Greg, thnx a lot, I love hearing your perfect speech, I'm also a teacher and I tell my students about the difference between -to ang -ing in this way: if two actions go at the same moment use gerund after verb cause it's impossible first to enjoy and then to swim or first to hate then to smoke but we use inf if the second action goes after the first one e.g. I decide to go meaning first we decide smth and then we do it. And don't forget to use like+inf speaking about people's habits e.g. I like to go to the gym 3 times a week...anyway, I love your videos and I often use them during my lessons, greetings, Den
Ah well I hate to smoke after dinner I hated smoking after dinner I always hated to smoke after dinner I hate to go to the movies I hated going to the movies Not incorrect But there are times one way sounds more “correct” Yes context is everything Yes it sounds fine
I've found a rule, wich covers 90% percents combination of verbs. When the second verb is about to happen in nearest future (even for past shifting) - use infinitive. I want to eat. I decided to eat. If second verb is already acting or does not have a chance to happen - use gerund. I pause eating, I like eating, I finish eating, I prefer eating to working ))
The "rule" about liking, preferring etc requiring a gerund is just plain wrong and Greg shouldn't have posited it as one to rely on at all. I like eating = I like to eat. I prefer eating to working = I prefer to eat than to work. Both convey the same information and are equally common in writing and speech. It's just a style difference and it is impossible to come up with any useful rule as to what someone is going to use. It might be context bound or regional preferences.
Bob told Fred to do homework. Fred does homework. Fred IS DOING homework. ‘Is doing’ is used for something in progress but you wouldn’t just write ‘Fred doing homework’ or ‘Fred to do homework’, as that doesn’t work. I’m not a teacher but I am a native speaker. Hope that kind of helps?
Gerund: After Prepositions of time and place Before and After, I always have breakfast before leaving the house. When we are using it as a noun. Swimming is a great exercise. Using verbs to tell us what we like and what we don't like. I love watching football. I adore traveling to foreign countries. I don't mind driving long distances. Start and finish I started driving when I was 17. I finished reading the book last week Suggest and Recommend I suggest leaving early if you want to arrive on time. I recommend taking an umbrella as it's going to rain.
Mr. Greg, thank you so much!!! This very material is just exactly what I need!!! I’ve been working with this material for years with so many books but still I haven’t found more or less clear explanations on the topic! And this video of yours is really of great help!!! I’m thankful so much! Wonderful day to everyone ❤
Hi Mr. Greg, thank you so much for all your videos, I loved all of them. I've been studying English by myself for 2 years and I live in Belgium. I've found all your videos so amazing, transparent, and self-explanatory. Thank you so much
Where were you..when I was growing up!😀😀 I've never come across someone who explains it the way you do.. simplistically brilliant...your explanations are helping me speak and comprehend...better! Thank you ❤
Hello Greg. I share almost all superlatives and exclamations about your knowledge, way of teaching, etc. The subject of this video is rather "it's easier said than done". I am not a smart cookie and I have a very average ability to languages. Obviously, I tried several times to leave this headache behind me. Well, well, well, not yet...Hopefully, your method will help me to overcome this barrier. Long and very pleasant Holidays is just around the corner...I would like to take this opportunity to wish your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
This topic use to trick me into using the wrong form, but I got to grab them by reading a lot of books.Now I use them automatically when I am stricking up a conversation with someone.
The best grammar lesson ever created on the internet!!! Request to continue such short stories. It is well memorable. ( as long as they are not too long) Thank you Greg and now I'm off to read the PDF. Unfortunately on Gmail your letter went to the offers tab. Sometime ask your listeners to move it to the main folder so gmail's algorithms will deliver your material correctly.
What you describe as guidelines is in fact pattern recognition from a collection of examples as a convenient way to group together a common pattern. It's convention rather than rules. 'Dare' is a little more complicated than you explained, it's often used in the negative with infinitive. Also the older, more formal pattern would leave out 'to', for example, I didn't dare do this. Sometimes you see the 'dare not' form.😊
Hi Greg. This is super useful, thanks a bunch. It would, however, be great if you could also cover the nasty "to + gerund" thing. For example: "She adjusted to living on her own" or "He devoted his life to helping the poor". I got that, in these cases, it's all about the fact that "to" is part of a phrasal verb or verb + preposition combination. It can, on the other hand, be really tricky, for example, inb the case of "used to + infinitve" vs. "used to + gerund". Anyway, I am already looking forward to watching this video 😉.
Minor nitpick but with "like" and "love" (at least), using the infinitive works just as well. "I like to watch TV" is as valid as "I like watching TV." With other similar verbs (prefer, enjoy, etc), the gerund is almost certainly the better choice.
