Use of English

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Unit 5: Tickets
please
Unit 5: Tickets please

1. Adverbs: frequency
2. Gerunds or infinitives
3. Impersonal statement:
Empty subject
4. Vocabulary: entertainment
We use adverbs of frequency when we want
to express how often or how rarely
something happens.

We have these adverbs of frequency:

always 100%
usually 80%
often 60%
sometimes 40%
never 0%

We also have:

generally 90%
normally 70%
frequently 50%
occasionally 30%
seldom 20%
rarely 10%
We can use adverbs of frequency with all
the verbs.
Normal position of the adverbs in
affirmative sentences:

subject+ adverb+ verb + com

• We always go to the theater at the

weekend.

• I seldom went to the theater in high

school.

• My mom sometimes watches movies

with her favorite celebrity.

We can form sentences in the past or the

present.
Negative sentences:

subject+ aux not + adverb+ verb +comp

Actors don’t always get a part in movies.

Agents don’t usually send messages to

actors.

I didn’t always like musicals when I was a

teenager.

Questions:

aux + subject+ adv+ verb+ complement?

Do you always see your favorite celebrity on

TV?

Does your sister usually go to the theater?

We use adverbs with the verb to be.

Affirmative:
subject + be + adverb + com

This actor is always happy.

The agent was usually angry.

Negative:
Subject + be+ not+ adverb + com

People are not often happy with the ending of

movies.

Ushers were not usually helpful for the theater

company so they got fired.

Questions:
Be+ subject+ adverb+ complement?

Are you generally happy after a play?

Is your mom often excited at theaters?
We use gerund forms after some verbs and
we use infinitive forms after other verbs.

Here you can see a list of some common

verbs:

main verb + gerund (verb-ing)

• I always avoid arriving late at the cinema.
• I usually enjoy watching musicals.
• I sometimes miss going out with friends.

main verb + infinitive (to-verb)

• I decided to go to Broadway last

December.
• I want to see The lion King play.
• I expect to have a great time there.

Remember that main verbs can be in

present or past.
There is a list of verbs that are followed by
gerunds and a list of verbs followed by
infinitives. We have to know them.

main verb + gerund

avoid
admit
advice
enjoy
imagine
miss
practice
spend (time)
suggest

main verb + infinitive

agree would like
decide choose
expect want
refuse plan
Some verbs can use both gerunds or infinitive
with a small difference. Using a gerund
suggests that you are referring to real
activities or experiences. Using an infinitive
suggests that you are talking about potential
or possible activities or experiences.

Verbs that can use both forms (gerund or

infinitive):
like
love
hate
continue
prefer
can’t stand

For example:
• I like watching musicals at the theater.
• I like to watch musicals at the theater.
• I love going to the theater with friends.
• I love to go to the theater with friends.
Some verbs can use both gerunds or infinitive
with a significant difference.

Verbs that can use both with significant

difference in meaning are:
1. forget
2. remember
3. try
4. stop
5. regret

For example:

1. I forgot to buy my tickets. (responsibility)

I won’t ever forget watching such a good
play! (past memory)

2. I always remember to be quiet.

(responsibility)
I remember feeling very excited at The Lion
King. (past memory)
3. The actor tried to have a part in the movie but
he couldn’t. (attempt)

The actor tried memorizing all the lines before

the audition (experiment to see if it works)

4. I stopped watching horror movies. (quit an

activity)

I was going home and I stopped to buy my ticket

for the play. (interrupt an action to do another
action)

5. I regret watching this film. It was terrible. (a

past action I did)

I regret to tell you that the actor Kirk Douglas

died. (I am sorry to say this.)

Remember that main verbs can be in

present or past.
We use impersonal statements to talk about
the weather, time, place, and other conditions
when the verb “be” has no real subject.

Sentence form:

It + be + time expression / adjective +

complement

Examples:

• It’s very late to go to the theater. (time)

• It’s too cold to leave the house today.
(weather)
• It’s comfortable and pleasant in here.
(place)
• It’s crazy to see people screaming and
shouting for a celebrity. (event)
I. Read these sentences and write the correct position of the adverb of frequency on your
notebook.

