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B1grammar46 preguntas

Gerunds and infinitives

A unos verbos les sigue la forma en -ing y a otros to + verbo. El patrón pertenece al primer verbo y se aprende con él. Aquí trabajas verbos como enjoy, avoid y finish que piden -ing y verbos como want, decide y hope que piden to.

Aprendizaje rápido

A unos verbos les sigue la forma en -ing y a otros to + verbo. El patrón pertenece al primer verbo y hay que aprenderlo con él.

Recuerda

  • enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, mind y keep piden -ing.
  • want, decide, hope, promise, agree y manage piden to.
  • Cualquier verbo detrás de una preposición va en -ing: good at cooking, instead of waiting.

Ejemplos

  1. 1We decided to spend our summer vacation exploring national nature parks.
  2. 2Emma enjoys listening to classical acoustic music while working on designs.

Error común que evitar

Unos pocos verbos admiten las dos formas con distinto significado: stop smoking deja el hábito, stop to smoke interrumpe otra cosa para fumar.

Profundiza

La regla

  1. The first verb decides

    When one verb is followed directly by another verb in an English sentence, the second verb must appear in a non-finite form: either as a Gerund (-ing form functioning as a noun complement) or as a To-Infinitive (to + bare verb). Choosing between a gerund and an infinitive is determined entirely by the governing first verb.

  2. Verbs + -ing

    (1) Verbs Followed by Gerunds (-ing): Common verbs of attitude, avoidance, and continuation: enjoy, avoid, consider, finish, mind, practice, suggest, deny, admit, spend time, can't help, feel like, miss.

    • I enjoy reading novels
    • She avoided answering the question
    • He suggested having dinner

  3. Verbs + to

    (2) Verbs Followed by To-Infinitives: Common verbs of planning, decision, intention, and necessity: decide, plan, hope, expect, promise, agree, refuse, afford, offer, manage, want, need, choose, learn.

    • We decided to travel by train
    • She hopes to find a good job
    • He promised to call me

  4. Either form

    (3) Verbs Followed by Either without Change of Meaning: start, begin, continue, like, love, hate, prefer.

    • It started raining
    • It started to rain

  5. Verbs that change meaning

    (4) Verbs that Change Meaning Based on Verb Form: Remember to do (a duty/responsibility: "Remember to lock the door") vs. Remember doing (recalling a past memory: "I remember locking the door"). Stop to do (pausing in order to do something: "He stopped to buy coffee") vs. Stop doing (quitting a habit: "He stopped smoking"). Try to do (making an effort: "Try to open the jar") vs. Try doing (experimenting with a method: "Try drinking warm tea").

Anatomía de la frase

Frases de esta lección, separadas en sus partes en el orden que exige el inglés.

  1. SujetoEmmaVerboenjoysObjetolistening to classical acoustic musicTiempowhile working on designs.

  2. SujetoThe driverVerbomanagedObjetoto avoid hitting the bicycleLugaron the narrow street.

  3. SujetoSheVerbosuggestedObjetomeeting at the Italian coffee shopLugaron Main StreetTiempoat noon.

Guía visual

How to read this B1 topic

At B1, grammar links ideas: condition, result, reported meaning, experience, and narrative order.

1. Name the relationship

Ask whether the sentence gives a condition, contrast, cause, report, or result.

If it rains, we will stay home.

2. Separate time from aspect

Finished event, visible result, duration, and background action use different forms.

I had left before she arrived.

3. Test both clauses

In complex sentences, the second half often proves the first half.

I wish I knew.

Decision path before answering

Use these checks before choosing between close options.

  1. 1Mark the subject, main verb, object, and any connector.
  2. 2Underline the time expression or discourse clue.
  3. 3Reject any option with the wrong agreement, tense, article, pronoun case, or word order.
  4. 4Read the whole sentence once more for naturalness and register.

Contrasts that often decide the answer

Event or background

Simple forms move events forward; continuous forms show an action in progress.

I left while she was talking.

Fact or stance

Modals, hedges, and reporting structures show how certain or responsible the speaker sounds.

This may indicate a problem.

Clause or compressed phrase

Advanced writing often compresses full clauses into participle, noun, or prepositional phrases.

Having reviewed the data, we revised the plan.

Ejemplos

  1. 1We decided to spend our summer vacation exploring national nature parks.
  2. 2Emma enjoys listening to classical acoustic music while working on designs.
  3. 3The driver managed to avoid hitting the bicycle on the narrow street.
  4. 4Don't forget to lock the front door securely before leaving the house.
  5. 5I clearly remember meeting your older brother at the university library.
  6. 6He promised to telephone his parents as soon as his flight landed in Rome.
  7. 7They cannot afford to purchase a brand new car at this current moment.
  8. 8She suggested meeting at the Italian coffee shop on Main Street at noon.
  9. 9After walking for three hours, the hikers stopped to drink some fresh water.
  10. 10He stopped drinking sugary sodas because he wanted to improve his health.

Excepciones

Preposition + Gerund Rule: Any verb that follows a preposition (including phrasal verbs ending in a preposition) must obligatorily take the -ing gerund form: "She is good at swimming", "Thank you for inviting us", "I look forward to meeting you" (to here is a preposition, not an infinitive marker). Infinitives of Purpose: To + base verb is universally used to express why someone does an action (purpose): say "I went to the store to buy bread", never "for buy bread" or "for to buy bread".

Errores frecuentes

  • Using infinitive after prepositions

    Error

    He left without to say goodbye.

    Correcto

    He left without saying goodbye.

    Prepositions require gerunds.

  • For + infinitive for purpose

    Error

    I came here for study.

    Correcto

    I came here to study.

    Purpose takes to-infinitive.

  • Wrong complement verb

    Error

    I enjoy to read books.

    Correcto

    I enjoy reading books.

    Enjoy obligatorily takes a gerund.

Repaso

Lo esencial de la lección en una tarjeta, antes de ponerte a prueba.

Recuerda

  1. enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, mind y keep piden -ing.
  2. want, decide, hope, promise, agree y manage piden to.
  3. Cualquier verbo detrás de una preposición va en -ing: good at cooking, instead of waiting.

Errores frecuentes

  • Error: He left without to say goodbye.

    Correcto: He left without saying goodbye.

  • Error: I came here for study.

    Correcto: I came here to study.

  • Error: I enjoy to read books.

    Correcto: I enjoy reading books.

Ponte a prueba

Aprende cada verbo junto con la forma que lo sigue y luego practica este tema.

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