Gerunds and infinitives.

Metaphors and Idioms

UCJC

TOPIC 5

1. Grammar
1.1. Verb + ing
1.2. Verb + to
1.3. Verb + object + to
1.4. Verb + ing or to
1.5. Prefer and would rather
1.6. Preposition + ing

2. Focus on Vocabulary: Idioms and Metaphors

2.1. ldioms and fixed expressions
2.1.1. As...as.../ Iike...
2.1.2. Binomials.
3. Communicative skills (Listening and spea-
king): Everyday expression.
4. Writing: Joining sentences.
4.1. Introduction and conclusion.
4.2. Expressing advantages and disadvan-
tages.

GRADO DE MAESTRO EN EDUCACIN INFANTIL / PRIMARIA

TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

1. Grammar

UCJC

1.1. Verb + ing

Look at these examples:

I enjoy reading English literature. (not I enjoy to dance)

Would you mind closing the window? (not mind to close)
Paul suggested going to the theatre. ( not suggested to go)
After enjoy, mind and suggest, we use ing (not to).
Here are some more verbs that are followed by ing:

Stop, delay, fancy, consider, admit, miss, involve, finish,

postpone, imagine, avoid, deny, risk, practise.

Examples

My best friend has stopped smoking.

They have finished preparing everything for the event.
I couldnt avoid telling her about the good news.
He doesnt fancy going out tonight to Sarahs birthday.
They have considered studying abroad for one academic year.
Note the negative form not ing:
When I am on holiday, I enjoy not having to drive at rush hour.
We also use ing after:
give up: (stop)
put off: (postpone)
carry on/ go on: (continue)
keep or keep on: (do something continuously or repeatedly)

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ENGLISH
Examples
They have given up presenting him for President
She must do something. She cant go on living like this.
Please keep waiting for a while until the doctor finishes with Susan.
When you are talking about finished actions, you can say having done/stolen/said:
You admitted having stolen the money.
But it is not necessary to use having (done). You can also use the simple ing form for finished
actions:
Ex: He now regrets saying what he said.
After some of the verbs on this page (especially admit/deny/ suggest) you can use that:
Ex: She denied that she had stolen the money. (or She denied stealing).

1.2. Verb+ to
Here are some examples of verbs followed by to + infinitive when they are combined with any
other different verb:

Offer, decide, hope, deserve, attempt, promise, agree, plan, aim,

afford, manage, threaten, refuse, arrange, learn, forget, fall

Examples
It was her anniversary, so we decided to buy something special.
Finally, I agreed to share my office with the assistant professor.
My sister learnt to play the guitar when she was 8 years old.
After a while moving my hand, I failed to call her attention.
Note these examples with the negative not to:
She decided not to go for a walk because of the weather.
I promised not to be late.
Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

We also use to after: Seem, appear, tend, pretend, and claim.
I think she tends to waste her time.

UCJC

They pretended not to be informed about the news.

There is also a continuous infinitive (to be doing) and a perfect infinitive
(to have done).

I pretended to be waiting for someone.

You seem to have lost weight.

In some cases, we can also use the noun instead of the verb and get the
following combination:

George tends to talk too much or Georges has a tendency to talk too much.
He has decided to give up smoking or His decision to give up smoking
is clever.
There is one peculiar case after the verb dare. You can use the infinitive
with or without to:
I wouldnt dare to call him or I wouldnt dare call him.

But after darent, you must use the infinitive without to:

We darent phone him after the accident.

After the following verbs you can use a question word (what/ whether/ how
etc) + to:

Ask, decide, know, remember, forget, explain, learn, understand, wonder, show,
tell, advice, teach,...etc

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ENGLISH

how to get

He asked

to the petrol station.

They decided

where to go

for their summer holidays.

She doesnt know

where to apply

for the public post.

how to get

Can you show me

to university?

1.3. Verb + object + to

Want

ask

Beg

mean

help

would like

would love

would prefer

would hate

expect

All the verbs in the box are followed by to + infinitive. The structure can be:
Verb + to

verb + object + to

or

She expected to be late

We expected Lindsey to be late

Would you like to go now?

Would you like me to go now?

We dont want to know

We dont want you to know.

Be careful with want. Do not say want that.

Ex: Do you want me to go? (not Do you want that I go?)
After help, you can use the infinitive with or without to. So you can say:
Can you help me to move this table? Or Can you help me move this table?
The following verbs have the structure verb + object + to:
Tell
remind
force
persuade
get

enable

teach

order

warn

Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

invite

TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

UCJC

Ex: Remind me to call you later. Jane warned me not to touch the broken window.

