Using Gerunds and Infinitives

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Gerund (Gerundio) El gerundio y el infinitivo son formas de los verbos que actuan como nombres. El gerundio se forma con "ing" (walking, eating, etc.). Como hemos visto en la lección sobre los verbos, el infinitivo se forma con la preposición "to" (to walk, to eat, etc.).

Grammatical Rules (Reglas gramaticales)

1.

Podemos usar el gerundio o el infinitivo como objeto, sujeto o complemento de una frase,pero en general, es mucho más común usar el gerundio como sujeto.

o o

Ejemplos: Objeto

o

Play I like cooking./I like to cook. (Me gusta cocinar.)

o

Play She continued working./She continued to work. (Continuó trabajando.)

o

Sujeto

o

Play Swimming is good exercise. (Nadar es un buen ejercicio.)

o

Play Drinking and driving is dangerous. (Beber y conducir es peligroso.)

o

Complemento

o

Play The best thing to do when you are sick is to drink a lot of water. (Lo mejor que puedes hacer cuando estás enfermo es beber mucha agua.)

o

Play My favorite exercise is swimming. (Mi ejercicio favorito es la natación.)

2.

Cuando un verbo sigue otro verbo, siempre necesitamos usar el infinitivo o el gerundio.Normalmente usamos el infinitivo después de algunos verbos y el gerundio después de otros. También hay verbos con los que podemos usar el gerundio o el infinitivo.

o

Ejemplos:

o

Play I can't afford to buy a new car. (No puede permitirse comprar un coche nuevo.)

o

Play He began to doubt himself./He began doubting himself. (Comenzó a dudar de sí mismo.)

o

Play They decided to move to Australia in May. (Decidieron mudarse a Australia en Mayo.)

o

Play I enjoy listening to music. (Disfruto escuchar música.)

o

Play She hates studying./She hates to study. (Odia estudiar.)

o

Play

You love dancing./You love to dance. (Te encanta bailar.)

o

Play He needed to leave class early because he had an appointment. (Tenía que salir de la clase pronto porque tenía una cita.)

o

Play She can't tolerate complaining. (No puede tolerar quejas.)

o

Play I tried learning English./I tried to learn English. (He intentado aprender inglés.) Verbo

Gerundio

Play

X

Afford

Play

X

Agree

Play

X

Attempt

Play

Begin

X

Play

Continue

X

Play

Detest

Play Enjoy

X X

Play

X

Expect

Play

X

Fail

Play Finish

Play

X X

Decide

Play

X X

Choose

Play

Infinitivo

X X

X

Hate

Play

X

Hope

Play

Imagine

X

Play

X

Intend

Play Keep

X

Play

X

Learn

Play Like

Play Love

X

X

X

X

Play

X

Manage

Play

X

Need

Play

X

Offer

Play

X

Plan

Play Prefer

X

Play

X

Promise

Play Quit

Play Recommend

Play

X

X X X

Refuse

Play

X

Regret

Play

X

Seem

Play

X

Start

Play

X

Suggest

Play

X

Tend

Play

X

Threaten

Play

X

Tolerate

Play

X

Try

Play

X

X

Understand

Play

X

Want

Play

X

Wish 3.

X

X

Con algunos verbos, cuando usamos el gerundio o el infinitivo, el significado cambia.

o

Ejemplos:

o

Play I forgot writing that email./I forgot to write that email. (Me olvidé escribiendo ese correo electrónico./Me olvidé de escribir el correo electrónico.)

o

Play Stop watching the television./Stop to watch the news. (Dejar de ver la televisión./Parar para ver las noticias.) forget, mean, remember, stop...

4.

Se usa el infinitivo después de adjetivos.

o o

Ejemplos:

Play I'm glad to see you. (Me alegro de verte.)

o

Play She was surprised to find the door unlocked. (Se sorprendió al encontrar la puerta abierta.) disappointed, glad, happy, pleased, relieved, sad, surprised...

5.

Después de preposiciones solo podemos usar el gerundio.

o

Ejemplos:

o

Play He's good at listening. (Escucha bien.)

o

Play I always read before going to bed. (Siempre leo antes de acostarme.)

o

Play You can't leave without saying goodbye. (No puedes salir sin despedirte.) about, against, at, after, before, by, on, without...

6.

Se usa el gerundio después de unos nombres.

o

Ejemplos:

o

Play What is the advantage of waiting? (¿Cuál es la ventaja de esperar?)

o

Play I am interested in taking an English class. (Estoy interesado en tomar una clase de inglés.)

o

Play His problem finding a new job was his lack of experience. (Su problema para encontrar un nuevo empleo era su falta de experiencia.)

advantage/disadvantage of, danger of, experience in, interested in, opportunity of, reason for, problem, use...

7.

Se usa el gerundio después de unas expresiones o verbos frasales. to look forward to, to be worth, can't help, don't mind, feel like...

o

Ejemplos:

o

Play We're really looking forward to seeing you. (Tenemos muchas ganas de verte.)

o

Play That movie was not worth seeing. (No vale la pena ver esa película.)

o

Play I can't help falling in love. (No puedo evitar enamorarme.)

http://www.curso-ingles.com/gramatica-inglesa/gerundio.php

Lección 11ª: Verbos seguidos de infinitivo / gerundio

Gramática Cuando un verbo va acompañado por otro, este segundo puede ir en: Infinitivo Infinitivo (sin "to") Gerundio Ejemplos: Last summer we decided to go to the beach We can speak English fluently I hate driving at night Hay una serie de verbos que cuando van acompañados por otro este segundo va engerundio: Admit / Appreciate / Avoid / Consider / Delay / Deny / Detest / Excuse / Finish / Forgive / Imagine / Keep (=continue) / Miss / Postpone / Practise / Prevent / Propose(=suggest) / Regret / Resist / Risk / Stop / Suggest / Understand Veamos algunos ejemplos: When I lost my job I postponed buying a new house After the heart attack my father stopped smoking My boss told me that he is considering promoting me for the new post If you drive when you are drunk you risk losing your driving licence The detainee admitted doing business with the mafia También suelen ir seguidos de gerundios los siguientes verbos: Like / Dislike / Hate / Love / Enjoy / Mind Ejemplos:

I like travelling with my girlfriend I hate tidying my bedroom I enjoy dancing I don´t mind going to English classes El verbo "like" puede también ir seguido por un infinitivo pero el significado es diferente: to like + gerundio: disfrutar to like + infinitivo: querer hacer algo porque considero que es positivo I like playing tennis I like to do my homework on Saturday mornings Algunos de los verbos anteriores si va precedido del auxiliar "would" pide entonces un infinitivo: Would like to… Would love to… Would hate to… Would prefer to … I would like to visit Paris I would love to go out for dinner tonight! I would hate to spend the summer in Seville I would prefer to go to the cinema than go to the gym Los siguientes verbos, si van acompañados por otro, este segundo va en infinitivo:

Agree / Appear / Arrange / Ask / Choose / Claim / Decide / Decline / Demand / Fail / Forget / Happen / Hesitate / Hope / Learn / Manage / Offer / Plan / Prepare / Pretend / Promise / Refuse / Remember / Seem / Swear / Threaten Ejemplos: He agreed to help me with my homework She promised to phone her mother My brother decided to sell his car El verbo "try" puede ir seguido de infinitivo o gerundio pero con distinto significado: + infinitivo: hacer un esfuerzo + gerundio: probar algo en plan experimento I will try to wash my car before lunch I tried calling my girlfriend with this mobile but it didn't work La expression "I am afraid" puede ir seguida de: Infinitivo: no quiero hacer algo porque creo que es peligroso "of + gerundio": existe la posibilidad de que algo malo me ocurra I am afraid to climb up the tree When I drive through the centre of town I am afraid of having an accident

Using Gerunds and Infinitives Written by Martine Johnston, International Student Centre

Printable PDF Version Fair-Use Policy Gerunds and infinitives are verb forms that can take the place of a noun in a sentence. The following guidelines and lists will help you figure out whether a gerund or infinitive is needed.

Following a verb (gerund or infinitive) Both gerunds and infinitives can replace a noun as the object of a verb. Whether you use a gerund or an infinitive depends on the main verb in the sentence. Consult the lists below to find out which form to use following which verbs. I expect to have the report done by Friday.

[INFINITIVE]

I anticipate having the report done by Friday.

[GERUND]

Some common verbs followed by a gerund (note that phrasal verbs, marked here with *, always fall into this category): acknowledge

She acknowledged receiving assistance.

* accuse of

He was accused of smuggling contraband goods.

admit

They admitted falsifying the data.

advise

The author advises undertaking further study.

anticipate

He anticipates having trouble with his supervisor.

appreciate

I appreciated having a chance to read your draft.

avoid

He avoided answering my question.

complete

I finally completed writing my thesis.

consider

They will consider granting you money.

defer

She deferred writing her report.

delay

We delayed reporting the results until we were sure.

deny

They denied copying the information.

discuss

They discussed running the experiments again.

entail

This review procedure entails repeating the test.

* look after

He will look after mailing the tickets.

* insist on

He insisted on proofreading the article again.

involve

This procedure involves testing each sample twice.

justify

My results justify taking drastic action.

mention

The author mentions seeing this event.

* plan on

They had planned on attending the conference.

postpone

The committee has postponed writing the report.

recall

I cannot recall getting those results before.

resent

He resented spending so much time on the project.

recommend

She recommends reading Marx.

resist

The writer resists giving any easy answers.

risk

She risks losing her viewing time.

sanction

They will not sanction copying without permission.

suggest

I suggest repeating the experiment.

* take care of

He will take care of sending it to you.

tolerate

She can't tolerate waiting for results.

Some common verbs followed by an infinitive:

afford

We cannot afford to hesitate.

agree

The professors agreed to disagree.

appear

The results appear to support your theory.

arrange

They had arranged to meet at noon.

beg

I beg to differ with you.

care

Would you care to respond?

claim

She claims to have new data.

consent

Will you consent to run for office?

decide

When did he decide to withdraw?

demand

I demand to see the results of the survey.

deserve

She deserves to have a fair hearing.

expect

The committee expects to decide by tomorrow.

fail

The trial failed to confirm his hypothesis.

hesitate

I hesitate to try the experiment again.

hope

What do you hope to accomplish?

learn

We have learned to proceed with caution.

manage

How did she manage to find the solution?

neglect

The author neglected to provide an index.

need

Do we need to find new subjects?

offer

We could offer to change the time of the meeting.

plan

They had planned to attend the conference.

prepare

He was not prepared to give a lecture.

pretend

I do not pretend to know the answer.

promise

They promise to demonstrate the new equipment.

refuse

She refused to cooperate any longer.

seem

Something seems to be wrong with your design.

struggle

We struggled to understand her point of view.

swear

He swears to tell the truth.

threaten

The team threatened to stop their research.

volunteer

Will you volunteer to lead the group?

wait

We could not wait to hear the outcome.

want

She did not want to go first.

wish

Do you wish to participate?

Following a preposition (gerund only) Gerunds can follow a preposition; infinitives cannot. Can you touch your toes without bending your knees? He was fined for driving over the speed limit. She got the money by selling the car. A corkscrew is a tool for taking corks out of bottles. Note: Take care not to confuse the preposition "to" with an infinitive form, or with an auxiliary form such as have to, used to, going to He went back to writing his paper. [PREPOSITION + GERUND] I used to live in Mexico.

[AUXILIARY + VERB]

I want to go home.

[VERB + INFINITIVE]

Following an indirect object (infinitive only) Some verbs are followed by a pronoun or noun referring to a person, and then an infinitive. Gerunds cannot be used in this position.

