Verb + to, verb + -ing

  • A2 · Elementary
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

Which verbs take to (want to, decide to, hope to), which take -ing (enjoy, finish, mind, miss), which take both (like, love, start), and -ing after about, at and in. From a hotel clerk who wants a day job to finding out what you and your teacher both enjoy doing.

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decided toenjoy speakinggood at drawing

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2Reading: Leo's new jobReading comprehension
  3. 3What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Find the verb pairsGrammar exercise
  5. 5How verb + to and verb + -ing workGrammar rule
  6. 6To or -ing?Grammar exercise
  7. 7Which group?Grammar exercise
  8. 8Choose the right formGrammar exercise
  9. 9Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  11. 11Three things in commonSpeaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: Nora's new hobbyGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: my hobbyDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. When did you start learning English?
  2. Is there a job you would like to try one day?
  3. When you were little, what did you love doing on Saturdays?

Grammar rule

How verb + to and verb + -ing work

verb + to + verb

want, would like, need, hope, decide, plan, promise, agree, learn, try, can't afford: He decided to apply. I can't afford to buy a new phone.

verb + verb-ing

enjoy, finish, keep, practice, don't mind, miss: She enjoys speaking French. He doesn't miss working at night.

both, with the same meaning

like, love, hate, start, begin: I like cooking. / I like to cook. He started looking / started to look for a new job.

after a preposition: -ing

about, at, in, for, without + -ing: He thought about working in a museum. I'm interested in learning Japanese. She's good at drawing. Thank you for helping me.

would like takes to: I'd like to try it (not I'd like trying). For activities, use go + -ing: go swimming, go hiking, go shopping. The negative of to + verb is not to: They decided not to go. Careful: try, stop and forget can also take the other form, but then the meaning changes. Here, use try + to: He tried to find a new job.

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