Unit 10: Sunny's job hunt
Gerunds and infinitives
Select a unit
- 1 Nice to meet you!
- 2 What to wear
- 3 Like this, like that
- 4 The daily grind
- 5 Christmas every day
- 6 Great achievers
- 7 The Titanic
- 8 Travel
- 9 The big wedding
- 10 Sunny's job hunt
- 11 The bucket list
- 12 Moving and migration
- 13 Welcome to BBC Broadcasting House
- 14 New Year, New Project
- 15 From Handel to Hendrix
- 16 What's the weather like?
- 17 The Digital Revolution
- 18 A detective story
- 19 A place to live
- 20 The Cult of Celebrity
- 21 Welcome to your new job
- 22 Beyond the planets
- 23 Great expectations!
- 24 Eco-tourism
- 25 Moving house
- 26 It must be love
- 27 Job hunting success... and failure
- 28 Speeding into the future
- 29 Lost arts
- 30 Tales of survival
Session 2
So, when is a verb followed by a gerund - and when is it followed by an infinitive? In this session you will do some practical activities, and listen to 6 Minute Grammar, to help you improve your knowledge of this tricky area of grammar.
Activity 1
Gerund or infinitive?
I've tried looking for a job everywhere…
In Session 1 you heard all about Sunny and her search for a job. Can you remember what Sunny said she really, really likes doing? And another thing she always tries to do?
Read the text and complete the activity
Grammar notes
When we use two verbs together, the second verb usually changes its form to either a gerund or an infinitive. Gerunds and infinitives combine the meaning of a verb with the grammar of a noun.
Sunny said: I really, really like travelling – here, the verb like is followed by a gerund: travelling.
Sunny also said she decided to study drama – the verb decided here is followed by an infinitive: to study.
Gerunds are made by changing a verb to an –ing form.
- play – playing
- watch – watching
- run – running
- swim – swimming
Infinitives are made of to + the base form of the verb.
- to play
- to watch
- to run
- to swim
But we need to learn which form comes after each verb. Some verbs can only be followed by a gerund, and some only by an infinitive. Others can be followed by either. See how many you already know in the next activity.
To do
Are these verbs followed by gerunds or infinitives?
Followed by gerund or infinitive?
10 Questions
Move each verb into the correct column
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 1 of 10
Followed by a gerund
Followed by an infinitive
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
Followed by gerund or infinitive?
10 Questions
Move each verb into the correct column
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 1 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 2 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 3 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 4 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 5 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 6 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 7 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 8 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 9 of 10
Help
Activity
Move each verb into the correct column
Hint
If you need to, you can check the Grammar Reference. But try to do it without that to see how much you know already.Question 10 of 10
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
So how did you do? If you need to read a bit more about this, take a look at the Grammar Reference.
Next
In the next activity we’ll explain a bit more about how these verbs, gerunds and infinitives all work together. And we’ll learn that with some verbs it’s really important to know which one to use because it can change the meaning of what you say!
Session Grammar
Gerund
= verb+ing (swimming, studying)Infinitive
= 'to' + base form of the verb (to swim, to study)