B2 Gerunds and Infinitives

B2 GRAMMAR · GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

The Advice Experiment

PICTURE

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"The kettle needs packing last. Everything else needs forgetting."

Verb + gerund · verb + infinitive · remember, forget, try, need — a change of meaning

Reading

Speaking

A · LEAD-IN

The worst advice you ever got

Discuss in pairs.

1. What's the worst piece of advice you've ever been given?

2. Did you follow it? What happened?

3. Who gives you advice you actually take?

PICTURE

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B · READING FOR GIST

One month, every piece of advice

Sam Okafor decided to follow every single piece of moving-house advice anyone gave him.

READ ONCE AND CHOOSE THE BEST HEADLINE

1. a) Five simple steps to a stress-free move

2. b) I tried following every piece of moving advice. It nearly broke me.

3. c) Why you should never move house with a partner

PICTURE

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B · READING

The advice experiment

by Sam Okafor

When we decided to move house last spring, I made a promise: for one month, I would try following every single piece of advice anyone gave me. I expected to learn something. I didn't expect to end up in hospital.

My sister suggested making a spreadsheet. I enjoy making spreadsheets, so this went well. My dad advised me to throw away anything I hadn't used in a year. I couldn't help keeping my school reports and a box of cables. My partner, Jo, let me keep the cables but made me throw away the reports. I still haven't forgiven her.

A colleague told me I should avoid hiring a removal company and do it myself with a van. "You can't afford to pay professionals," she said, which was true. So I tried to lift a washing machine down two flights of stairs. I'd rather not describe what happened to my back. The doctor told me to rest for three weeks and stop being an idiot. Jo refused to help with the rest. I don't blame her.

The internet suggested labelling every box on all six sides. I started doing this and continued to do it until box forty, when I gave up labelling anything at all. I remember writing "KITCHEN — FRAGILE" on a box of towels. I forgot to write anything on the box with the plates. You can imagine finding that box.

On moving day, I remembered to turn off the water, the gas and the fridge. I forgot to take the cat. Jo drove back forty minutes for her. I would prefer to forget what she said in the car.

Did anything work? One thing. A neighbour said: "Try putting a kettle, two mugs and a packet of biscuits in the car, not in the van." We sat on the floor of our empty new house drinking tea while the van was stuck in traffic, and for the first time all month, I didn't feel like crying. So that's my advice. The kettle needs packing last. Everything else needs forgetting.

C · COMPREHENSION

Right or wrong? Correct the wrong ones.

1. Sam agreed to follow advice for a whole year.

2. Jo allowed Sam to keep the cables.

3. Sam hired professionals to move the washing machine.

4. Sam labelled every box carefully from start to finish.

5. Sam forgot to switch off the gas.

6. The only advice that helped concerned tea.

D · GRAMMAR FOCUS

Part 1 — which form follows?

a) I enjoy making spreadsheets. I couldn't help keeping my school reports. I didn't feel like crying.

b) I gave up labelling anything. My sister suggested making a spreadsheet.

c) We decided to move house. You can't afford to pay professionals. Jo refused to help.

d) Jo let me keep the cables but made me throw away the reports. I'd rather not describe it.

e) I started doing this and continued to do it.

f) I'd prefer to forget what she said.

1. In (a) and (b), what form follows enjoy, can't help, feel like, suggest, and the phrasal verb give up?

2. In (c), what form follows decide, afford, refuse (and want, expect, promise)?

3. In (d), after let, make and would rather (and modals like might, should), is the infinitive with or without to?

4. In (e), start and continue take both forms. Is there a difference in meaning?

5. In British English like, love, hate, prefer usually take the gerund: I like swimming (general). When is the infinitive more natural — I like to swim first thing? And in (f), what always follows would like / love / hate / prefer?

D · GRAMMAR FOCUS

Part 2 — a change in meaning

a) I remember writing "KITCHEN - FRAGILE" on a box of towels. / I remembered to turn off the water.

b) I forgot to take the cat. / I'll never forget finding the box of plates.

c) I tried to lift a washing machine. / Try putting a kettle in the car.

d) The kettle needs packing last. (= needs to be packed)

1. In (a), which sentence means "I have a memory of doing it"? Which means "I didn't forget to do it — I did what I had to do"? Which comes first in time: the remembering or the action?

