You Have Five New Messages — Infinitive with to (A2)

A2 · INFINITIVE WITH TO

You Have Five New Messages

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“It’s easy to make pasta for twelve people… probably.”

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to + infinitive: after verbs, adjectives, question words, and for purpose

Listening

Speaking

STAGE 1 · WARM-UP

Phone confessions

Ask your partner:

1. Do you listen to your voicemails — or do you see “1 new message” and ignore it forever?

2. Who leaves you the longest voice notes?

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STAGE 2 · BEFORE YOU LISTEN

Five messages

Jonas has been in the cinema for three hours. When he comes out, he has five voicemails — and one of them is going to ruin his evening.

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LISTEN ONCE

Which message is the bad news?

STAGE 3 · LISTENING

Listen — which message is the bad news?

STAGE 3 · LISTENING

Listen — which message is the bad news?

Tapescript: Jonas’s voicemail

1 — LENA: I’m calling to invite you to my birthday dinner tomorrow, eight o’clock, the Italian place. Book a taxi early — there’s a festival!

2 — MUM: Nothing urgent. Your father wants to buy new trousers, and we don’t know where to go. Also, we’ve decided to visit you next month!

3 — CLINIC: We’re calling to confirm your appointment on Monday at 9. Please remember to bring your insurance card.

4 — MARCO: I have two tickets to see The Lemon Kings on Sunday — front row! Tickets like this are impossible to find, so say yes. I promise not to sing. Well, I’ll try not to sing.

5 — LENA (again): Small problem. The Italian place has no table! New plan: dinner’s at my flat, and I need you to help me cook. It’s easy to make pasta for twelve… probably. Come at five — and bring your big pot and your chairs!

STAGE 4 · COMPREHENSION

Why did each person call?

Match the caller to their reason. There is one extra reason!

CALLER

REASON

1. Lena (first call)

2. Mum

3. The clinic

4. Marco

5. Lena (second call)

• to confirm an appointment

• to invite Jonas to a concert

• to invite Jonas to a dinner

• to cancel a dinner

• to say hello and ask a question

• to ask for help (and a pot, and chairs…)

STAGE 5 · TALK ABOUT IT

What do you think?

Discuss with a partner.

Which message would you answer first? Is there a message you would “forget” to answer?

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Lena asks for a lot of help the night before. Is that OK between friends?

STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — NOTICE

Four uses of to + infinitive

Match each line to its use of to + infinitive.

line from a message

use

I’m calling to invite you to my dinner.

a) to say WHY (purpose)

I forgot to send you the invitation.

b) after a QUESTION WORD

It’s important to book a taxi early.

c) after an ADJECTIVE

We don’t know where to go.

d) after certain VERBS

Find the negative infinitive in Marco’s message: I promise ________________.

Underline three more verbs in the tapescript followed by to + infinitive.

STAGE 7 · THE RULES

The infinitive with to

USE to + INFINITIVE:

• after certain verbs (want, need, decide, plan, forget, remember, promise, try, hope, learn): We’ve decided to visit you.

• after adjectives: It’s important to book early. Tickets are impossible to find.

• after question words (what, where, how): We don’t know where to go.

• to say why (purpose): I’m calling to invite you. (not “for invite”)

Negative: not + to + infinitive — I promise not to sing. After can / will / must, use the infinitive WITHOUT to: I’ll try.

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Complete with to + a verb

From the box: bring · sing · say · find · change · cook · go · help

1. Lena needs Jonas ______ her ______ for twelve people.

2. The clinic called ______ the appointment; press one if you need ______ it.

3. Marco promised not ______ at the concert.

4. Mum phoned just ______ hello.

5. Jonas mustn’t forget ______ his insurance card.

6. Front-row tickets are very difficult ______.

7. Jonas’s parents don’t know where ______ for trousers.

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Answer with to + infinitive (why?)

Invent your own answers! Example: Why go to the gym? → To get fit. / To meet people!

1. Why are you learning English?

2. Why do people give flowers?

3. Why did you come to class today?

4. Why do people climb mountains?

5. Why do we need mirrors?

STAGE 9 · SPEAKING

The voicemail chain

STEPS 1–2 — BUILD A VOICEMAIL (groups of four, in a circle)

1. Start a voicemail to the person on your left: “Hi ___, it’s ___. I’m calling to…” (an invitation, a favour, exciting news, a disaster!)

2. Pass left. Continue it with a complication: “…but there’s a problem. I forgot to…”

3. Pass again. Add a request: “So I need you to… / Please remember to…”

4. The fourth person writes the dramatic ending.

STEPS 3–4 — PERFORM & REPLY

Each group performs its best voicemail aloud — with feeling, beeps included. Then choose one voicemail from another group and improvise the phone call that answers it. The class counts the infinitives — which pair used the most, correctly?

TEACHER'S REFERENCE

Answer key

2 Message 5 (Lena’s second call — the restaurant lost the booking).

4a 1 → invite to a dinner · 2 → say hello & ask a question · 3 → confirm an appointment · 4 → invite to a concert · 5 → ask for help (extra reason: cancel a dinner)

4b 1 There’s a festival in town. 2 His insurance card. 3 He promises not to sing — then says he’ll try. 4 Message 5: help her cook, and bring his big pot and chairs.

6 1→c · 2→d · 3→a · 4→b · negative: not to sing.

8a 1 to help / to cook 2 to confirm / to change 3 to sing 4 to say 5 to bring 6 to find 7 to go

8b (sample) 1 To travel / to get a better job. 2 To say sorry or thank you. 3 To learn something / to see my friends. 4 To feel free / to take photos at the top. 5 To check our hair before a date!