As a native English speaker I was taught that the gerund was a verb used as a noun. That was it. The rest of this we must have had to pick it all up along the way as we grew up and learned how to speak, as any native would. So, don't stress out, English learners. It will come. Many native speakers never get all the rules correct, either.
Good evening Professor, I was wondering if you might know a trick or a rule for figuring out whether to start a sentence with an infinitive or a gerund that carries out the action of noun. For example: Smoking is dangerous To smoke is dangerous Traveling is great To travel is great Shall there be a rule about whether to use one or the other or both? I did not find anything in the books! Thank you kindly and please accept my deepest apologies for disturbing you. I pay my respects to you. Andrea
My suspicion, after having been a TEFL teacher for 20+ years, is that the verb followed by to + verb is a throwback to the future participle; i.e. I hope to go to the USA next year. "Hope" is today, while "go" is next year. There's a type of motion (interior/time motion, not physical motion) in verbs like hope, expect, choose, etc. that requires a preposition of motion (to) before the second verb in the base form (the "infinitive" is a term borrowed from other languages).
thank you Mr. Gregg. I was asked by my grandchild to give her a rule. We r Chinese n I know how to use cos I have been studying for 7 decades yet I don't know how to explain.
Hi there Greg, i'am italian ,one question for you, formal or informal english ? A person non native speaker doesn't understand anything talking with one mother tongue ,one says "easy" the other says " peace of cake" always more hard speaking english, i have learn two ways to speak english ?Thanks and great new year
Yeah, most verbs are very loose on the usage of gerund vs infinitive. Most of his examples I could change the first verb to the alternate form and the sentence would still sound mostly natural. The important part is that the second verb remains a gerund. "I prefer to order food, rather than cooking for myself." is how I'd phrase it, though.
@@nigelfelixcheongde2980 I'm a native english speaker and that sentence feels very stiff and not something I reckon anyone has said in real life, ever.
Back in school (I’m German) we‘d always learn verbs with an addition like „something“ or „to do something“… so my question would be whether there really is no rule? Suggestion: whenever the verb is a „verb + something“ one, the „something“ indicates it must be followed by a noun -> or a gerund that replaces the noun (we have a German word for this… literal translation would be „nounification“😂). „I love … something“ -> „I love snow“ -> „I love playing football“ Whenever it is a verb that can be followed by „to do something“, it will be the infinitive. „I hope to meet my friend“… Two observations: can one also „like to do something“… So could you also say „I like to play football“? I think it has a slightly different meaning than „I like playing football“, right?! Secondly, to me this would finally explain why it is „I look forward to seeING you“… I never understood why that should be to+gerund… But: the verb is not „to look“ but „to look forward to“… something“. Therefore, it is not „verb + to do something“ but rather „verb+something“. So the something must be a noun or a… gerund 😱 Does this make any sense or do I get this completely wrong? 😂
" I like to think"(07:18) and "will help us put this" (07:33) are out of those rules ? (Those are not examples, but they are some sentences that he speaks.)
Dear teacher Mr Greg. I am from Afghanistan and have learnt many things about English from your lessons I really like the way you teach and speak. it makes us to listen to it Wish you the best🌹🌹
1 This is a place where there is to go . And This is a place where to go. 2 Everything there is to know . And Everything that is to know . I have made same sentence from two ways Both are correct or not Please reply 🙂🙂
You could say 'I like to play football' though. Though you couldn't say 'I detest to play football' - you definitely have to use the gerund for that one. So the rule is a bit more nuanced than that. I don't know what it is myself though 😂.
1) They made a mistake and they admitted it. 2) They ___________ a mistake. They admitted making/ having made a mistake. Hello! This is an exercise; I have to complete 2) using not more than 3 words. I'm wondering if both options are correct; is there any difference in meaning? Or is "having made" more formal? Thanks a lot in advance!
Excellent video, however there's a situation to be consider. I STOP SMOKING and I STOP TO SMOKE. Here, there is a trick. I STOP SMOKING means I don't smoke anymore, but I STOP TO SMOKE means I was doing something and I stop to smoke. 😂
Im a native English speaker-- and my question: I like watching football & I like to watch football are both correct, and mean the same thing. What’s the difference?
I am an English teacher and this is an excellent video. Well done Greg.
I second this!
You are really a kind and generous teacher. Thank you, you work very hard to teach your students the keys to grammar.
Greg, thnx a lot, I love hearing your perfect speech, I'm also a teacher and I tell my students about the difference between -to ang -ing in this way: if two actions go at the same moment use gerund after verb cause it's impossible first to enjoy and then to swim or first to hate then to smoke but we use inf if the second action goes after the first one e.g. I decide to go meaning first we decide smth and then we do it. And don't forget to use like+inf speaking about people's habits e.g. I like to go to the gym 3 times a week...anyway, I love your videos and I often use them during my lessons, greetings, Den
Ah well
I hate to smoke after dinner
I hated smoking after dinner
I always hated to smoke after dinner
I hate to go to the movies
I hated going to the movies
Not incorrect
But there are times one way sounds more “correct”
Yes context is everything
Yes it sounds fine
I've found a rule, wich covers 90% percents combination of verbs. When the second verb is about to happen in nearest future (even for past shifting) - use infinitive. I want to eat. I decided to eat. If second verb is already acting or does not have a chance to happen - use gerund. I pause eating, I like eating, I finish eating, I prefer eating to working ))
Thank you
didn't happen ? 🤔 are you sure ? 🤔
@@stephanestephane4291 I meant in context. If you say "I like running" it means I'm not gonna run right now .
The "rule" about liking, preferring etc requiring a gerund is just plain wrong and Greg shouldn't have posited it as one to rely on at all. I like eating = I like to eat. I prefer eating to working = I prefer to eat than to work. Both convey the same information and are equally common in writing and speech. It's just a style difference and it is impossible to come up with any useful rule as to what someone is going to use. It might be context bound or regional preferences.
@@egbront1506 there's still this little nuance in our mind gerund/past infinitive/future 😏
even though the OP didn't explain it clearly enough hahaha
Great video, thanks a lot!
One point is still unclear to me: suggest *doing* OR suggest *to do* OR suggest *that* *do(es)* ?
Options two and three are correct.
Bob told Fred to do homework. Fred does homework. Fred IS DOING homework. ‘Is doing’ is used for something in progress but you wouldn’t just write ‘Fred doing homework’ or ‘Fred to do homework’, as that doesn’t work. I’m not a teacher but I am a native speaker. Hope that kind of helps?
Gerund:
After Prepositions of time and place
Before and After, I always have breakfast before leaving the house.
When we are using it as a noun.
Swimming is a great exercise.
Using verbs to tell us what we like and what we don't like.
I love watching football.
I adore traveling to foreign countries.
I don't mind driving long distances.
Start and finish
I started driving when I was 17.
I finished reading the book last week
Suggest and Recommend
I suggest leaving early if you want to arrive on time.
I recommend taking an umbrella as it's going to rain.
Mr. Greg, thank you so much!!! This very material is just exactly what I need!!! I’ve been working with this material for years with so many books but still I haven’t found more or less clear explanations on the topic! And this video of yours is really of great help!!! I’m thankful so much! Wonderful day to everyone ❤
Hi Mr. Greg, thank you so much for all your videos, I loved all of them. I've been studying English by myself for 2 years and I live in Belgium. I've found all your videos so amazing, transparent, and self-explanatory. Thank you so much
Attaboy, Greg. Your explanation of the gerund-infinitive practical application is the clearest one on The TH-cam.
Where were you..when I was growing up!😀😀 I've never come across someone who explains it the way you do.. simplistically brilliant...your explanations are helping me speak and comprehend...better! Thank you ❤
I've been studying English about one year, and I'm lerning with your videos, thank you Greg , I wish sucess for you!!
Greg, you are an awesome teacher and I look forward to learning from you. Thank you ever so much. A special thanks for your WORKSHEETS )))
Thank you, Greg! The effort you put into the video is priceless! Keep it up!
I don't mind watching your videos every single day. In fact, I recommend to watch them to all my friends!
Recommend watching/subjunctive mood :)
So valuable lesson, quite well organized. You have given me a bit of light on this question that has been around my head for a long time. Thank you.
The best video about English grammar I've seen in a long time. Congratulations and a big thank you! 🙏
Wow what a transformation in your look!! I like it!!
Hello Greg. I share almost all superlatives and exclamations about your knowledge, way of teaching, etc. The subject of this video is rather "it's easier said than done". I am not a smart cookie and I have a very average ability to languages. Obviously, I tried several times to leave this headache behind me. Well, well, well, not yet...Hopefully, your method will help me to overcome this barrier.
Long and very pleasant Holidays is just around the corner...I would like to take this opportunity to wish your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Greg ! Vous êtes un prof PAR FAIT !
You are a PERFECT teacher !
Thank you for the way you explain grammar rules.
I am an English teacher and this is the baseline of what I taught my students, thank you Greg
Thank you for your work. You categorised these verbs so well.
This topic use to trick me into using the wrong form, but I got to grab them by reading a lot of books.Now I use them automatically when I am stricking up a conversation with someone.
7:29 decision making: agree/promise/request/offer/plan/choose + TO
8:43 Expect/hope/wish/wait + TO
Awesome content GREG!!!
Watching, enjoying and learning from Guatemala!!!
I really like the way you explain when to use gerund and infinity verbs.
I love watching your videos!!! I wish I could go to England to learn English as soon as the war finished.
The best grammar lesson ever created on the internet!!! Request to continue such short stories. It is well memorable. ( as long as they are not too long)
Thank you Greg and now I'm off to read the PDF. Unfortunately on Gmail your letter went to the offers tab. Sometime ask your listeners to move it to the main folder so gmail's algorithms will deliver your material correctly.
So useful, so nice that way to teach. I really appreciate it
Thank you for the lesson my English is getting better and better now thank to you. Many blessings to you and your family
Thank you Greg for such a practical guide.
How amazingly helpful. I am an English Teacher in Greece. Thanks hun
Hi Greg! Can you explain the difference between the future perfect simple and continuous?
I love your videos♡
Thank you for your downloud list. It s really good ...... 👍👍👍😃😃 greetings from Chile
Thank you so much Greg for this lesson!!!
Happy 40th birthday, mate! Thanks for the lesson!
Thank you sir for the material you created, quite helpful and informative
Love your examples and explanations
Fantastic explanation. Thank you. Keep it up
This lesson is awesome.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
The most useful video on gerund I’ve seen so far. Thank you
So nice and easy to follow your lesson.thank you.
Thanks Greg! This video has been my salvation!
You are brilliant! I love learning English throw your video.
to me gerund is kinda tricky, yet the explanation is helpfull and easy to understand ^^. Thankyou sm!
What you describe as guidelines is in fact pattern recognition from a collection of examples as a convenient way to group together a common pattern. It's convention rather than rules. 'Dare' is a little more complicated than you explained, it's often used in the negative with infinitive. Also the older, more formal pattern would leave out 'to', for example, I didn't dare do this. Sometimes you see the 'dare not' form.😊
Hi Greg. This is super useful, thanks a bunch. It would, however, be great if you could also cover the nasty "to + gerund" thing. For example: "She adjusted to living on her own" or "He devoted his life to helping the poor". I got that, in these cases, it's all about the fact that "to" is part of a phrasal verb or verb + preposition combination. It can, on the other hand, be really tricky, for example, inb the case of "used to + infinitve" vs. "used to + gerund". Anyway, I am already looking forward to watching this video 😉.
Thank you
im really appreciated what you done on this topic!! Million thanks!!!
Perfect job, dear Greg!
Thank U so much! Wish U the best!
A nice topic to explain, thank you.
Excellent explanation 🎉🎉🎉🎉 thanks
thank you for the super helpful worksheet, really thank you for your time :)
Minor nitpick but with "like" and "love" (at least), using the infinitive works just as well. "I like to watch TV" is as valid as "I like watching TV." With other similar verbs (prefer, enjoy, etc), the gerund is almost certainly the better choice.
Thank you very much Mr Greg
This is suffice to say that this teacher/instructor is the one ☝️ who is an expert in teaching English…
Islamabad
Thank you so
Much! ❤🎉
Thanks. I love your videos!!!
You are an amazing teacher!
As a native English speaker I was taught that the gerund was a verb used as a noun. That was it. The rest of this we must have had to pick it all up along the way as we grew up and learned how to speak, as any native would. So, don't stress out, English learners. It will come. Many native speakers never get all the rules correct, either.
Could you explain me please i have deficulties to understand this topic ,i have an exam
Cool teaching - thanks!
Good evening Professor,
I was wondering if you might know a trick or a rule for figuring out whether to start a sentence with an infinitive or a gerund that carries out the action of noun.
For example:
Smoking is dangerous
To smoke is dangerous
Traveling is great
To travel is great
Shall there be a rule about whether to use one or the other or both?
I did not find anything in the books! Thank you kindly and please accept my deepest apologies for disturbing you. I pay my respects to you. Andrea
My suspicion, after having been a TEFL teacher for 20+ years, is that the verb followed by to + verb is a throwback to the future participle; i.e. I hope to go to the USA next year. "Hope" is today, while "go" is next year. There's a type of motion (interior/time motion, not physical motion) in verbs like hope, expect, choose, etc. that requires a preposition of motion (to) before the second verb in the base form (the "infinitive" is a term borrowed from other languages).
Oh my gosh!!! I like reading Evey single day
thank you Mr. Gregg.