Some common verbs followed by an indirect object plus an infinitive: ask

I must ask you to reconsider your statement.

beg

They begged her to stay for another term.

cause

His findings caused him to investigate further.

challenge

Wilkins challenged Watson to continue the research.

convince

Can we convince them to fund our study?

encourage

She encouraged him to look beyond the obvious.

expect

They did not expect us to win an award.

forbid

The author forbade me to change his wording.

force

They cannot force her to reveal her sources.

hire

Did the department hire him to teach the new course?

instruct

I will instruct her to prepare a handout.

invite

We invite you to attend the ceremony.

need

They need her to show the slides.

order

He ordered the group to leave the building.

persuade

Can we persuade you to contribute again?

remind

Please remind him to check the references.

require

They will require you to submit an outline.

teach

We should teach them to follow standard procedures.

tell

Did she tell him to make three copies?

urge

I urge you to read the instructions before you begin.

want

I do not want you to have an accident.

warn

Why didn't they warn me to turn down the heat?

http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/english-as-a-second-language/gerunds

Gerund after prepositions (verbs) Gerund and prepositions - Exercise We use the Gerund after prepositions. verb + preposition

Exception: to Here we use the phrase: looking forward to + Gerund Example: I'm looking forward to seeing you soon. We use the Gerund after the following phrases: accuse of

They were accused of breaking into a shop.

agree with

I agree with playing darts.

apologize for

They apologize for being late.

believe in

She doesn't believe in getting lost in the wood.

blame for

The reporter is blamed for writing bad stories.

complain about

She complains about bullying.

concentrate on

Do you concentrate on reading or writing?

congratulate sb. on

I wanted to congratulate you on making such a good speech.

cope with

He is not sure how to cope with getting older.

decide against

They decided against stealing the car.

depend on

Success may depend on becoming more patient.

dream about/of

Sue dreams of being a pop star.

feel like

They feel like going to bed.

get used to

You must get used to working long hours.

insist on

The girls insisted on going out with Mark.

look forward to

I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

prevent sb. from sth.

How can I prevent Kate from working in this shop?

rely on sth.

He doesn't rely on winning in the casino.

succeed in

How then can I succeed in learning chemistry?

specialize in

The firm specialized in designing websites.

stop sb. from

I stopped Andrew from smoking.

talk about/of

They often talk about travelling to New Zealand.

think of

Frank thinks of playing chess.

warn sb. against

We warned them against using this computer.

worry about

The patient worries about having the check-up

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/gerund_prepositions_verbs.htm

English relative clauses There are two types of relative clauses in English: those that add extra information (non-defining relative clauses) and those that modify (or define) the subject of the sentence (defining relative clauses).

Defining clauses These clauses define the noun and they identify which thing or person we are referring to. Things

"The present which he bought me is beautiful." People "The man who has started an English course is from Spain." Using whom Whom is used to refer to the object of the verb. The people with whom I was sitting were very noisy. However, it is hardly ever used in spoken English. Instead, “who”is used with the preposition: The people who I was sitting with were very noisy. To whom are you speaking? = Who are you speaking to? For whom are you buying the present? + Who are you buying the present for? Using that In spoken English, "that" is often used instead of "which", "whom"or "who". "The present that he bought me is beautiful." "The man that has started an English course is from Spain." When, where and whose When: Is there another time when (that) I can call you? Where: Can you tell me where I can buy wrapping paper? Whose: (possessive) Have you seen the TV show whose catchphrase is “Deal no deal?” Omitting that, who and which If the pronoun ("that", "who", "which") is the object of the verb, it can be omitted. "The company that she works for is based in London." ("That"is an object pronoun.) = "The company she works for is based in London." ("That"can be omitted.) But: "The company that employs her is based in London." ("That" is a subject pronoun.) The company employs her (the company is the subject). In this case, it is not possible to omit "that". You need the pronoun because it is the subject of the verb.

Non-defining relative clauses These clauses add further information. "My students, who are all adults, are learning English to get a better job."

"The textbooks, which the students like, have lots of helpful examples." Commas are used to separate the relative clause from the rest of the sentence. "That" cannot be used instead of "who"or "which" in non-defining relative clauses. You can use “some” , “none”, “all” and “many” with “of which” and “of whom” to add extra information: My students, many of whom are from Europe, are learning English to get a better job. The textbooks, some of which the students like, have helpful examples. Comparing defining and non-defining relative clauses The meaning of the sentences changes if you use a non-defining clause rather than a defining clause. Compare the following: Non-defining The students, who had revised hard, passed the exam. (All the students revised and they all passed the exam. Defining The students who had revised hard passed the exam. (Only some of the students revised, and these were the ones who passed the exam.)

nfinitive or Gerund (Infinitivo o Gerundio) Ya hemos hablado de cómo interactúan dos verbos cuando van juntos en la sección de 'Verb Patterns'. Sin embargo, podemos profundizar más en este tema y ver otros aspectos importantes. ¿A QUÉ HACEMOS REFERENCIA? Nos referimos a cuándo utilizar un infinitivo y cuándo utilizar un gerundio después de otro verbo, es decir, las reglas que determinan cuándo utilizar uno u otro. to walk

walking

* Recuerda que hay casos en los que se pueden utilizar ambas formas. A veces esas dos estructuras son completamente intercambiables, pero en otros casos el significado cambia dependiendo de la estructura elegida. ¿CUÁNDO USAMOS EL INFINITIVO? El infinitivo se utiliza cuando va seguido de ciertos verbos como want, forget, need, prepare, expect, etc. Yo quiero ir al campo.

I want to go to the country. Por otro lado, se utiliza cuando está situado detrás de adjetivos o adverbios. Eso es difícil de recordar

That is difficult to remember. * Recuerda que esto mismo sucede si estos adjetivos o adverbios van acompañados de las partículas 'too' y 'enough'. Eso es demasiado difícil de recordar

That is too difficult to remember. Vamos a utilizar el infinitivo en el caso de que el verbo principal esté acompañando de un pronombre objeto. Me dijo que abriera la puerta.

He told me to open the door. ¿CUÁNDO USAMOS EL GERUNDIO? El gerundio también lo utilizamos principalmente cuando va seguido de otro grupo de verbos como admit, avoid, consider, suggest, mind, imagine, etc. Mi hermano sugirió ir al campo.

