Gerunds and infinitives are one of those language points that I have a love/hate relationship with. I love them because there are lots of activities you can do with them and students always get a lot out of practising them. I hate them because there are so many verb patterns to remember that it can easily overwhelm students and become a rote memorisation task.
How often have you taught gerunds and infinitives and then the next day had a student make a mistake with the same language? Verb patterns like these often fall under a grammar heading, but I’ve always felt the mental process to master them is more similar to vocabulary. For example, when you learn a new word they say you need to use it multiple times before it becomes part of your vocabulary.
Then there is the issue of getting it to be part of your active vocabulary. I feel that is the same for gerunds and infinitives. You need to provide ways for students to see the verb patterns again and again until they are able to reproduce them.
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Contents
The Materials
This task takes gerunds and infinitives and makes them part of 25 conversation questions. Students complete the gaps before checking their answers with the key, including alternatives where the form changes the meaning. After that, get them to chat about the questions and use the target verb patterns in their answers. They can discuss their own or imagined experiences. Switch the questions around and have them practise different topics. As an extension, students can use the verb list to create their own questions.
LEVEL: B2 grammar and speaking
SKILLS: Maintaining a conversation, using a range of language appropriate for the level (B2)
TOPIC: Society and Living Standards, Personal Values and Ideals, National Environmental Concerns, Public Figures, Past and Present, The World of Work
TIME: 20-40 minutes depending on how much you switch questions
PREPARATION: One copy of the student worksheet per learner or pair; keep the answer key for checking
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