I was asked by my grandchild to give her a rule. We r Chinese n I know how to use cos I have been studying for 7 decades yet I don't know how to explain.
The best guideline ❤Thanks
Always amazing, thanks Greg.
Hi there Greg, i'am italian ,one question for you, formal or informal english ? A person non native speaker doesn't understand anything talking with one mother tongue ,one says "easy" the other says " peace of cake" always more hard speaking english, i have learn two ways to speak english ?Thanks and great new year
I prefer "to order" food than cooking by myself. I think after the verb "to prefer" we can use both ways, if I'm not mistaken. Thanks for your class!!
Yeah, most verbs are very loose on the usage of gerund vs infinitive. Most of his examples I could change the first verb to the alternate form and the sentence would still sound mostly natural. The important part is that the second verb remains a gerund. "I prefer to order food, rather than cooking for myself." is how I'd phrase it, though.
@@klondike3112 I got it. Thanks for that!!
@Klondike
The correct structure is "I prefer to watch TV rather than go shopping." After "rather than", use only bare infinitives.
@@nigelfelixcheongde2980 I'm a native english speaker and that sentence feels very stiff and not something I reckon anyone has said in real life, ever.
@@nigelfelixcheongde2980 I got it. Thanks for your attention!!
Greg, I'd like knowing when to use as or when.
Very educative. 👍
Good job !!! .
Back in school (I’m German) we‘d always learn verbs with an addition like „something“ or „to do something“… so my question would be whether there really is no rule? Suggestion: whenever the verb is a „verb + something“ one, the „something“ indicates it must be followed by a noun -> or a gerund that replaces the noun (we have a German word for this… literal translation would be „nounification“😂). „I love … something“ -> „I love snow“ -> „I love playing football“
Whenever it is a verb that can be followed by „to do something“, it will be the infinitive. „I hope to meet my friend“…
Two observations: can one also „like to do something“… So could you also say „I like to play football“? I think it has a slightly different meaning than „I like playing football“, right?!
Secondly, to me this would finally explain why it is „I look forward to seeING you“… I never understood why that should be to+gerund… But: the verb is not „to look“ but „to look forward to“… something“. Therefore, it is not „verb + to do something“ but rather „verb+something“. So the something must be a noun or a… gerund 😱
Does this make any sense or do I get this completely wrong? 😂
It's because we can say "I look forward to this." --- you look forward to something. To is a preposition here
I like to play football and I like playing football have the same meaning
Thank you Greg!
As a student who's about to face the final exam, I see this as a blessing from the lord.
" I like to think"(07:18) and "will help us put this" (07:33) are out of those rules ? (Those are not examples, but they are some sentences that he speaks.)
Grande aula! 🔥
@ericlinden6498 vamous
That's just what I need.
Please can u make a video on compunds
Dear teacher Mr Greg. I am from Afghanistan and have learnt many things about English from your lessons
I really like the way you teach and speak. it makes us to listen to it
Wish you the best🌹🌹
Saved my back. Thank you, lad.
1 This is a place where there is to go .
And
This is a place where to go.
2 Everything there is to know .
And
Everything that is to know .
I have made same sentence from two ways
Both are correct or not
Please reply 🙂🙂
Hello Mr. Greg, but are these words: start/begin/continue can be followed by either a to-infinitive or a gerund with no difference in meaning?
Will there be any worksheets?
Hola! excelente! thank you!
excellent - posted in my Quora writing space
You could say 'I like to play football' though. Though you couldn't say 'I detest to play football' - you definitely have to use the gerund for that one. So the rule is a bit more nuanced than that. I don't know what it is myself though 😂.
1) They made a mistake and they admitted it.
2) They ___________ a mistake.
They admitted making/ having made a mistake.
Hello! This is an exercise; I have to complete 2) using not more than 3 words.
I'm wondering if both options are correct; is there any difference in meaning? Or is "having made" more formal?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Thank you Greg
Excellent video, however there's a situation to be consider.
I STOP SMOKING and I STOP TO SMOKE. Here, there is a trick. I STOP SMOKING means I don't smoke anymore, but I STOP TO SMOKE means I was doing something and I stop to smoke. 😂
i would be gratfull for this . your vidoes are really usefull
I hope to get the Full List of Verbs. I filled the form, but I haven't got an email yet.
Thanks a lot Greg
Good lesson
Im a native English speaker-- and my question:
I like watching football & I like to watch football are both correct, and mean the same thing.
What’s the difference?
This video is very good
Thanks GREG
Superb!!
Does that mean that the title of the song "I love to love" is wrong? I've used the phrase "love to" for all my life because of that song.