My brother suggested going to the country. Por otro lado, el gerundio siempre se utiliza cuando va seguido de una preposición, es decir, todo verbo seguido de preposición debe ir en -ing. Ellos fueron después de ir al cine.

They went after going to the cinema.

Además, cuando la frase comienza con un verbo que hace de sujeto también utilizamos un gerundio. Escuchar música es mi hobby preferido.

Listening to music is my favourite hobby. Por ultimo, el gerundio se utiliza mucho en prohibiciones o carteles con mensajes cortos. Prohibido aparcar.

No parking. ¿CUÁNDO SE UTILIZAN INDISTINTAMENTE? Existe un grupo de verbos que nos permiten utilizar ambas estructuras indistintamente, es decir, sin cambiar el significado. Entre estos verbos encontramos begin, intend, start, pefer, etc. Ella empezó a estudiar francés.

She began learning French. / She began to learn French. *1 También se utiliza con verbos como 'like', 'hate' o 'love'. Sin embargo es mucho más común ver la estructura con gerundio. *2 La diferencia en muchos casos está que cuando hablamos en general utilizamos el gerundio (I.e. I like playing tennis) y cuando hablamos de situaciones específicas utilizamos el infinitivo (I.e. I hate to swim here). ¿CUÁNDO CAMBIA EL SIGNIFICADO? Con otro grupo de verbos también podemos utilizar ambas estructuras, pero el significado cambia. Entre este tipo de verbos encontramos remember, try, stop y forget. Él intentó abrir la ventana.

He tried to open the window. Él probó a abrir la ventana.

He tried opening the window. https://sites.google.com/site/bluebloc/grammar/Verbs/infinitive--gerund

SÁBADO, FEBRERO 06, 2010

Aprendiendo a usar el infinitivo y el gerundio Pregunta: Tengo una que me confunde constantemente y es la siguiente. Salvo las excepciones gramaticales Like+ing, enjoy+ ing, would you mind+ ing, looking forward to+ ing etc. Tengo problemas a la hora de usar el verbo en infinitivo con to o usar directamente el verbo en ing porque no se cómo diferenciarlos. Ejemplo: -It is fun to travel ------------¿ podría decir? It is fun travelling. -I appreciate receiving letters like this one------------¿Podría decir? I appreciate to receive letters like this one. -I don´t recomend you are going there---------¿podría decir? I don’t recommend you to go there. En fin no se si me entiendes, salvo en casos de gramática pura en los que te acabo de describir ¿son dos formas distintas de decir lo mismo, o hay alguna regla que yo desconozco? Gracias y un saludo José. *************************** Respuesta: Responde Marta Sáez, colaboradora de “El blog para aprender inglés”.

Infinitivos y gerundios en inglés detrás de un tiempo verbal En inglés, cuando un verbo va acompañado por otro, este segundo puede ir en:

Infinitivo  Infinitivo (sin "to")  Gerundio Ejemplos: - Last summer we decided to go to my village. El verano pasado decidimos ir a mi pueblo - I can speak French fluently. Sé hablar francés con fluidez . - I hate driving at night. Odio conducir de noche. Nuestra duda es saber como emplearlos. Para ello hay que aprenderse una serie de grupos de verbos:

1. Verbos seguidos de otro verbo en gerundio: Admit / Appreciate / Avoid / Consider / Delay / Deny / Detest / Excuse / Finish / Forgive / Imagine / Keep (=continue) / Miss / Postpone / Practise / Prevent / Propose(=suggest) / Regret / Resist / Risk / Stop / Suggest / Understand

Veamos algunos ejemplos: - When I lost my job I postponed buying a new house. Cuando perdí mi trabajo, retrasé la compra de una nueva casa - After the heart attack my father stopped smoking. Tras el infarto, mi padre dejó de fumar - My boss told me that he is considering promoting me for the new post. Mi jefe me dijo que está considerando el ascenderme. - If you drive when you are drunk you risk losing your driving licence. Si condices bebido, corres el riesgo de que te quiten el carné de conducir - The detainee admitted doing business with the mafia. El detenido admitió haber hecho negocios con la mafia.

Hay otros verbos que además son muy frecuentes y que también vamos a encontrarlos con un gerundio detrás: Like / Dislike / Hate / Love / Enjoy / Mind

Ejemplos: - I like travelling with my girlfriend. Me gusta viajar con mi novia. - I hate tidying my bedroom. Odio ordenar mi habitación. - I enjoy dancing. Lo paso muy bien bailando. - I don´t mind going to English classes. No me importa ir a clases de inglés. Nota: El verbo "like" puede también ir seguido por un infinitivo pero el significado es ligeramente diferente.

-to like + gerundio: disfrutar -to like + infinitivo: querer hacer algo porque considero que es positivo Ejemplos: - I like playing tennis. Me gusta jugar al tenis - I like to play tennis on Saturday mornings. Me gusta jugar al tenis los sábados por la manaña porque me parece positivo o apropiado. Algunos de los verbos anteriores, si van precedidos del auxiliar "would", piden entonces un infinitivo Consejo: para no confundirnos, siempre que tengamos “would” + estos verbos vamos a poner to + infinitivo). Ejemplos: - Would like to... - Would love to... - Would hate to... - Would prefer to ... - I would like to visit Paris. Me gustaría visitar París - I would love to go out for dinner tonight!. Me encantaría salir a cenar esta noche - I would hate to spend the summer in Seville. No me gustaría nada pasar el verano en Sevilla - I would prefer to go to the cinema than go to the gym. Preferiría ir al cine que al gimnasio. 2. Cuando los siguientes verbos vayan acompañados por otro, este segundo irá en infinitivo:

Agree / Appear / Arrange / Ask / Choose / Claim / Decide / Decline / Demand / Fail / Forget / Happen / Hesitate / Hope / Learn / Manage / Offer / Plan / Prepare / Pretend / Promise / Refuse / Remember / Seem / Swear / Threaten

Ejemplos: - He agreed to help me with my homework. Estuvo de acuerdo en ayudarme con mis deberes - She promised to phone her mother. Prometió telefonear a su madre. - My brother decided to sell his car. Mi madre decidió vender su coche. 3. Por último, hay verbos que pueden llevar detrás infinitivo o gerundio. El uso de uno u de otro depende del significado que queramos dar al verbo principal. Aquí te pongo los más importantes:

 Remember/Forget (recordar/olvidar) Con los verbos remember (recordar) y forget (olvidar), el gerundio hace referencia a una acción que ocurrió antes que el hecho de recordar u olvidar. Veamos: - I remember giving him the key (recuerdo que le di la llave) significa - I remember having given him the key (recuerdo haberle dado la llave)o lo que es lo mismo... - I remember the moment in which I gave him the key ( recuerdo el momento en que le di la llave)

- I will never forget going water rafting in Africa ...Nunca olvidaré haber hecho rafting en África) significa - I will never forget the occasion on which we went water rafting in Africa nunca olvidaré aquella vez en la que hicimos rafting en África) Sin embargo, con remember y forget, el infinitivo hace referencia a una acción que ocurrió después de que surgiera el hecho de recordar u olvidar. Veamos: - I remember to feed the cat Me acuerdo de darle de comer a la gata), significa...

- I remember that it is my responsibility to feed the cat and I fed her.Recuerdo que es mi responsabilidad darle de comer y lo hago - I forgot to post that letter (me olvidé de echar esa carta al correo ), significa... - I did not post the letter because I forgot. No eché la carta al correo porque se me olvidó.  Regret(lamentar/se) El verbo regret (lamentar/se) es similar. La estructura regret + gerund (ing) hace referencia a una acción del pasado que lamentamos haber llevado a cabo, mientras que regret + infinitive se usa para presentar malas noticias (I regret to say..., I regret to tell you..., I regret to inform you...). Por lo tanto, decimos... - I regret telling him the secret (lamento haberle contado el secreto),significa - I regret having told him the secret o lo que es lo mismo - I wish I hadn't told him the secret. Ojalá no le hubiese contado el secreto. - I regret to say that I just ran over your dog! Lamento decirte que acabo de atropellar a tu perro), significa - I'm very sorry but I just killed your dog with my car. Lo siento mucho, pero acabo de matar a tu perro con mi coche. - I regret to inform you that your car is missing (lamento informarle de que su coche ha desaparecido), significa - It is my sad responsibility to inform you that your car is missing.Tengo el triste deber de informarle de que su coche ha desaparecido.

 Stop (dejar de) La estructura “stop + gerund (ing)” expresa que se ha interrumpido la acción mencionada en el gerundio. Veamos. - You must stop smoking. Debes dejar de fumar. Sin embargo,”stop + infinitive” expresa que se interrumpe la actividad que se está realizando para llevar a cabo la actividad mencionada en el infinitivo. Observa: - The window-cleaners stopped to smoke. Los que limpiaban las ventanas pararon para fumar, significa: - They stopped cleaning the windows in order to have a cigarette.Pararon de limpiar las ventanas para echarse un cigarro.  Go on(seguir, continuar) La estructura” go on + gerund “expresa lo mismo que “continue + gerund/infinitive”: - He went on talking about himself, even though nobody was listening.Siguió hablando de sí mismo aunque nadie le escuchaba . Sin embargo,”go on + infinitive” significa “to start something new”: - He went on to talk about his children Continuó para hablar sobre sus hijos significa: - He was talking about one thing and then he changed the subject and started to talk about his children. Estaba hablando sobre algo y luego cambió de conversación para empezar a hablar sobre sus hijos.  Try(tratar, intentar)Existe una ligera diferencia entre” try + infinitive” y” try + gerund”. La estructura “try + infinitive” sugiere que la acción del infinitivo es difícil y posiblemente la persona no llegue a realizar la acción: - Try to open the window. I can't because I'm not very strong and it has recently been painted. Intenta abrir la ventana. Yo no puedo porque no tengo demasiada fuerza y, además, la han pintado recientemente.. - He tried to climb the cliff. Intentó subir por el acantilado . Sin embargo, “try + Gerund” sugiere que la acción del gerundio no es compleja pero desconocemos si la consecuencia de esa acción será lo que buscamos o deseamos. Se utiliza la estructura “try + gerund” cuando realizamos algo para descubrir cuáles serán las consecuencias. Observa: - A: Phew! It's hot in here!. ¡Uff! ¡Qué calor hace aquí dentro! - B: Try opening the window. Although it's probably just as hot outside!.Prueba a abrir la ventana. ¡Aunque probablemente haga el mismo calor fuera!.

 Need (necesitar, tener necesidad de) Con el verbo “need”, el infinitivo adquiere un significado activo y el gerundio uno pasivo. -“ I need to talk to you” (necesito hablar contigo), significa: “ I must talk to you” Tengo que hablar contigo. - “My shoes need cleaning” significa: “My shoes need to be cleaned”.Mis zapatos necesitan una limpieza. - “The car needed servicing” significa: “The car needed to be serviced”.El coche necesitaba pasar por el taller. Por último, decirte que hay unos cuantos verbos que pueden ir con gerundio o infinitivo sin cambiar de significado. Su uso depende del estilo del texto. Para utilizarlos, debemos fijarnos en diferentes textos. Gramaticalmente estarán bien escritos en ambos casos. Aquí te dejo algunos de los más frecuentes:

Tres de estos verbos son continue (continuar), start (arrancar, comenzar) y begin (comenzar, iniciar)

- The fans continued to shout / shouting at the referee. Los aficionados continuaron gritándole al árbitro. - Helen started to cough / coughing because of her bad cold. Helen comenzó a toser a causa de un resfriado. - It began to rain / raining. Empezó a llover . Otros verbos pueden tomar el gerundio o el infinitivo en la mayoría de los tiempos verbales (aunque el inglés británico prefiere el gerundio, el infinitivo es muy común en inglés americano), pero sólo se los usa con el infinitivo cuando se encuentran en condicional.