Note that you cannot use suggest with the structure verb + object + to:

Ex: He suggested that I should buy a new house (not Jane suggested me to
buy).

After the verbs advise, recommend, encourage, allow, permit, forbid, there are two possible structures:

Verb + ing (without an object)

verb + object + to

Ex: I would recommend staying. Ex: I wouldnt recommend anybody to stay

Finally, make and let have the structure verb+ object + infinitive (without
to):

Ex: Hot water makes me feel fine.

Ex: Let me carry your bag.

We say make somebody do (not to do), but the passive is (be) made
to do (infinitive with to).

Ex: Peter was made to bring his identity card to the Police station.

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ENGLISH

1.4. Verb + ing or to

Some verbs can be followed by ing or to with a difference of meaning.
REMEMBER

I remember doing something = I did it and

now I remember this.
You remember doing things after you have
done it:
Im sure I locked the door. I remember locking it. (I locked it and now I remember this).

I remember to do something = I remember

that I had to do it, and so I did it. You remember to do something before you do it:
I remembered to lock the door when I left but
I forgot to shut the windows. (I remembered
that I had to lock the door and so I locked it).

REGRET

I regret doing something= I did it and now Im

sorry about it.

I regret to say/ to tell you/ to inform you= Im

sorry that I have to say (etc.):

I now regret saying what I said.

We regret to inform you that we are unable

to offer you the job.

GO ON

Go on doing something = continue doing the

same thing.

Go on to do something = do or say something new:

The politician went on reading with the discourse for two hours.

After discussing the economy, the minister

then went on to talk about internal matters.

Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

The verbs begin, start, intend, continue, bother can be followed by ing or to
with little or no difference in meaning. So you can say:

UCJC

Ex: It has started raining

or

It has started to rain.

There are more examples of verbs that change their meaning when followed by
to- or -ing.
Try to

Try -ing

Try to do = attempt to do, make an

effort to do:

Try doing= do something as an experiment or test

Ex: I tried to keep calm before shouting at that man

Ex: It doesnt work. Try pressing the

new yellow bottom.

Need to

Need -ing

Need to do something= it is necessary for me to do it.

Something needs doing= something

needs to be done.

I need to practise more sports.

The batteries in the radio need changing.

Help

Cant help

You can say help to do or help

do.

Cant help doing something = I cant

stop myself from doing it.

Ex: Can you help me to move/ help

me move the table?

Ex: I cant help laughing.

Verbs like love, hate, like, enjoy, cant bear, dislike, mind, cant stand, are
often followed by ing.
After love, hate and cant bear you can also use to + infinitive, so you can say:
Ex: I love reading books or I love to read books.
You can also say I like doing something or I like to do something. Often
it doesnt matter which you use.

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ENGLISH
In British English, there is sometimes a difference between I like going and I like to go.
The first one means I enjoy it and the second one means I think it is good or right to do it.
Finally, would like/would love/ would hate/ would prefer are usually followed by to(infinitive).
Ex: Id love to travel to Mexico.

1.5. Prefer and would rather

You can use prefer to do or prefer -ing to say what you prefer in general.
Ex: I prefer living in London or I prefer to live in London.
We use would prefer to say what somebody wants in a particular situation (not in general):
Ex: Would you prefer juice or coke?
Would rather (do) = would prefer (to do). After would rather we use the infinitive without to.
Ex: Id rather go by car.
The negative is Id rather not (do something).
Ex: Im tired. Id rather not go out this evening.
When you want somebody to do something, you can say Id rather you did something.
In this structure we use the past, but the meaning is present or future, not past.

1.6. Preposition + ing

If a preposition is followed by a verb, the verb ends in ing. For example:
Preposition
Are you interested

In

Verb ( -ing)
Working

Im not very good

At

Learning

He must be fed up

With

Cooking

The advantages

Of

Studying

The knife is

For

Cutting

How

About

Playing

golf?

I eat pasta

Instead of

Eating

Vegetables.

She went to the disco

In spite of

Staying

At home.

Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

for us?
Languages.
Abroad.

TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

Before and after, by and without also go followed by ing:
Before visiting her, phone them.

UCJC

After leaving school, they moved to Chicago.

You can improve your English by reading more.
I ran two hours without stopping.

When to is a preposition and it is followed by a verb, you must say to +ing.

Ex: Are you looking forward to seeing he again?

