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jedstephen · Joined: 15 Dec 2006 Posts: 12

I wonder if anybody can help me with an activity or game to help me teach gerunds? I have gone over it with them, but am having a hard time explaining why you use them.

For instance:
Both of the following sentences are correct, so why would you use a gerund?

It's really nice being here.
It's really nice to be here.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

There are many other examples where you can't use both - ing forms and infinitives . 'I hate the idea of getting old '(not the idea to get old)

The ones that can use both are :

remember and forget,go on,regret,advise,allow,permit,forbid,see,watch,hear,try,mean,learn,teach,like,love,hate,prefer,begin,start,attempt,intend,continue,can't bear,be accustomed to,be committed to,ing forms or infinitives of purposes,afraid,sorry,certain,sure,interested.

verbs that are normally followed by- ing forms

admit,appreciate,avoid,burst out(crying laughing),consider,contemplate,delay,deny,detest,dislike,endure,enjoy,escape,excuse,face,fancy,feel like,finish,forgive,give up,can't help,imagine,involve,keep on,leave off,mention,mind,miss,postpone,put off,resent,resist,risk,can't stand,suggest,understand.

common verbs that can be followed by infinitives
afford,agree,appear,arrange,ask,attempt,can't bear,beg,begin,care,choose,consent,continue,dare,decide,expect,fail,forget,go on,happen,hate,help,hesitate,hope,intend,like,love,manage,mean,neglect,offer,prefer,prepare,promise,propose,refuse,regret,remember,seem,swear,trouble,try,want,wish

Maybe somebody could take over from me with some activities.

abusalam4 · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 143

Just listing the verbs you can use with either to + verb or the v+ ing pattern in certain cases does not help students that much. It is something explained in terms of "traditional grammar" found in some schools books.

It is more important to "reveal" the "semantic nuance" behind - e.g., have typical situations of speech contexd where you could use either pattern or both of them. Show the differences in meaning. Then, after giving your input, have material ready for students to practise. You can do it also the other way round... depends on the kind of students you have got and how they respond to it.

Another interesting point would be: how do you explain the use of the definite and indefinite article in languages like Enflish? Chinese is a language without articles, so many Chinese may have some problems with that...like Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Turkish, etc. etc. students. Any idea?

I will share with you my version of a work-around in this in a separate posting, ha!

sheeba · Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 1123

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Hope this helps. From http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/410/grammar/gerinf.htm

sunrisekiwi09 · Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 12 Location: Qingdao

Hi

I have a lesson plan and some handouts that I would be happy to email you if you send me a PM with your address.

I found the Purdue information very clear and helpful, but be aware that it is American and there are some differences in the rules for gerunds and infinitives in UK English.

Warm regards

Sunrisekiwi

11:59 · Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:57 pm Post subject:

bearcanada · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 312 Location: Calgary, Canada

The above comments are silly.

Chinese does not use articles in the common ways that they are needed in English. You know that.

And the only other "myth" is in your deliberate mis-statement about tenses. The claim is that Chinese VERBS do not have tenses. Why would you twist that to read that the language has no tenses?

11:59 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:47 pm Post subject:

Is that as silly as claiming that English does not have weak or strong forms as you have stated on another thread, but that, instead, it is the result of nothing but a 'lazy tongue'? You seem to be quite intent on embarrassing yourself.

'Chinese' does indeed use articles in the 'common ways' they are 'needed' in English � that's what I know. What in English would require a definite article in Chinese simply becomes the topic, and is marked as such through being 'fronted':

Wŏ m�igei ta hu�r le.
I sell/give she painting Completed Action
'I sold her some paintings'

Hu�r, wŏ m�igei ta le.
Painting I sell/give she Completed Action
'I sold her the painting(s) (that we had talked about, that you had looked at, and so forth)'

Now, what was it you proclaimed I knew again?