Estos verbos son: hate (odiar, no gustar), love (amar), can't bear(no soportar), like (gustar), dislike (disgustar) y prefer (preferir)

- I hate talking to her. Odio hablar con ella . - I’d like to get up early on Sunday mornings and go riding. Me gustaría madrugar los domingos por la mañana e ir a montar a caballo. ... but: - I like getting up early on Sunday mornings to go riding. Me gusta madrugar los domingos por la mañana e ir a montar a caballo. - I couldn't bear to live in that country. No podría soportar vivir en el campo . - I'd prefer to see the manager early tomorrow. Preferiría ver al directo mañana a primera hora . Marta Sáez Colaboradora de "El blog para aprender inglés"

http://menuaingles.blogspot.com/2010/02/aprendiendo-usar-el-infinitivo-yel.html

Cómo veremos algunos verbos pueden ser sucedidos por gerundios o infinitivos. A veces hay cambios en el significado de la oración.

Con poca o ninguna diferencia en el significado Algunos verbos pueden ser seguidos por un infinitivo o un gerundio sin casi diferencia en su significado. Entre estos verbos podemos encontrar: afford - bear - begin - cease - commence - dread - hate - like - loathe - love - neglect - prefer propose - (can't) stand - start

• • Jerry hates being/to be late for work. Jerry odia llegar tarde al trabajo.

• They don't like borrowing/to borrow money from anyone. A ellos no les gusta pedirle dinero prestado a nadie.

• Louisa began paying/to pay attention to the teacher. Louisa empezó a prestarle atención a la maestra.

• Hank has always dreaded travelling/to travel by plane. A Hank siempre le ha aterrado viajar en avión.

• Christian had preferred studying/to study Architecture. Christian había preferido estudiar arquitectura. • I can't afford losing/to lose one of my best employees. No puedo permitirme perder a uno de mis mejores empleados.

Con diferencia en el significado Por otra parte, hay algunos verbos que pueden ser seguidos por un gerundio o un infinitivo pero sí existe una diferencia en el significado.

attempt - continue - forget - mean - regret - remember - stop - try

• • I don't remember taking the hat out of the box. No me acuerdo de haber sacado el sombrero de la caja.

• Bob, remember to tell everybody to come at 6. Bob, acuérdate de decirles a todos que vengan a las 6.

• If the headache goes on, try putting ice on your head. Si el dolor de cabeza sigue, intenta poniéndote hielo en la cabeza.

• Carol is trying to move on with her life. Carol está tratando de seguir adelante con su vida.

• Jack regretted marrying a girl he didn't love. Jack lamentaba haberse casado con una muchacha a la que no amaba.

• • We regretted to inform her that her husband had died. Lamentábamos tener que decirle que su marido había fallecido.

• I've stopped worrying about unimportant things. He dejado de preocuparme por cosas sin importancia.

• They had stopped to have something to eat. Habían parado para comer algo.

• Jesse forgot brushing his teeth so he did it again. Jesse no recordaba si se había lavado los dientes así que lo hizo otra vez.

• You must never forget to send you report at the end of the week. Nunca debes olvidar mandar tu informe al final de la semana.

http://www.shertonenglish.com/resources/es/miscelaneous-topics/verbsinfinitives-or-gerunds.php

Gerundio e Infinitivos (Gerunds and Infinitives) El infinitivo en Español es la forma del verbo que termina en r, como por ejemplo, caminar, comer, dormir, en inglés lleva la palabra "to" delante. Por ejemplo, las palabras to walk, to eat, to sleep son infinitivos que se traducen a las palabras caminar, comer, dormir, que a su vez son infinitivos castellanos. El gerundio es cuando la forma del verbo que termina en las letras "ing" y se usa mayormente cuando se usan verbos que expresan el comienzo y fin de una actividad, ejemplo Antes de salir = before leaving. Después de comer se traduce al Inglés por after eating o cuando el infinitivo juega el papel de un nombre. Por ejemplo nadar es muy saludable se traduce por swimming is very healthful.

Contenido [ocultar]

•

1 Su uso en inglés

•

2 El infinitivo

•

3 El gerundio

•

4 Verbos

•

5 Gerundio e infinitivo, cundo los dos son posibles

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6 Frases relacionadas

•

7 Fuentes

Su uso en inglés El uso del infinitivo (I would like to travel) y del gerundio (I like travelling) en Inglés es una fuente habitual de problemas entre los educandos. Probablemente porque las dos estructuras se traducen enCastellano con la misma estructura (me gustaría viajar / me gusta viajar), por lo tanto la tendencia natural consiste en sobre-utilizar el infinitivo en inglés. El otro problema es que el uso de una forma o de otra depende, en grande medida, del tipo de verbo al que acompañan (would like + infinitivo; like + gerundio) y para eso existe una lista de verbos que exigen un infinitivo y verbos que exigen un Gerundio que se tiene que memorizar. El inglés tiene dos tipos de sustantivos verbales, el infinitivo (con o sin "to") y el gerundio (la terminación -ing). La mayoría de los verbos que toman un sustantivo verbal pueden estar seguidos de uno u otro (un gerundio o un infinitivo, pero no ambos). Sin embargo, existen determinados verbos a los que puede seguirle indistintamente un gerundio o un infinitivo.

El infinitivo Se utiliza: 1. Después de algunos verbos como: would like, agree, decide, choose, plan, refuse, hope, want, manage etc. I want to become a teacher. 2. Después de adjetivos: I’m happy to see you again. 3. Para expresar un objetivo o el porqué estamos haciendo una acción: I’m here to study English. // I have come to help you. NO es correcto decir *I’m here for to study English. Importante: La forma negativa del infinitivo es “not + infinitivo”: I’m happy not to see you again.

El gerundio Se utiliza:

1. Después de algunos verbos: deny, avoid, can’t help, like, dislike, enjoy, mind, keep on, suggest, finish etc. He finished doing his homework. 2. Después de un preposición (normalmente se trata de verbos o adjetivos con preposición obligatoria): I’m interested in learning English. // I’m fond of playing tennis. En esta categoría entra también la típica fórmula del final de un email o de una carta: I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon. En esta construcción, “to” es una preposición. 3. Cuando el verbo es el sujeto de la frase: Smoking is dangerous for your health. Importante: La forma negativa del gerundio es “not+gerundio”: I enjoy not doing anything on holiday.

