Grammar summary | UNIT 6

VERB PATTERNS WITH INFINITIVE Notice that teach is often followed by how before
AND -ING to + infinitive.
He taught me (how) to play guitar.
verb + agree, decide, expect, hope, learn
to + (how), manage, need, plan, promise, Verb + -ing
infinitive seem, try, want, would like
We use the -ing form of the verb after certain verbs.
verb + object + ask, encourage, expect, help, need, I enjoy listening to music in my car.
to + infinitive persuade, teach . . . (how), tell, want, They don’t like watching football matches.
would like Did you consider saying ‘no’?

verb + -ing avoid, consider, continue, enjoy,

finish, hate, like, spend time
Verb + -ing or to + infinitive
verb + -ing OR continue, like, start
Some verbs can be followed by either -ing or to + infinitive.
to + infinitive
The meaning is the same. The most common verbs which can be
followed by both forms are: continue, like and start.
Verb + to + infinitive It continued to rain / raining for three days.
I like to eat / eating Chinese food from time to time.
After certain verbs we use the to + infinitive form of another verb. He started to play / playing football when he was
This is often to talk about hopes, intentions and decisions. five.
We decided to wait.
I tried to explain the risks. Negatives in verb patterns
He wants to come with us.
To make the second verb negative in these verb patterns, we use
not before to + infinitive or the -ing form.
Common verbs which are followed by the to + infinitive I told him not to wait.
form are: agree, decide, expect, hope, learn, manage, We spent a lot of time not doing anything.
need, plan, promise, seem, try, want, would like. ► Exercises 1 and 2
Notice that know and learn are often followed by how before
to + infinitive. INFINITIVE AND -ING CLAUSES
I know (how) to write my name in Japanese.
We can use verbs in two ways to describe how something is.
She is learning (how) to swim.
It + be + adjective + to Verb + -ing + be +
Verb + object + to + infinitive + adjective
Certain verbs can also have an object before the to + infinitive infinitive
form of another verb. In these cases the object is the object of the It is easy to find our Finding our house is easy.
main verb but the subject of the to + infinitive verb. house.
She asked me to check the train times. I It is tiring to Commuting every
would like everyone to concentrate. commute every day is tiring.
I need you to help me with my homework. day.

► Exercises 3–5

Common verbs which are followed by object + to

+ infinitive are: ask, encourage, expect, help, need,
persuade, teach, tell, want, would like.
Some verbs must have an object before to + infinitive. The
most common are: encourage, persuade, tell, teach.
I told him to wait in reception.
They persuaded us to stay another night.

We don’t have to use to with the verb help.

Coffee helps me (to) stay awake.

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 EXERCISES 3 Rewrite the sentences so they have the same meaning.
1 Complete the conversations using to + infinitive or the 1 It can be stressful to change jobs.
-ing form of the verbs. Changing jobs can be stressful.
1 A: What are you doing? 2 Knowing the right person to contact is essential.
B: I’m trying 1 to fix (fix) my bike. It’s essential to know the right person to contact.
A: Would you like me 2 to help (help) you? B: Yes, please. Do 3 Helping people with their problems is very rewarding.
you know how It’s very rewarding to help people with their problems.
3
to make (make) the brakes work? 4 It was strange to see him again after so many years.
2 A: Do you enjoy 4 speaking (speak) in public? B: I don’t mind Seeing him again after so many years was strange.
5
giving (give) presentations if I have time to prepare. 5 Walking downhill is easier than walking uphill.
A: I hate 6 standing (stand) up in front of It's easier to walk downhill than to walk uphill.
6 It was embarrassing not to have the right information.
large groups of people. Not having the right information is embarrassing.
B: When do you have to do that? 7 Planning a big event takes a long time.
A: I agreed 7 to give (give) a talk at a conference next month. It takes a long time to plan a big event.
8 It was great to spend time with my family.
3 A: Are you planning 8 to do (do) great. anything Spending time with my family was great.
special for your 30th birthday?
B: Yes. My friend Juan and I have decided 4 Write two sentences for each set of prompts.
9
to have (have) a big party.
1 nice / have a picnic / in the summer
A: Where? It’s nice to have a picnic in the summer.
B: We considered 10 renting (rent) the DanceMania nightclub,
Having a picnic in the summer is nice.
but it was too expensive.
A: How many people do you expect 2 not easy / write poetry
11
to come(come)?
B: About 200. We’ll continue 12 looking Writing poetry is not easy.
(look) for a venue, but it’s not easy. It is not easy to write poetry.
3 tiring / work / twelve hours per day

4 A: What do you think of these companies that avoid Working twelve hours per day is tiring
It’s tiring to work twelve hours per day.

13
paying (pay) their taxes? 4 bad idea (bi) / go for a run / without a bottle of water
(w)

B: I think it’s terrible. Someone needs14 to do (do) something Going for a run without a bottle of water is a bi
It´s a bad idea to go for a run without a bottle of w
about it. .
A: I agree. It seems 15 to be (be) the big companies that are the Booking tickets in advance is sensible
problem. It’s sensible to book tickets in advance
5 sensible / book tickets / in advance
B: Why should small companies pay and not big ones?
No one likes 16 paking (pay) taxes. Phoning people after 9 p.m. is not polite
6 not polite / phone people / after 9 p.m. It’s not polite to phone people after 9 p.m.

2 Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1 buy / to / some / need / I / stamps

I need to buy some stamps 5 Correct the mistakes in each sentence.

.
2 you / him / me / call / can / tell / to 1 I enjoy to listen to classical music.
Can you tell him to call me? listening
3 want / you / go / me / to / do / the bank / to 2 I don’t mind wait.
Do you want me to go to the bank? waiting
4 not / I / hope / be / late / to 3 Can you help us finding a new apartment?
I hope not to be late. to find
5 agreed / her / pay / £12 per hour / I / to 4 He told to do my work again.
I agreed to pay her £12 per hour. told me to do
6 not / hate / I / the answer / knowing 5 I persuaded him to not leave.
 I hate not knowing the answer. not to
7 me / encouraged / the job / apply / she / for / to 6 To work late at night is a bad idea.
She encouraged me to apply for the job. Working
8 her / asked / two tickets / to / I / book
I asked her to book two tickets.

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