15/11/2018 Grammar reference - Help!

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GERUNDS
They are used in the following cases:

1. As subject of a sentence: 2. After certain verbs. These verbs include the following ones: admit,
avoid, consider, deny, enjoy, fancy, finish, can’t help, imagine,
Eating spaghetti isn’t easy keep (=continue), mind, miss, can’t stand, stop.

Living in London is expensive Arthur didn’t enjoy cleaning the flat

Seeing is believing The job involved working all on her own
The policeman asked me if I admitted paying the money

3. After certain verbs + adverb combinations: carry on, give up, 4. After prepositions:
keep on, leave off (slang stop doing sth), put off (postpone)
She was interviewed after filling in the form
Many firms have given up employing their own typists
They left without saying goodbye
There are one or two things I’ve put off doing
He had only had one job since leaving school
We keep on getting letters about this

INFINITIVES
They are used in the following cases:

1. Verbs followed by TO + Infinitive: 2. Verbs followed by OBJECT + TO + INFINITIVE.

afford, agree, appear (=seem), arrange, ask, care, decide, expect, Verbs of this kind include: advise, allow, ask, encourage, expect,
fail, forget, help, hope, learn, manage, prefer, prepare, pretend, forbid, help, invite, order, permit, prefer, remind, teach, tell,
promise, refuse, regret, seem, tend, want. warn, want.

The principal seems to be a pleasant person
Polytechnics tend to offer vocational courses
They expect to have the grants tomorrow
Notice also the negative pattern Verb + NOT TO + Infinitive with those
verbs:
Tom decided not to wait
The student pretended not to understand
Mr. Kelley expected Arthur to buy a lot of books
He told him to come back the next day
I would prefer you to stay at home
Do you want me to help you?
This construction normally parallels a subjunctive structure in Spanish.

3. Some adjectives can also be followed by TO + 4. Infinitive of purpose

infinitive. Adjectives of this kind include: able, afraid, amazed, angry,
delighted, disappointed, glad, happy, likely, obliged, sad, sorry, The infinitive with to is used to talk about people’s purposes. The reasons
supposed, surprised. why they do things.

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The Principal was delighted to see so many students I phoned Tim to fix a date
I was supposed to buy a big car My brother got a job to earn money
I am sorry to say that you’ve got a lesson on Friday We can also use in order to, so as to.
afternoon
I got up early in order to have time
Notice also the pattern It is/was + adjective + to + infinitive with
adjectives such as: difficult, easy, hard, impossible, nice, possible. He stopped for a minute in order to rest
She is very nice to talk to
Isn’t it possible to wait a bit longer?
Relativity theory isn’t easy to understand

5. Infinitive after interrogative conjunction 6. Something, anything, etc. (or a noun) + to + infinitive

After certain verbs it is possible to use the interrogative pronouns how, Do you want something to eat now?
what, who, where, when or whether with a to +
infinitive construction. These verbs are: ask, tell, explain, show, I’ve bought some fish to cook for supper.
consider, find out, understand and other verbs with similar meaning.
There’s nothing to do
I wonder who to invite
Can you tell me how to get to the station?
Show us what to do
Ask my brother where to put the car
Did you find out when to pay?
7. Verbs followed by infinitive without to. They are: let, make, see,
hear, feel, watch, notice.

She lets her children stay up very late

Did you feel the Earth move?
I made them give me the money back
I didn’t see you come in
I heard her say she was fed up

VERBS FOLLOWED BY INFINITIVE OR GERUND WITH

CHANGE OF MEANING
REMEMBER

+ Gerund + Infinitive

Remember what one has done or what has happened (i.e. in the past) Remember what one has to do (i.e. in the future)
I remember seeing the Queen when I was 12
I shall always remember meeting you for the first time Did you remember to post the letter?
I must remember to go to the bank tomorrow
FORGET

+ Gerund + Infinitive
Forget what one has done or what has happened (i.e. in the past) Forget what one has to do (i.e. in the future)

I shall never forget seeing the Queen. She is always forgetting to give me my letters
Surely you haven’t forgotten meeting her already? John had forgotten to take his overcoat with him

STOP

+ Gerund + Infinitive
Stop what one is doing or does, “not continue” Make a break or pause in order to do something

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I really must stop smoking Every half hour I stop work to smoke a cigarette
Will you please stop making that noise? When we got to the top of the hill, we stopped to look at the view
REGRET
+ Gerund +Infinitive
Be sorry for what has happened Be sorry for what one is going to say

I don’t regret telling her what I thought I regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you employment
I don’t regret leaving my last job at all Dr. Wimpole regrets to say that he can’t answer reader’s letters
TRY
+ Gerund +Infinitive
Make an experiment: do something to see what will happen Make an effort; attempt to do something difficult

He tried sending her flowers but it didn’t have any effect Please try to understand
Try putting in some more vinegar. That might make it taste a bit better I once tried to learn Japanese
MEAN
+ Gerund + Infinitive
It means “involve” (only used impersonally) It means “intend”

Having a bad chest means going without smoking I meant to bring you a couple of your textbooks
A L L O W, P E R M I T, A D V I S E
+ Gerund + Infinitive
These are used with the gerund when a person is not mentioned. When a person or people are mentioned

I don’t allow smoking in the classroom I don’t allow my students to smoke in the classroom
I wouldn’t advise taking the car. There’s nowhere to park I wouldn’t advise you to take the car…

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