2. In (b), which means "I didn't do something I had to do"? Which means "I will always have the memory"?

3. In (c), which means "make an effort to do something difficult"? Which means "do something as an experiment, to see if it works"?

4. In (d), is need + gerund active or passive in meaning? Could we say the kettle needs to pack? What about the car needs cleaning?

D · THE RULES

Complete the rules

• Gerund after certain verbs and expressions (enjoy, can't help, feel like, suggest, avoid, give up, look forward to) and after ________ verbs.

• Infinitive with to after certain verbs (want, decide, afford, refuse, promise, expect). Infinitive without to after ________ verbs and after make, let, would rather.

• Start, begin, continue: gerund or infinitive with ________ change of meaning.

• remember / forget + to infinitive = an obligation or task; + ________ = a memory of a past event.

• try + to infinitive = make an ________ ; try + gerund = do something as an ________ .

• need + gerund = a ________ construction: the car needs cleaning = needs to be cleaned.

CAREFUL

Also worth adding: We stopped to have a coffee (= we stopped in order to do it) vs We stopped having coffee (= we gave it up).

E · CONTROLLED PRACTICE

Gerund or infinitive (with or without to)?

1. I suggest ________ (hire) a proper removal company this time.

2. We can't afford ________ (lose) another washing machine.

3. My back doctor made me ________ (promise) never to lift anything again.

4. I'd rather ________ (not / talk) about the cat.

5. Do you feel like ________ (go) out, or shall we unpack?

6. She threatened ________ (leave) if I bought one more cable.

7. I can't stand ________ (live) out of boxes.

8. Jo let me ________ (choose) the paint colour, which was a mistake.

9. He kindly offered ________ (carry) the boxes upstairs.

10. I'm really looking forward to ________ (have) a proper kitchen again.

E · CONTROLLED PRACTICE

Circle the correct form.

11. I'll never forget to see / seeing Jo's face when she found the plates.

12. Did you remember to lock / locking the old flat?

13. I remember to pack / packing the kettle, but I can't find it anywhere.

14. Have you tried to call / calling the removal company? Maybe they've got the box.

15. I tried to carry / carrying the sofa alone, but it was impossible.

16. The walls need to paint / painting before we move the furniture in.

17. We stopped to have / having a coffee halfway, which is why the van was late.

18. I forgot to tell / telling the neighbours we were leaving — they think we've been kidnapped.

F · FREER PRACTICE

The advice clinic

Work in pairs. Tell your partner about a real problem that you have.

• Give advice using: I suggest... / Have you tried...? / You should avoid... / Don't forget to... / You'd better... / I'd rather... / It needs...

• The problem's owner reports the best and the worst advice to the class.

• Writing (optional homework): Write your own "advice experiment" (100-120 words): three pieces of advice you tried to follow and what happened. Use at least one example each of remember, forget, try and need — one with a gerund, one with an infinitive.

PICTURE

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TEACHER'S REFERENCE · HIDE OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key

B GIST b) I tried following every piece of moving advice. It nearly broke me.

C 1 Wrong — for one month. 2 Right. 3 Wrong — he did it himself with a van. 4 Wrong — he gave up at box forty. 5 Wrong — he remembered the gas; he forgot the cat. 6 Right.

D PART 1 1 Gerund. 2 Infinitive with to. 3 Without to. 4 No. 5 For a specific habit or occasion; to + infinitive (I'd prefer to...).

D PART 2 1 Remember writing = memory; remembered to turn off = task done; with to + infinitive the remembering comes first, with the gerund the action comes first. 2 Forgot to take = didn't do a task; never forget finding = memory. 3 Tried to lift = effort; try putting = experiment. 4 Passive; no; the car needs cleaning = needs to be cleaned.

RULES phrasal; modal; no; gerund; effort; experiment; passive.

E 1-10 1 hiring · 2 to lose · 3 promise · 4 not talk · 5 going · 6 to leave · 7 living · 8 choose · 9 to carry · 10 having

E 11-18 11 seeing · 12 to lock · 13 packing · 14 calling · 15 to carry · 16 painting · 17 to have (stop + to infinitive = stop in order to do something; stop + gerund = stop the activity — a useful extra pair to point out) · 18 to tell