are familiar with.
3. Watch the videos or listen to the songs and write two examples of gerund, two examples of
infinitive and two examples of bare infinitive.
4. Compare the examples in 1, 2, and 3.
5. Underline the correct pattern.
a) Prepositions are usually followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
b) Adjectives are usually followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
c) Modal auxiliary verbs are followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
d) When a verb is the subject of a sentence, it is usually a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
e) When a verb is used to say why somebody does something, it is usually a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare
infinitive.
f ) When there are two verbs in a sentence, the second one is a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive / it
varies.
g) A few verbs such as ‘make’ and ‘let’ are followed by a gerund / a full infinitive / a bare infinitive.
6. Talk to your partner for one minute using two prompts.
Photocopiable – Student’s copy