My Teaching Method for Teaching Gerunds & Infinitives with a Story
- Read the story aloud to the class.
- Briefly explain that in English, often verbs are followed by another action.
- On the white/chalkboard, write “Verb + infinitive” on the left side, and “Verb + Gerund” on the right.
- Reread your story for a third time.
How do you explain gerund and infinitive?
Gerund = the present participle (-ing) form of the verb, e.g., singing, dancing, running. Infinitive = to + the base form of the verb, e.g., to sing, to dance, to run. Whether you use a gerund or an infinitive depends on the main verb in the sentence.
How do you teach an infinitive?
Instruct your students to include at least once sentence each of where the infinitives either express purpose, act as a subject, follow an adjective, are used with an auxiliary, make a judgment, contain question words, and include the phrase “had better”.
How do you introduce an infinitive?
Infinitives do not act as the main verb in a sentence. Like gerunds, they can be followed by complements, modifiers, or objects. A phrase introduced by an infinitive is called an infinitive phrase or an infinitival phrase.
How do you explain gerunds to a child?
A gerund is a verb ending in –ing that is used as a noun, either as a subject, object or complement. This definition may seem straightforward to those of us who are native English speakers with an understanding of grammar.
What is teaching grammar through songs and rhymes?
They can also be used to teach a variety of language items such as sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjectives, and adverbs. Learning English through songs also provides a non-threatening atmosphere for students, who usually are tense when speaking English in a formal classroom setting.
How do you teach gerunds and infinitive forms?
Students complete the lyrics with a gerund or infinitive form and then listen to the compilation track to check.There’s also some videos on YouTube with more examples: here and here. However, my students were encountering these patterns for the first time and so I wanted something a bit more simple.
How do you use gerunds in a sentence?
Verbs followed by an object and a gerund: She saw him fishing at the lake. Verbs followed by an optional object and a gerund: We appreciated receiving the presents. I remember my mother cooking a lot when I was young. Verbs followed by a bare infinitive: We saw him throw the paper out of the window.
Can music help students remember verbs?
Students are supposed to choose the correct verb alternative (gerund or infinitive) and then listen in order to check. Hopefully, the power of music will help our students remember the verbs patterns. Find the audio at: stickygrammar.blogspot.com
What is the infinitive of purpose in grammar?
The infinitive of purpose: He’s bought milk to make pancakes for breakfast. Verbs followed by an object and a gerund: She saw him fishing at the lake. Verbs followed by an optional object and a gerund: We appreciated receiving the presents. I remember my mother cooking a lot when I was young. Verbs followed by a bare infinitive:
