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Grammar 1 Gerunds & infinitives; make & let

1 Read about gerunds, infinitives, make and let.
Gerunds Gerund or Infinitive?
• We can use gerunds as nouns, after Some verbs can be followed by a gerund or a full
prepositions and after certain verbs and infinitive with no change in meaning. However, other
phrases. verbs can also be followed by a gerund or a full
Flying is the best way to reach your holiday infinitive, but with a change in meaning.
destination. I forgot contacting the travel agency. (I didn’t
We’re interested in finding out more about the remember that I had contacted the travel agency.)
city breaks on offer. I forgot to contact the travel agency. (I didn’t contact
He admitted stealing my passport. the travel agency because I forgot.)

Infinitives Make & Let
• We use full infinitives to express purpose. Make + object + bare infinitive is used in the active
We also use them after certain verbs, after voice to say that we force a person to do something.
adjectives and after the words too and enough. In the passive, we use a full infinitive.
I went to the travel agency to book my flight. The driver made the tourists get off the coach.
He failed to get to the airport on time. The tourists were made to get off the coach by
I’m pleased to see you again so soon. the driver.
I’m too old to go rock-climbing!
• We use bare infinitives after modal verbs, had Let + object + bare infinitive is used to say that we
better and would rather. give permission for someone to do something. It is only
We can find a cheap package holiday. used in the active voice. In the passive, we can use the
You had better pack your suitcase now. verb to be allowed to.
I would rather go on a camping holiday than I let my son swim to the rocks.
a skiing holiday. My son was allowed to swim to the rocks.

2 Read the sentences. Which one contains a gerund? How has it been used? Which sentence
contains an infinitive? What kind of an infinitive is it? Why has it been used?
a We can arrange our accommodation online.
b Arranging accommodation online is very convenient.
Read 9.1-9.5 of the Grammar Reference before you do the task.

3 Circle the correct words.

Family holidays: new and improved
As teenagers, we all remember going / to go on holiday with our
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families. Our parents knew we didn’t want spending / to spend our
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summer break holidaying / to holiday with them, but they made us
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4 doing / do it anyway. They thought we were too young to stay / stay
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at home alone and there was no point arguing / to argue with them
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about it. These holidays were often a terrible experience for everyone
involved because being seen with one’s parents was simply not ‘cool’.
Well, I’m pleased saying / to say that a UK travel company has
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managed to find / find a way to improve the family holiday. What the
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company has discovered, not that it’s ever been a secret, is that teens
would rather to hang out / hang out with their peers than with their
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parents. So, this travel agency has put together package holidays which
let parents and teens fly / flying to the holiday destination together,
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but once there, provide opportunities that allow teens do / to do their
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own thing with children their own age. I can’t help thinking / to think
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it’s a win-win situation. Teens can to keep / keep their independence,
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parents are able to enjoy / enjoying themselves without
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15 worrying / to worry about what their children are up to ... it’s difficult
16 to find / find anything wrong with that, isn’t it?
UNIT 9 113