Gerunds and infinitives in English
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This chapter will discuss the gerunds that follow an infinitive in English.
There are two situations in English in which the infinitive must be followed by a gerund.
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Infinitives that must be followed by gerunds | Example |
---|---|
Abhor | She abhors making homework. |
Acknowledge | She acknowledges his studying hard for the exams. |
Admit | I admit wasting money. |
Advise | You advise saving money. |
Allow | She allows using laptops in class. |
Anticipate | She anticipates travelling to the United States next month. |
Avoid | She avoids using the elevator. |
Celebrate | She celebrates working at the company for 10 years. |
Confess | He confesses stealing from the company. |
Consider | Mike considers buying a new bike. |
Defend | She defends buying a new bike, because her other bike got stolen. |
Delay | She delays the meeting to next week. |
Discontinue | She discontinued working with him. |
Discuss | They discussed living together. |
Encourage | I encourage travelling the world. |
Enjoy | You enjoyed travelling through Asia. |
Escape | We escaped running through the woods. |
Fancy | I fancy walking on the beach. |
Finish | We finished making homework and went home. |
Forgive | They forgive running in the classroom. |
Imagine | You imagined living in Spain. |
Keep | They keep learning something everyday. |
Like | They liked going there. |
Love | He loved having her here. |
Mention | We mentioned living in London before. |
Mind | He doesn't mind smoking. |
Miss | She misses spending time with her family. |
Permit | They will permit fishing. |
Picture | He pictures travelling to Asia. |
Propose | They proposed living in Amsterdam. |
Postpone | She postponed living in London for a year. |
Practice | Practice playing soccer every day. |
Prefer | I prefer running for an hour. |
Recommend | They recommended running before dinner. |
Resist | She resisted studying. |
Resume | I resumed speaking when he left the room. |
Stop | He stops smoking immediately. |
Suggest | She suggested helping each other. |
Support | We supported spending time with our grandmother. |
Understand | She understands helping each other. |
Urge | She urges spending time in homework. |
Some infinitives need the preposition 'to' when the gerund follows.
Infinitive | Example |
---|---|
Admit to | You admitted to saying something mean about her. |
Be used to | I am getting used to waking up at 6 o'clock. |
Commit to | She is committed to working hard. |
Confess to | He confessed to being the one that left the door open. |
Get used to | I am getting used to waking up at 6 o'clock. |
Look forward to | He is looking forward to having you here. |
Object to | She objected to admitting that it was her fault. |
Fill in a gerund or infinitive in English.
Remember:
Example:
She is getting used to up at 5 o'clock. (to wake up)
They agreed a new phone for me. (to buy)
Were you thinking of Paris? (to visit)
I want my Spanish. (to improve)
I learned at the age of 3. (to read)
I don't mind for her. (to work)
The question is difficult . (to answer)
I prefer over walking. (to run)
They are looking forward to you here. (to have)
My mother expected me hard for my exams. (to study)
Complete the sentences with the correct form, choose:
Example:
He always wears shoes. (to run)
I had a new place to live after my house burned down. (to find)
They prefer outside for lunch. (to sit)
Sara forgot her mother if she could go to the party. (to ask)
in a villa in Spain is my dream. (to live)
We practiced the entire afternoon. (to dance)
My mother did not regret that diving course. (to do)
You are very happy her again, aren't you? (to see)
They are very good at faces. (to draw)
I do not remember you that story. (to tell)
Fill in a gerund or infinitive in English.
Remember:
Example:
She is getting used to up at 5 o'clock. (to wake up)
They agreed a new phone for me. (to buy)
Were you thinking of Paris? (to visit)
I want my Spanish. (to improve)
I learned at the age of 3. (to read)
I don't mind for her. (to work)
The question is difficult . (to answer)
I prefer over walking. (to run)
They are looking forward to you here. (to have)
My mother expected me hard for my exams. (to study)
Complete the sentences with the correct form, choose:
Example:
He always wears shoes. (to run)
I had a new place to live after my house burned down. (to find)
They prefer outside for lunch. (to sit)
Sara forgot her mother if she could go to the party. (to ask)
in a villa in Spain is my dream. (to live)
We practiced the entire afternoon. (to dance)
My mother did not regret that diving course. (to do)
You are very happy her again, aren't you? (to see)
They are very good at faces. (to draw)
I do not remember you that story. (to tell)
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My name is Alessia and I currently live in Italy. I spent a few years in the United States where I deepened my knowledge of English and American dialects. I am currently specializing in Spanish and German. Over the years, I have given private lessons in Italian, English, Spanish, and Japanese, with Japanese being the most requested at the moment. Regarding Japanese, I had the opportunity to teach the language at an American college with a native Japanese teacher, applying the method that they use to learn their own language. I will help you in a simple way; conversation is really important for learning a language, and a good method is even more fundamental. No days spent on textbooks are needed; consistency and fun during lessons are the most important parts of learning. You will see results right away! I am patient, flexible, and will adapt in every way to your personal needs. I look forward to seeing you on my profile for a trial lesson and discovering an easy and fun method to learn a language as soon as possible.
