Korean Job Discussion Forums

been_that_done_there · Joined: 19 Jun 2009

I have 16-19 year old students at an extremely low level. How do I explain in very simple terms when to use "to play" vs "playing" for example, without getting too technical.
Thank you for your suggestions.

the boy next door · Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Location: next door

Privateer · Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Location: Easy Street.

This should be in the job discussion forum but anyway...

You could start by saying some verbs take the gerund (e.g. 'enjoy), some take the infinitive (e.g. 'want'), and some take both (e.g. 'like'). That way all they have to do is memorize a few verbs in each set.

When they come back and ask what the difference is for verbs that can take either, like 'like', it's probably best to tell them not to worry about it until they get to a higher level. I believe the true answer is that the infinitive is more abstract (so 'I like to swim on Saturdays' relates more to my choice than to my enjoyment), but the gerund is more concrete and to do with sensations (so 'I like swimming' means more that I enjoy the physical sensation of moving in the water etc). AFAIK that is.

flakfizer · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:27 am Post subject:

Half the class will ask yyy?
The other half will be zzz-ing.

been_that_done_there · Joined: 19 Jun 2009

The boy next door, thank you for your useful advice.
Flakfizer, I asked for useful advice not personal musings.
Privateer, thank you for your help but it is way too much info for my group.

T-J · Joined: 10 Oct 2008 Location: Seoul EunpyungGu Yeonsinnae

yawarakaijin · Joined: 08 Aug 2006

Here is how I explain it.

There are basically 4 situations in English. Some verbs are always followed by a gerund. Some always by an infinitive. Sometimes both are ok and have the same meaning. Sometimes both are ok but will have different meanings. One way to progress is simply to memorize.

Now that is not often what students want to hear so I usually help them with the following explanation which holds true most of the time.

Lets say you have 2 verbs that you want to put together. For example, want and go. Now naturally which one do you do first? Want or Go?

First you want and then you go. The "second verb" is put into the infinitive form.

Now lets say we want to put together enjoy and travel. Well which one did you do first? Did you enjoy first or travel first. First you travelled and then you enjoyed. The "verb" that happened first is put into the gerund form.　It doesn't look so neat and tidy spelled out but on a white board its very easy to get the idea across.

This rule does however break down once you start using phrasal verbs as the participle (preposition) makes for strange bedfellows with the following infinitive most of the time. For example.

I look forward to meeting you. Look forward to is the phrasal verb and obviously precedes the actual meeting. Therefore the rule would seem to suggest you say, I look forward to to meet you. Obviously that is wrong and an adjustment needs to be made in order to suit the language.

Young FRANKenstein