2. Focus on Vocabulary: Idioms and Metaphors

2.1. ldioms and fixed expressions
Idioms are fixed expressions with meanings that are usually not clear or obvious.
The individual words often give you no help in deciding the meaning. The expression to feel under the weather, which means to feel unwell, is a typical idiom.

Tips for dealing

with idioms

Think of idioms as being just Iike single words; always record

the whole phrase in your notebook, along with information on
grammar and collocation.
Idioms are usually rather informal and include an element of
personal comment on the situation. They are sometimes humorous or ironic.
Be careful how you use them. Never use them just to sound
fluent or good at English. In a formal situation with a person you do not know, dont use them if you are not sure of its
appropriateness.
Idioms can be grouped in a variety of ways. Here are some
possible types of grouping.

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ENGLISH

Grammatical

verb + object
poke your nose in (to) (interfere)
be over the moon (extremely happy)
feel down in the dumps (depressed/low)
be in the red (have a negative bank balance)
By verb or other key word (e.g. idioms with make)
I dont see why you have to make a meal out of everything.
(exaggerate the importance of everything)
I think we should make a move. (go/leave)

Grammar of idioms

It is important when using idioms to know just how flexible their grammar is.
Some are more fixed than others. For instance, barking up the wrong tree (be
mistaken) is always used in continuous, not simple form.
Ex: I think youre barking up the wrong tree.

Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

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TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

UCJC

There is also another criteria to study them, paying attention to the different
semantic fileds in which they can be used:
Here you can find more examples of idioms that can be useful in specific situation
of colloquial English:
Idioms describing people

Positive and negative qualities

She has a heart of gold. (kind, generous)

Shes as hard as nails. (cold, difficult)

Hes as good as gold. (valuable, worthy)

Hes rather a cold fish. (weird, distant)

Note
also:

Shes a pain in the neck. Nobody likes her. (nuisance, difficult)

He gets on everyones nerves. (irritates everybody)

Positive feelings, moods and states

Jos as happy as the day is long. (extremely content)
Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. (Lively, enjoying things)
She seems to be keeping her chin up. (happy despite bad things)
Negative feelings, moods and states
He had a face as long as a fiddle. (looked very depressed)
She certainly looked down in the dumps. (looked depressed)
Gerry is in a (black) mood. (a bad mood/temper)
Mark was like a bear with a sore head. (extremely irritable)
Remember

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There is an element of exaggeration in these idioms; they make comments on the situation and lighten the tone of what you are saying. So
use them only informally.

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ENGLISH
You may have appreciated the structure of metaphors and comparisons in some of these idioms. In
the following lines, we will focus on these structures:

2.1.1. As...as.../ Iike...

As.. .as.. similes are easy to understand. If you see the phrase as dead as a doornail, you dont
need to know what a doornail is, simply that the whole phrase means totally dead.
But, remember, fixed similes are not neutral; they are usually informal/colloquial and often humorous. So, use them with care.
Creating a picture in your mmd can often help you remember the simile:
as blind as a bat
as thin as a rake
as strong as an ox
as quiet as a mouse
Some can be remembered as pairs of opposites.
as heavy as lead
as light as a feather
as drunk as a lord
as sober as a judge
as black as night
as white as snow
Some other useful as. ..as.., phrases are:
Examples
The bed was as hard as iron and I couldnt sleep.
Ill give this plant some water. The soils as dry as a bone.
Hes as mad as a hatter. He crossed the Atlantic in a bathtub.
She told the teacher, as bold as brass, that his lessons were boring.
Youll have to speak up; hes as deaf as a post.
She knew the answer as quick as a flash.
When I told him, his face went as red as a beetroot.
When he saw it, his face went as white as a sheet. (pale with fear/horror).
The fish was bad and I was as sick as a dog. (vomiting)
She ran off with my money; I felt as sick as a parrot. (bad feeling of disillusionment/ frustration)
Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

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TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

In the following lines you can find examples with Like... expressions.
My plan worked like a dream, and the problem was soon solved.

UCJC

No wonder hes fat. He eats like a horse and drinks like a fish.
Did you sleep well? Yes, thanks, like a log.

Sorry, I forgot to ring him again. Ive got a head like a sieve
The boss is like a bear with a sore head today. (in a very bad temper)
She goes around like a bull in a china shop. (behaving in a very clumsy,
insensitive way)

2.1.2. Binomials
Are expressions (often idiomatic) where two words are joined by a conjunction (usually and), and can also be considered in this section.