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Hi!
I'm Emma, I'm originally from London but have lived in many countries around the world, and currently live in Italy. I have learnt foreign languages myself, so I can empathise with your every concern about learning a new language!
I speak english with a very clear British accent, and I have much experience with all levels of english learners, from beginners to advanced, from young children to retired adults, online and in person.
Just let me know your needs and language goals, and I will help you!
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Emma is a very good teacher, she is helpful and patient. She helped me to prepare for B2 English exam. She improved my pronunciation and my vocabulary and she understood what I needed.
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Hi everyone! My name is Morena a passionate traveller and a languages enthusiast!
My mother tongue is Italian, and I was born and raised in the beautiful region of Marche in central Italy. I lived abroad for 15 years, and spent 12 of them in the wonderful London.
I am a certified Celta teacher at Strafford House School in London and I have recently obtained the Ditals certification from the University of Siena for teaching Italian as a foreign language.
What are my lessons like? I normally teach students of all levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced). I love to use everyday situations to teach common expressions useful for communication as well as vocabulary and grammar. I adapt different teaching methods and approaches according to my students' learning needs, interests and background. I can help you with exam preparation (CILS, CELI, PLIDA, and all Cambridge or IELTS exams), also I can create business or technical language lessons if you have this need.
I provide tailor-made lessons because I believe that every student is different and needs a special and fun method to learn a language with a purpose. If you would like help please contact me with your questions or goal, then we can discuss the best strategy and flexible plan to become fluent in Italian or English! Speak soon. Ciao, a presto!
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Morena generally teaches to adults, but she also has experience with teaching children. She has different learning materials and personalizes her classes to her students wants and needs. She is very patient. Furthermore, she teaches English and Italian to all levels (A1 to C2)
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there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
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Carl is an experienced teacher. He provides personalized lessons and learning materials. He teaches all ages.
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Lucille is an enthusiastic teacher. She has 4 years of teaching experience. She has taught to children and adults. Furthermore, she is eager to help you learn English!
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I have been teaching since my Uni years in Korea, going on twenty years now. I love my job, my students, the challenges, the joy. I know what my students are facing face along the way, their concerns and setbacks - I've been there. I am a very capable and efficient teacher, confident in getting the best results.
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Experienced English Teacher with 13 Years of Success in Italy – Fluent in English and Italian
Hello, I’m Jason — a native English teacher from the UK, now based in the heart of Italy. For the past 13 years, I’ve been helping students of every age, level, and ability achieve their English language goals. Whether you need English for school, exams, work, or business, I can guide you to success.
My teaching approach is designed to build your confidence in speaking, strengthen your listening skills, and give you a clear, practical understanding of English grammar.
Why focus on speaking first? Because my students achieve the best results when they can start communicating in English as early as possible. Once you are able to hold a simple conversation, you will quickly develop all areas of your language ability.
Of course, if your main goal is mastering grammar or written English, I can tailor our lessons to meet those specific needs.
For professionals requiring specialised vocabulary, I offer flexible courses in business, medicine, and tourism, which can be adapted to suit any professional environment.
I work with students aged 3 to 70, and every lesson is carefully personalised to give each learner the best chance to reach their full potential.
If you’re ready to start your journey to confident English, feel free to contact me for an informal chat and a free trial lesson. I look forward to hearing from you!
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I met Jason about a year ago and immediately I really liked his teaching method, his patience, his ability to carry out lessons that are always different and never monotonous and, above all, his suggestions and continuous encouragement to improve. He is truly a great teacher!
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I am an English language teacher with a strong academic background and a love of languages. I enjoy helping people to develop their ability to use English in different contexts.
I have the internationally recognised Cambridge CELTA qualification (Pass A) in English language teaching. I am teaching English to those learning for professional reasons or academic study as well as those learning for personal reasons or holidays. I am able to teach all levels from beginner to advanced (CEFR Levels A1-C2). I usually teach adults.