Verbos A algunos verbos puede seguirles el gerundio o el infinitivo y es sólo una cuestión de estilo cómo y cuándo utilizarlos. Tres de estos verbos son continue (continuar), start (arrancar, comenzar) y begin (comenzar, iniciar). The fans continued to shout / shouting at the referee. Helen started to cough / coughing because of her bad cold. It began to rain / raining. Otros verbos pueden tomar el gerundio o el infinitivo en la mayoría de los tiempos verbales (aunque el inglés británico prefiere el gerundio, el infinitivo es muy común en inglés americano), pero sólo se los usa con el infinitivo cuando se encuentran en condicional. Estos verbos son: hate (odiar, no gustar), love (amar), can't bear (no soportar), like (gustar), dislike (disgustar) y prefer (preferir). I hate talking to her. I like to get up early on Sunday mornings and go riding.

Gerundio e infinitivo, cundo los dos son posibles Existen verbos con los que se puede poner el gerundio (-‘ing’) o el infinitivo con ‘to’. En algunos, el significado de la combinación de los dos verbos cambiará al poner infinitivo o gerundio. Lee los siguientes ejemplos y su explicación en español. STOP - I stopped to have a softdrink. Se interrumpe la actividad que se está haciendo para beber un refresco. - I have stopped drinking water. Se interrumpe la actividad (en este caso de beber agua). TRY - I tried to lift the box but it was too heavy. Se intenta algo difícil que requiere esfuerzo. - Why don’t you try closing the window if the traffic is too noisy? Se intenta un experimento, test o prueba para ver si funciona. LIKE - I like to get up at 6am.

Me gusta el resultado de la actividad porque me da tiempo a desayunar y hacer otras cosas tranquilamente. - I like getting up at 6am. Realmente me gusta realizar la actividad. NEED - I need to work harder. Tengo la obligación de hacer algo. - This room needs painting. Hay necesidad hacerlo (en voz pasiva) REMEMBER Y FORGET 1. Remember to buy milk on your way home. 2. I remember kissing my first girlfriend. 1. I forgot to phone Dad on his birthday. 2. I’ll never forget seeing my wife for the first time. She looked beautiful. 1. Se refiere a recordar u olvidar cosas que tienes o tenías que hacer. 2. Se refiere a recordar u olvidar cosas que ocurrieron en el pasado. REGRET - We regret to inform you that your application for a loan of 5000 Euros has not been accepted. Normalmente se utiliza para comunicar malas noticias. - Do you regret leaving school early and not going to university? Lamentas cosas que ocurrieron en el pasado. GO ON - After winning the Kings Cup, Valencia went on to win the Champions League. Expresa un cambio de actividad. - They went on complaining about their holiday all evening. Expresa que se continua realizando la misma actividad.

Frases relacionadas 1. Estoy preocupado por empezar el lunes.

1. I'm worried about starting on Monday.

2. Me da miedo hablar en público.

2. I'm afraid of speaking in public.

3. Me gusta cocinar.

3. I like to cook / I like cooking.

4. Le gustaría (a él) trabajar más cerca de casa.

4. He would like to work closer to home.

5. Le encanta (a ella) pasear por el campo.

5. She loves to walk in the country / She loves walking in the country.

6. Le encantaría (a ella) tener un perro.

6. She would love to have a dog.

7. Prometiste recoger a los niños.

7. You promised to pick up the kids.

8. Espero conocerle algún día.

8. I hope to meet him some day.

9. ¿Cómo has logrado hacer eso?

9.How did you manage to do that?

10. ¿Qué edad tenía (ella) cuando aprendió a andar?

10. How old was she when she learned to walk?

11. Quiero sacar un máster.

11. I want to get a masters.

12. Se me olvidó comprar arroz.

12. I forgot to buy rice.

13. Espero verla allí (cuento con verla).

13. I expect to see her there.

14. ¿Cuándo van a terminar de limpiar la casa?

14. When are they going to finish cleaning the house?

15. Estoy cansado de trabajar los fines de semana.

15. I’m tired of working on the weekends.

16. Negaron (ellos) haber atracado el banco.

16. They denied robbing the bank.

17. Disfruta (ella) pintando.

17. She enjoys painting.

18. Corremos el riesgo de perder cuota de mercado.

18. We run the risk of losing market share.

19. ¿Te imaginas vivir allí?

19. Can you imagine living there?

20. ¿A qué hora empezasteis a trabajar?

20. What time did you start work / What time did you start working?

21. ¿Estás pensando en alquilar un coche?

21. Are you thinking about renting a car?

22. ¿Les pediste que lo hicieran?

22. Did you ask them to do it?

23. ¿Qué necesitamos hacer?

23. What do we need to do?

24. ¿Cómo evitó pagar la multa?

24. How did he avoid paying the fine?

25. ¿Le recordaste que llamara a su tío?

25. Did you remind him to call his uncle?

http://www.ecured.cu/index.php/Gerundio_e_infinitivo_(ingl%C3%A9s)

The difference between defining and non-defining relative clauses

A defining relative clause identifies or classifies a noun: Do you know the guy who is talking to Will over there? I wrote my essay on a photo which was taken by Robert Capa. If we omit this type of clause, the sentence does not make sense or has a different meaning: Do you know the guy? (which guy?) I wrote my essay on a photo. (what kind of photo?) A non-defining relative clause adds extra information about a noun which already has a clear reference: Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, who was also a prolofic engineer and inventor. If we leave out this type of clause, the sentence still makes sense: Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. (we know who Leonardo da Vinci is) Sometimes the use of commas marks a difference in meaning: The athletes who failed the drug test were disqualified. (defining) The athletes, who failed the drug test, were disqualified. (non-defining) The defining relative clause tells us that only those athletes were disqualified who failed the drug test. The sentence implies that there were other athletes who did not fail the drug test, and they were not disqualified. The non-defining relative clause tells us that all the athletes (mentioned earlier in the context) failed the drug test, and all of them were disqualified.

