Welcome to Live25!

• A new feature of English Online

• Free grammar presentations
• Download the PDF after booking
• Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Please be on mute
You can keep your cams off

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

How many infinitives are there in this quote?

O e ea ea d e
ea . (M e e)

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

A verb can be followed by another verb. The second one
usually needs to change into the -ing form (gerund) or
the to + infinitive form. Which form you need depends on what
the first verb is.

• Have you ever considered (first verb) moving (second verb)

to another country?
• I learning (first verb) to drive (second verb).

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

These verbs are followed by gerunds:

admit avoid consider deny give up (=stop)

enjoy fancy finish imagine put off (=postpone)
keep (=do sth continuously) mind go on / carry on (=continue)
postpone risk stop suggest keep on (=do sth continuously)

Id fa c going out in this weather.

Please keep on talking.
The negative form is not + -ing:
Whe I a e g, I e not having to cook my meals.

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

These verbs are followed by to-infinitive:

afford agree arrange decide deserve fail

hope learn manage offer
plan promise refuse threaten

They agreed to help us.

She's planning to move house next year.
The negative is not to:
These verbs can be followed by either infinitive or
You promised not to be late. gerund (without any difference in meaning):
begin, start, continue, intend, bother
English Online | www.britishcouncil.org
Which is correct?
1.We decided to not attend today s class.
2.We decided not to attend today s class.
3.We decided to don t attend today s class.

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

-ing
to-infinitive
1. Remember doing (= I did it and now I
1. Remember to do (=before you do it)
remember this).
2. Regret to say/ to tell you / to inform you
2. Regret doing (= I did it and now I m sorry
(I m sorry that I have to say, etc.)
about it)
3. Go on to do (= do sth new)
3. Go on doing (= continue with the same
thing)
4. Stop to do (= stop an activity to do
something else)
4. Stop doing (= the action isn t happening
anymore)

Grammar tip: with remember / regret, think about whether they refer to a past
event. If yes, use an ing verb.
English Online | www.britishcouncil.org
1. How do you know if a verb is followed by a gerund or an infinitive?

2. What s the difference between

A) I prefer eating out.
B) I prefer to eat out.

3. What s the difference between

A) I stopped eating out.
B) I stopped to eat out.

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

Now try this! Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. I normally avoid _________ (eat) junk food.

2. I've stopped ________ (buy) newspapers because now I read the news
online.
3. Please remember _________ (buy) some sugar if you go shopping.
4. We managed ________ (get) to the theatre on time.

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

Now try this! Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. I normally avoid eating junk food.

2. I've stopped buying newspapers because now I read the news online.
3. Please remember to buy some sugar if you go shopping.
4. We managed to get to the theatre on time.

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org

Thank you for attending this grammar presentation.
Now you re ready for

Theme: Career Development

English Online | www.britishcouncil.org