I have studied social sciences to PhD level and have experience of working in universities as a researcher, including giving tutorials. I have also worked as a professional proofreader.
I speak British English and I have an appreciation of other varieties of English, sometimes referred to as ‘Global Englishes’, as well as the use of English as a ‘lingua franca’ or common language.
I have been trained in the ‘communicative approach’ to language teaching. This approach is based on the idea that the best way for us to learn a language is through using it in communication that is meaningful for us. My lessons will help you to learn English through using it in activities and tasks that are connected to your reasons for learning English and your wider interests. The lessons will include vocabulary, grammar and other aspects of language as well as the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, depending on your priorities. I would like to have some background information about you, including why you are learning English, your professional and/or personal interests and your first language. I can then create lessons that meet your individual needs with activities that are personalised for you.
I have also been trained in teaching English online and I am familiar with a range of digital tools that can make the lessons effective and interesting. I am also familiar with several sources of professionally designed study materials that are publicly available for adaptation for different learners. I will give you feedback on your strengths and on how to improve. I can also give guidance on homework and other resources you can access, if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback on each lesson.
I have experience of learning languages myself, including Mandarin and Turkish, which I really enjoy. I hope that you will enjoy my English lessons.
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Emily is a native speaker, this is why she is an ideal teacher if you want to learn more than only the English language. She teaches to adults and to all levels A1 until C2. She has lots of different and interactive learning materials. Overall, she is a great teacher, and you will surely learn a lot from her.
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Catherine is an excellent teacher and communicator. In our initial session, we had an extremely productive conversation about goals and expectations and what I was seeking with personal lessons in Spanish. This allowed her to tailor our first lesson to my needs. I learned so much! She helped substantially with pronunciation and verb conjugations. I look forward to our next sessions and continued learning. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking to improve their language skills in Spanish and English, in particular.
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My name is Yora Atanasova. I have been a tutor of English and Bulgarian online since 2013, in-person in non-formal language schools, and then solo online.
I have also worked as a staff training and qualification expert within the Bulgarian career guidance system in education. For a decade, I have been an independent EU expert in the fields of vocational training and guidance and non-formal education mainly.
Writing short stories and blogging is my hobby. Currently, eco skills have also become of prior importance to me; as I have moved to live in symbiosis (commensalism) with nature.
MY EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
First of my Master's degrees is in Pedagogy, the second one is in Cultural and Historical Heritage.
I have obtained an IELTS certificate, band 7.5,, and also a 50-hour TESOL certificate through a MOOC .
METHODS
Facilitating natural learning through creative solo activity and in-group interaction and communication, with some flavor of art.
Methods used are largely based on Suggestopedia and "democratic education" under the school models of Sudbury Valley (USA) and Summerhill (UK), plus ICT.
This creative language learning in small groups through reading/writing and communication includes:
- TWO GROUP EVENTS a week: a webinar and a presentation event;
- DAILY TASKS between the group events: SOLO ones - on individual creative projects, and peer project reviews IN MICRO GROUPS of 3÷4 people.
There is much solo work of creative character to be done and enjoyed, as well as feedback e-forms to be filled in.
The two group activities take place on:
✓ Monday and Wednesday;
or
✓ Tuesday and Thursday.
The weekly project produce can be:
- A written text, original or translation;
- An audio story / video with the text display;
- A combination of both.
THIS FORMAT WILL SUIT:
✓ Creative people;,
✓ Active freedom lovers, who'd rather co-build their course;
✓ Those who like learning like in a hobby club.
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The lesson was again very useful for me but at the same time difficult. We used different learning materials that make it easier for us.
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I'm Rick, a CELTA-certified English language teacher.
Raised bilingually by an English mother and Dutch father. Lived, studied and worked in London.
Originally a classically trained singer and therefore have a sharp ear for pronunciation and vowel formation.
As a singer, I'm used to speaking and singing a lot of different languages (Italian, German, French, Russian, Czech, English, Dutch) and am used to working, and speaking English, with people from all around the world, which I like very much!
I have a lot of experience with online teaching, as well as live in person.
I teach grammar, listening, reading and speaking, using materials from different course books, adapted to the needs of you as a student.
My lessons are a combination of depth and personal touch.
I'm flexible, creative and fun, so send me a message and I hope to be helping you out with your English language learning in the near future!
