Gerunds and Infinitives (Verbs): Fun & humorous ESL video to peak your students’ engagement!

This creative & engaging animated ESL video teaches learners about gerunds and infinitives (verbs) at the upper-intermediate level. Use this in class and have a blast!

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Title of English / ESL Video:
Gerunds and Infinitives (Verbs)

Target English Grammar:
Gerunds and Infinitives (Verbs):
– Gerund verbs.
– Infinitives with “to”.
– Infinitives without “to”.

Student Proficiency Level:
Upper-intermediate level grammar.

Suggested Courses:
General English

Instructions:
– Play the video in class after delivering a warm-up activity first.
– Pause the video whenever the narrator asks students a question to give students time to answer. For example, after elicitations and concept checking questions (CCQs).

Summary of English Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives (Verbs)
Approximate chronological order:

Gerunds:
– Elicitation of target grammar.

Form:
– Verb + ing

Function:
– Gerunds act as nouns or pronouns.

Specific Uses:
– Likes/dislikes: I love shopping.
– General activities: I’m good at dancing.
– Abstract ideas: I’m not used to working late.
– When there is no noun to describe something: Catching the train during peak hour is really annoying.
– When speaking or writing in incomplete sentences: What are your hobbies? Watching TV and surfing the Internet.

Use Gerunds:
– As the subject of a sentence: Flying makes me nervous.
– As the object of a sentence: I find listening to music very relaxing.
– After prepositions: The police arrested her for speeding.
– After phrasal verbs: She ended up going to prison.
– After some verbs including: admit, avoid, can’t help, carry on, consider, deny, finish, give up, imagine, involve, keep on, miss, postpone, practice, risk, spend, stop, suggest.
– Example: You should avoid taking a stroll outside during a hurricane.
– After words for expressing like/dislike: can’t stand, crazy about, enjoy, fancy, hate, like/dislike, keen on, love, don’t mind, prefer.
– Example: I love skydiving.

Use Infinitives (with “to”):
– To express a reason or purpose: He ran to avoid being caught.
– After adjectives: This safe is easy to break open.
– After some verbs, including: can/can’t afford, agree, appear, be able to, can’t wait, decide, expect, forget, happen, have (got), help, hope, learn, manage, need, offer, plan, pretend, promise, refuse, remember, seem, teach, tend, threaten, try, want, would like.
– Example: He threatened to hurt the man.
*Infinitives are not generally used as the subject of sentences.

Use the Infinitive (without “to”) after:
– Modal verbs: You should see a doctor.
– Auxiliary verbs: We‘ll go swimming tomorrow.
– let, make and help.
– Example 1: Let‘s go shopping.
– Example 2: Help me carry my shoes.
– Example 3: Sometimes she makes me want to scream!

Negative Forms:
Target language form the negative with “not”:
– Gerunds: I don’t like shopping.
– Infinitives (with “to”): I don’t want to go shopping.
– Infinitives (without “to”): I won’t go shopping.

These verbs can be followed with either the gerund or infinitive (with “to”) with no difference in meaning:
– begin, continue, prefer, start. For example:
– I prefer doing yoga.
– I prefer to do yoga.

These verbs can be followed with either the gerund or infinitive (with “to”), but the meaning is different:
– try, remember, forget, need.
– Example 1:
– Try not to hurt yourself again. (This means, make an effort to do something.)
– You should try going to an Italian restaurant. (This means, try something to see if you like it.)
– Example 2:
– Remember to fasten your seatbelt. (This means, don’t forget something.)
– I remember seeing you in high school. (This means, having a memory of something.)
– Example 3:
– I forgot to bring my luggage. (This means, you didn’t remember something.)
– I’ll never forget seeing the beautiful scenery. (This means, you did something and you won’t forget it. It’s more common in the negative form.)
– Example 4:
– You need to buy a new car. (This means, you must do something.)
– That car needs repairing. (This means, the subject needs something.)

[carlostarangomiranda]

Good video! This video is clearer than the other YouTube videos. I think you have the best "gerunds and infinitives lesson"

[lauracarney]

This video is my go to for explaining Gerunds and Infinitives! It is very thorough. However, there are no captions! Would you please caption this video and make it more accessible? If you could do it soon, like in the next week, I would like to use it in class!

[talhatetik]

This video more clear than the other videos in the YouTube. I think you have the best '' gerunds and infinitives lesson''

[PALMA]

Mi maestra me mandó aquí por la cuarentena.

[kingsa]

Thank u for this video! Simple and easy to follow, it’s great vid 🦋✨

[hectoracosta]

Great explanation with beautiful and concise video! Thank you very much!

[mariabevenutafernandes]

Fantastic! Thank you very much for the so clear explanation. I have difficulty to memorize and use those. God bless you all 🙏🏽

[Danielvrijhof]

what an awesome video you made. i enjoyed every single milisecond of it!

[agapihanialidi]

Hello, from Greece!
Very good job, teacher!
Your explanations are understandable!
See you soon...on the Internet...

[learnenglishasap-charlotte]

Thank you for this video! Simple and easy to follow. I'll be sharing it with my students!

[jasonbolster]

You can use either the infinitive or gerund with "like."

[JuanLopez-wfyr]

THANK YOU SO This is the only formal video about it, thx

[englishlessons]

Really great and comprehensive, thanks for effort.

[Jennifer-helg]

Thanks for the help. This video is a great example on how to learn grammar better.

[lostmoon]

Opening words: "what do you think she's thinking." lol

[kanwaldipkaur]

Sometimes people use infinite and gerund together. Could you tell when and why this combination is used?

[omaramer]

thanks for the this it is really helpful

[killampalisreenu]

wonderful and useful. nice examples have been given.

[anujgupta]

Very helpful explanation...
Thank you so much sir, please continue uploads like this.

[colettebernhard]

The word is PIQUE ... you pique someone's curiosity. Peak is the top of a mountain or a quick look.