The order of the words is usually fixed. It is best to use them only in informal situations, with one or two exceptions.
odds and ends: small, unimportant things.
give and take: a spirit of compromise.
part and parcel of: part of / belong to.
ranting and raving at: shouting / very angry
rack and ruin: ruined/decayed
prim and proper: rather formal and fussy
rough and ready: poor standard.
wine and dine: entertain
Many grammar words combine to form binomials.
Ex: There are cafs here and there. (scattered round)
Ex: Weve had meetings on and off. (occasionally)
Ex: Ive been running back and forth all day. (to and from somewhere)
Ex: He is unemployed and down and out. (without a home or money)
Ex: Shes better now, and out and about again. (going out)
Ex: She ran up and down the street. (in both directions)

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ENGLISH
Your language probably has many binomials. Make sure those which look similar in English have
the same word order as your language. These three are very neutral binomials and can be used in
formal or informal situations. Try translating them.
Examples
A black and white film, please.
Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please!
There was hot and cold water in every room.

3. Communicative skills (Listening and speaking): Everyday

expression.
Everyday spoken language is full of fixed expressions that are not necessarily difficult to understand,
but which have a fixed form which does not change. These have to be learnt as whole expressions.
Conversation building expressions:
These are some common expressions that help to organise what we are saying.
Expression

Meaning

As I was saying,

takes the conversation back to an earlier point

As you say

repeats something someone has already said

Talking of children,

starting a new topic

If you ask me,..

if you want my opinion

That reminds me, ..

sth makes you think of something important

Come to think of it,

sth in the conversation makes you realise sth

*sth: something
Key words:
Some everyday expressions can be grouped around key words.
This and that, for example, occur in different expressions:
This is it. (this is an important point)
Thats it. (thats the last thing, we have finished).
We talked about this and that, or this, that and the other. ( unimportant matters).
So, thats that, then. (that is agreed, settled, finished).
Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

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TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

Common expressions for modifying statements
If the worst comes to the worst, ( if the situation goes worse)

UCJC

If all else fails, (if nothing else succeed)

What with one thing and another, (because of a lot of different circumstances)
When it comes to education, (in the matter of).
As far as Im concerned, ..( from my point of view).
As luck would have it, ( as a result of bad luck).

4. Writing: Joining sentences.

4.1. Introduction and conclusion

When writing an essay, the introduction is important for several

reasons. Firstly, if it is well elaborated, it will create a good impression on the reader catching his/her attention.
A good introduction should not be too long, although its length
will depend on the type of writing produced.
Secondly, an introduction usually includes the following elements: a definition of the topic, a description of the problems to
be considered and a structure of the writing and sequence of the
main points.
A conclusion is needed to finish the writing. Drawing a conclusion implies making a summary of the main points developed
throughout the essay. In addition, it is needed ones opinion or
viewpoint on the subject matter. Avoid introducing new arguments or ideas in your conclusion. To introduce the conclusion,
the following connectors can be really useful: In short, in a word,
In brief, To sum up, In conclusion, On the whole, Altogether, In all.
Avoid.

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GRADO DE MAESTRO EN EDUCACIN INFANTIL / PRIMARIA

ENGLISH

4.2. Expressing advantages and disadvantages

You may be asked to talk about or write a composition on the advantages or disadvantages on a given topic. Before starting to talk or to write, take into account the following
suggestions:
Think about the advantages and disadvantages
Decide in which order you will mention them.
Write an introduction (paragraph 1) giving an overview of how important the topic
is.
Write out your list of advantages (paragraph 2)
Write out your list of disadvantages (paragraph 3)
You can use some of the following connectors to join the sentences and paragraphs of your composition:

On the one hand / on the other hand

However, Nevertheless, In contrast, Yet
One of the advantages/disadvantages ofis.
The main advantage/disadvantage ofis.
A further advantage of/ drawback withis

Write a conclusion in which you say which of the sides you agree more with and
why.

Profesora de la asignatura: Mara Jess Perea.

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TOPIC 5

Gerunds and infinitives. Metaphors and Idioms

1. Grammar

UCJC

1.1. Verb + ing

1.2. Verb + to
1.3. Verb + object + to
1.4. Verb + ing or to
1.5. Prefer and would rather
1.6. Preposition + ing

2. Focus on Vocabulary: Idioms and Metaphors

2.1. ldioms and fixed expressions
2.1.1. As...as.../ Iike...
2.1.2. Binomials

3. Communicative skills (Listening and speaking):

Everyday expression.
4. Writing: Joining sentences.
4.1. Introduction and conclusion.
4.2. Expressing advantages and disadvantages.

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