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Rick is a new teacher on our platform, and he is eager to help you learn English. He has experience in giving exam training and teaches English from the level A1 until B2. Furthermore, he is very structured and adjusts his classes to your needs. You will surely learn a lot from him!
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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Hi, welcome to my profile!
My name is Alessia and I currently live in Italy. I spent a few years in the United States where I deepened my knowledge of English and American dialects. I am currently specializing in Spanish and German. Over the years, I have given private lessons in Italian, English, Spanish, and Japanese, with Japanese being the most requested at the moment. Regarding Japanese, I had the opportunity to teach the language at an American college with a native Japanese teacher, applying the method that they use to learn their own language. I will help you in a simple way; conversation is really important for learning a language, and a good method is even more fundamental. No days spent on textbooks are needed; consistency and fun during lessons are the most important parts of learning. You will see results right away! I am patient, flexible, and will adapt in every way to your personal needs. I look forward to seeing you on my profile for a trial lesson and discovering an easy and fun method to learn a language as soon as possible.
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We only did two lessons but it seems to me that Alessia has understood what I need! She is very good and knows all the terms and idioms of everyday life, just what I need! :)
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I have struggled learning Spanish in the past, but Catherine has helped me understand and connect with the material. She is creative, professional, and sincerely interested in helping her students with their personal learning goals. And she has been to so many different places! I find that so inspiring. Her experience has given her a great perspective. I look forward to learning from her in the future. Thank you, Catherine!
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Hi, welcome to my profile!
My name is Alessia and I currently live in Italy. I spent a few years in the United States where I deepened my knowledge of English and American dialects. I am currently specializing in Spanish and German. Over the years, I have given private lessons in Italian, English, Spanish, and Japanese, with Japanese being the most requested at the moment. Regarding Japanese, I had the opportunity to teach the language at an American college with a native Japanese teacher, applying the method that they use to learn their own language. I will help you in a simple way; conversation is really important for learning a language, and a good method is even more fundamental. No days spent on textbooks are needed; consistency and fun during lessons are the most important parts of learning. You will see results right away! I am patient, flexible, and will adapt in every way to your personal needs. I look forward to seeing you on my profile for a trial lesson and discovering an easy and fun method to learn a language as soon as possible.
Reviews
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Communication
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The teacher is always on time and uses perfect learning materials to learn the language. Very prepared in what she teaches and in the way she does it; very useful lessons!
Alessia T.
Thank you Hilary!
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Hi!
I'm Emma, I'm originally from London but have lived in many countries around the world, and currently live in Italy. I have learnt foreign languages myself, so I can empathise with your every concern about learning a new language!
I speak english with a very clear British accent, and I have much experience with all levels of english learners, from beginners to advanced, from young children to retired adults, online and in person.
Just let me know your needs and language goals, and I will help you!
Reviews
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Emma is a very good teacher, she is helpful and patient. She helped me to prepare for B2 English exam. She improved my pronunciation and my vocabulary and she understood what I needed.
Review
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Hi everyone! My name is Morena a passionate traveller and a languages enthusiast!
My mother tongue is Italian, and I was born and raised in the beautiful region of Marche in central Italy. I lived abroad for 15 years, and spent 12 of them in the wonderful London.
I am a certified Celta teacher at Strafford House School in London and I have recently obtained the Ditals certification from the University of Siena for teaching Italian as a foreign language.
What are my lessons like? I normally teach students of all levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced). I love to use everyday situations to teach common expressions useful for communication as well as vocabulary and grammar. I adapt different teaching methods and approaches according to my students' learning needs, interests and background. I can help you with exam preparation (CILS, CELI, PLIDA, and all Cambridge or IELTS exams), also I can create business or technical language lessons if you have this need.
I provide tailor-made lessons because I believe that every student is different and needs a special and fun method to learn a language with a purpose. If you would like help please contact me with your questions or goal, then we can discuss the best strategy and flexible plan to become fluent in Italian or English! Speak soon. Ciao, a presto!
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Morena generally teaches to adults, but she also has experience with teaching children. She has different learning materials and personalizes her classes to her students wants and needs. She is very patient. Furthermore, she teaches English and Italian to all levels (A1 to C2)
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
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there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
there is no offer since there are no students
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Carl is an experienced teacher. He provides personalized lessons and learning materials. He teaches all ages.
This review was written by a coLanguage team member during a manual screening of this teacher profile.
John S.
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Thanks Mei-Lin, it was a joy having you in class.
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