2020-02-06 Grammar: gerunds vs. infinitives

Greg Malivuk
gmalivuk@staffordhouse.com
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk - Notes from all classes
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Homework: Focus 7 - Read the explanations for how to  chose between gerunds and infinitives.
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Usually, infinitives are about possible actions which may not happen or which haven’t happened yet.
Usually, gerunds are about real actions that have happened, are happening, or will definitely happen.

“I don’t like studying all weekend.” = I have experience with this, and I don’t like it.
(This is why “would like” goes with infinitive, not gerund; something you would like to do is only a possible future action, not a real present or past action.)

- Verbs of desire or intent usually go with infinitives (hope, wish, want, plan, expect)
- Verbs of opinion or preference usually go with gerunds (enjoy, dislike, appreciate, mind)
	(Because we already have experience with actions if we have opinions about them.)
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Some verbs change meaning when followed by gerund or infinitive
- Usually, you can still think of gerunds as real actions that already happened before, and infinitives as possible actions that happen later.

I remember locking the door this morning. = I locked the door, and now I have a memory of that action.
I remembered to lock the door this morning. = I remembered my obligation, and then I locked the door.
I remember meeting him. = I met him, and now I have a memory of that moment.
I remembered to meet him. = I needed to meet him (we had an appointment), and I remembered my obligation.

I don’t remember locking the door. = I have no memory of this action. (Maybe I locked it, maybe not.)
I didn’t remember to lock the door. = I didn’t remember my obligation, so I didn’t lock the door.

I’ll never forget meeting him. = I really met him, and I’ll always remember it.
I never forget to lock the door. = I always remember my obligation, and then I lock the door.
I forgot to pay my phone bill. = I forgot my obligation, so I didn’t pay it.

He stopped smoking. = He was smoking, or he used to smoke, and then he stopped (quit).
He stopped to smoke. = He stopped another action in order to smoke. (He took a smoke break.)

I tried opening the window. = I did this action, but it didn’t help. (The room was still too hot.)
I tried to open the window. = I attempted this action, but I couldn’t do it. (The window was broken.)
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p. 118-9 exercise 12 - Use the gerund or infinitive form of the verbs in parentheses.
1 to avoid (if I’m not sure you’ll be able to) / avoiding (if I’m not sure it will help)
2 talking (The sentence is about a memory of a past action, not about an obligation.)
3 to pick up (This was the purpose of his stop.)
4 talking/to talk (“begin” can go with both, with no change of meaning)
5 smoking
6 to bring (She had an obligation/necessity to have her glasses, but she forgot about it.)
7 playing, to prefer, playing/to play
8 eating (I think I’ll be successful, but I might not enjoy it.)
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exercise 13
1 doing (This kind of has a continuous meaning.)
2 doing
3 making (“require” without an object takes the gerund)
4 playing
5 singing
6 to keep busy
7 trying
8 to improve
9 practicing
10 to spend
11 to collect / collecting
12 reading
13 writing
14 to be
15 reading about
16 making
17 decorating
18 making
19 carving
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Homework (optional): p. 120 exercise 14