1. I don’t go to the theater on weekdays. (usually)

2. Do you watch drama plays? (always)
3. This actress is present at the Oscar’s ceremony. (often)
4. Broadway theater is closed. However, this week is an exception. (never)
5. Actors should practice before auditions. (always)
6. Some actors are famous. (never)
7. Celebrities help charity organizations for children or animals. (frequently)
8. Do agents call actors after the auditions? (usually)
9. Famous people have privacy. (seldom)
10. My favorite celebrity doesn’t like to be in the public eye. (usually)
11. Producers are attracted to actors who are old and unattractive. (rarely)
II. Complete the text with the correct form of the verb (gerund or infinitive).

An actor’s life

Have you decided. 1.__________ (start) and acting career? There are many young people
who want 2.________ (become) actors. Many people think that it is easy; however, it is
harder than we think. Imagine 3. _________ (memorize) hundreds of lines every day when
you are rehearsing for a movie. You must have a great memory for that! Besides, when you
are beginning your career as an actor, you can’t refuse 4.________ (be) in plays or movies
which are of poor quality or you may not like. Another aspect to consider is that you spend
most of the time 5._________(rehearse) for the future show. It’s time-consuming. Did you
know that some directors expect 6. __________ (have) actors who dance, act and sing? Well,
if you choose 7. ______________ (act) in a musical, you’ll surely need 8._________ (have) a
lot of talent. But wait! Not everything is bad. Many actors become famous and have very
good salaries. You can enjoy 9. __________ (buy) expensive cars and all kinds of luxurious
things. The only thing you need to remember is to avoid 10. ______________ (be) in public
places because paparazzi will follow you everywhere. So, if you are planning 11.
___________ (become) an actor, there are positive things and negatives things too. Just like
everything in life!
III. Read these short conversations and complete them with the correct form of the verb:
gerund or infinitive.

1. A: Have you ever tried ________ (memorize) lots of lines in one day?
B: Yeah! It was very hard. But we could try ____________ (play) those memory games on computers.

2. A: Do you always remember ________ (attend) your rehearsals?

B: I just forgot once. I remember ____________ (see) the director very angry with me the next day.

3. A: I regret _________ (tell) you that you were fired because you had an argument with the director.
B: It’s ok. To be honest, I regret _____________ (call) him a jerk!

4. A: The other day I was rehearsing at home and I stopped _________ (watch) the third season of “Dark” on
Netflix.
B: Oh that’s a good series but I stopped _________________( watch) it long ago.

5. A: Hey! Don’t forget __________ (go) to the audition tomorrow!

B: I won’t forget it. But I forgot ____________ (receive) any notice about it.
1. aisle seats
2. audition
3. auditoriums
4. curtain
5. famous
6. musician
7. program
8. orchestra
9. part
10. usher
4a. Vocabulary: Entertainment

Look at the short conversations. Complete them with the correct word from the box.

1. A: Excuse me. I’d like two tickets for this play.

B: All right. I only have _____________. Is that fine for you?
A: Yes! They’re my favorite ones. In case of emergency, I can run easily.
1. aisle seats
2. A: Good morning. I’m a _____________. I came here for a rehearsal.
B: Oh, yes! You play the violin, right? Go to the ________________ over there. 2. audition
A: Yes! I play the violin and the guitar too.
3. auditorium
3. A: How was the rehearsal today?
B: It was just great. The _____________ is professional. They are excellent artists!
4. curtain
5. famous
4. A: You’ve got an ____________ tomorrow. It’s for a ______ in a new series called “Stranger things”
B: Awesome! I want to be ____________ one day. 6. musician

5. A: When you go to the theatre, the ______ helps you find your seat. 7. program
B: I know mom! Will he give me the ______________ too? 8. orchestra
A: Exactly! He helps patrons and also helps the directors and actors.
B: Yeah! I know they help to open and close the theatre ___________ too. 9. part
10. usher
 Sources & Credits

● https://www.shutterstock.com/
● https://www.englishpage.com/
● https://thenounproject.com/
● https://www.test-english.com/
● Exercises: Guisella Villavicencio
● English Discoveries Student platform

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