Esl - Infinitives And Gerunds

Infinitives and Gerunds When I first started teaching I didn't even know the meaning of 'gerund‘ while 'infinitive' seemed somehow faraway and exciting. Then I discovered the awful truth. Mike JC Smith The ideas and many of the examples in this presentation come from Explaining English Grammar by George Yule - Oxford University Press 1998

Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

1

Major Concepts We look at three major concepts to give the learner a better chance of producing correct or acceptable language time sequencing ● 'noun-ness' ● factuality and reality ●

This teaching strategy does not put the whole truth, but it is the truth and can be confidently applied by learners. It avoids 'negative learning' Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

2

Native Utterences Do you surf? Yep I like/enjoy surfing. Like to surf this afternoon? Sure, surfing is better than studying. Hmm, the surfing is better at Bondi than Manly. Can you explain all this to a learner or English?

Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

3

Time Sequence Infinitive This rule of thumb (by itself) is about 80% correct. Would you like to surf? Do you want to eat? My doctor encouraged me to get fit. He entered to competition to win a holiday. All these are simple time sequences of verbs: first like then surf first want then eat first encourage then get fit first enter then win Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

4

Reverse Time Sequence Gerund This rule of thumb (by itself) is about 60% correct. I like/love/enjoy surfing He resented cooking for her. He finished working at 4pm. All these are reverse time sequences of verbs (often as a consequence): enjoyment follows surfing resentment follows cooking finish follows working Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

5

Contrasting Time Sequences He stopped to buy a magazine yesterday. first stop then buy

She stopped buying magazines last year. stop follows (and concludes) buying

You must remember to pay the bills. first remember then pay

You must remember paying the bills. remember follows pay Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

6

Noun-ness of Gerunds Gerunds can name an activity. (take articles, possessives, determiners like nouns) The surfing is better at Bondi today. I like her singing.

Gerunds can also refer to an event (focus not on action and the performer of an action can be a different person) He considered walking to the city. She suggested driving. Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

7

Verb-ness of Infinitives Infinitives cannot name an activity. The *to surf is better at Bondi today. I like her *to sing.

Infinitives focus on action and actor He wanted to eat. She told him to cook. Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

8

Factuality and Reality Gerunds convey a sense of fact and reality He denied shooting the bank teller.

a statement of fact meaning “I did not shoot the teller.” although the teller had been shot (fact – something happened)

Infinitives convey a sense of action or inaction . He refused to talk further. a statement of action or lack of action cannot be true/false (action – something was done or not done) Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

9

Verb Types and Distance Commitment

Self-directed NP V inf demand, agree, decide, apply, ask, consent, aim, attempt, beg Other-directed NP V NP inf order, command, tell, convince, persuade, urge, advise, ask, permit

Sensory

feel, look at, hear, see, smell, watch, sense, observe, notice time limited, completed, single act -> bare inf time unlimited, incomplete, series of acts -> gerund Mike Smith

Aspectual

Point Time – infinitive Period time - gerund begin, commence, finish, remain, start, continue, cease, carry on, quit, stay, stop,

Linguistic Distance

reflects Conceptual Distance I told her to leave (separate) I saw her leave (concurrent) I saw her leaving concurrent, incomplete)

www.mjcsmith.net

10

Discussion 1 ●

Complements following adjectives It’s hard (find) a parking place here. I was sorry (miss) you. It’s awful (work) here. It was good (see) you again

●

Try these adjectives

afraid, curious, first, kind, slow, annoying, delighted, free, quick, stupid, careful, difficult, glad, reluctant, unkind, certain, eager, impossible, ridculous, unlikely, crazy, easy, keen, rude, willing ●

Can you apply any of the rules-of-thumb? time sequencing, 'noun-ness‘, factuality and reality

●

Who is helping whom?

He is quick to help. vs He is hard to help. Categorise the adjective set accordingly Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

11

Discussion 2 ●

Complements following prepositions He left without … I thought about … He stopped me from … I dream of … We decided against …

●

Complements following nouns It’s a nice change (go) somewhere different. He regrets his decision (sell) the land. Do you have enough money (sell) for all this? She never has a kind word (say) about him.

Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

12

Teaching Ideas 1 ●

Simple Sequences -> Infinitives (Choose verbs carefully) encourage / stay warn / be careful tell / keep quiet convince / stay

●

Clause elements -> Infinitives

We tell / they come early -> We told them to come early. We ask / we leave -> We asked to leave. You promise / you help He order / we stand up She pretended / she is ill They permit / we enter We agree / we work harder ●

Plans and Goals -> Infinitives Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

13

Teaching Ideas 2 ●

Turning over a new leaf. -> gerunds I should start/stop … begin, start, stop, quit, give up

●

Rules prohibiting and encouraging The following are prohibited: running, smoking, eating, chewing gum

The following are encouraged:

doing your homework, coming early, talking to native speakers, drinking ●

Personal ads

Blond, enjoys running and dancing

Mike Smith

www.mjcsmith.net

14