Noun clause used as an object He said something. SVO

What did he say?

He said that he was sick.

Noun clause used as a subject Something is your business. SV

What is your business?

Whatever you do is your business. Someone is still in the cafeteria. SV Whoever ate my lunch is still in the cafeteria.

Who is in the cafeteria?

The subordinator may take the "subject" or "object" position in a noun clause. Note the usage of the following: Henry loves Mary. (S V O)

Mary is the "object" of the sentence.

Mary loves Jim. (S V O)

Mary is the "subject" of the sentence.

The person who(m) Lee loves is a secret.

Relative clause (subordinator in obj. position)

The person who loves Tim is a secret.

Relative clause (subordinator in subj. position)

Who(m) Henry loves is a secret.

Noun clause (subordinator in obj. position)

Who loves Tim is a secret.

Noun clause (subordinator in subj. position)

Subordinators which are used in noun clauses: (Some of these words are also used in Grammar: Relative Clauses and Grammar: Wh - Questions.) that

which

how much

what

where

how many

who

when

how long

whoever

how

how far

whatever

why

how often

whether

if

whose

Remember to preserve word order in noun clauses: I don't know who he is. Whoever she is is not important. Whatever is in the box is a mystery. Can you tell me what he is doing? She doesn't undestand why he is leaving. I wonder how much that costs. Do you know how long it will take? See also: Grammar: Embedded Questions Grammar: Reported Speech Speaking: Indirect Requests If you have questions or comments about this page, please contact us. Be sure to include the title of this page in the Subject line of your e-mail.

http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/noun_clauses.html

Defining relative clause A noun can be modified in different ways: by an adjective, a noun or a phrase: the best-selling book, a beautiful photo (adjective) the history book, an art photo (noun) the book with the most votes, a photo by Robert Capa (phrase) Another way of modifying a noun is by means of a defining (or also called restrictive) relative clause: the book I told you about last week a photo which was taken by Robert Capa This type of relative clause identifies or classifies the noun that it refers to. An identifying clause defines who or what we are talking about, and refers to a noun which is preceded by the definite article the: This is the book I told you about last week. Remember? Do you know the guy who is talking to Will over there? A classifying clause describes what kind of person(s) or thing(s) we are talking about. It refers to a singular uncountable or plural countable noun without an article, or a singular countable noun preceded by theindefinite article a or an: I wrote my essay on a photo which was taken by Robert Capa. Sometimes I like listening to music that makes me sad. I don't know any people who speak Esperanto. Grammar quotes Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. – Albert Einstein There is no man living that cannot do more than he thinks he can. – Henry Ford

http://www.grammaring.com/defining-relative-clause

Non-defining relative clause A non-defining relative clause describes a preceding noun by adding exra information about it. The noun has a clear reference (it is clear who or what we are talking about) even without the clause:

Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, who was also a prolofic engineer and inventor. The human heart, which has a mass of about 300 grams, pumps blood to the body. A non-defining relative clause can also continue a story by saying what happened next: I called my mother immediately, who became very upset. (I called my mother immediately and she became very upset.) The non-defining relative clause is separated from the rest of the sentence by commas (,). In speech we make a short pause before the clause.

http://www.grammaring.com/non-defining-relative-clause

Definition

A clause is a group of related words containing a subject and a verb A clause can be usefully distinguished from a phrase, which is a group of related words that does not contain a subject-verb relationship, such as "in the morning" or "running down the street" or "having grown used to this harassment." A review of the different kinds of phrases might be helpful. Words We Use to Talk about Clauses

Learning the various terms used to define and classify clauses can be a vocabulary lesson in itself. This digital handout categorizes clauses into independent and dependent clauses. This simply means that some clauses can stand by themselves, as separate sentences, and some can't. Another term for dependent clause is subordinate clause: this means that the clause is subordinate to another element (the independent clause) and depends on that other element for its meaning. The subordinate clause is created by a subordinating conjunction or dependent word. An independent clause, "She is older than her brother" (which could be its own sentence), can be turned into a dependent or subordinate clause when the same group of words begins with a dependent word (or a subordinating conjunction in this case): "Because she is older than her brother, she tells him what to do."

Clauses are also classified as restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses. (The words essential and nonessential are sometimes used and mean the same thing as restrictive and nonrestrictive, respectively. British grammarians will make this same distinction by referring to clauses with the terms defining and nondefining.) A nonrestrictive clause is not essential to the meaning of the sentence; it can be removed from the sentence without changing its basic meaning. Nonrestrictive clauses are often set apart from the rest of the sentence by a comma or a pair of commas (if it's in the middle of a sentence). • Professor Villa, who used to be a secretary for the President, can type 132 words a

minute.

Review the Notorious Confusables section on the difference between That and Which for additional clarification on the distinction between restrictive and nonrestrictive. Relative clauses are dependent clauses introduced by a Relative Pronoun (that, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom, whomever, whose, and of which). Relative clauses can be either restrictive or nonrestrictive. Review the section on Comma Usage for additional help in determining whether relative clauses are restrictive or nonrestrictive (parenthetical or not) and whether commas should be used to set them off from the rest of the sentence. In a relative clause, the relative pronoun is the subject of the verb (remember that all clauses contain a subject-verb relationship) and refers to (relates to) something preceding the clause. • Giuseppe said that the plantar wart, which had been bothering him for years, had to

be removed.

(In this sentence, the clause in this color is a restrictive [essential] clause [a noun clause — see below] and will not be set off by a comma; the underlined relative clause [modifying "wart"] is nonrestrictive [nonessential — it can be removed from the sentence without changing the meaning of the sentence] and is set off by commas.)

Some relative clauses will refer to more than a single word in the preceding text; they can modify an entire clause or even a series of clauses. • Charlie didn't get the job in administration, which really surprised his friends.

Charlie didn't get the job in administration, and he didn't even apply for the Dean's position, which really surprised his friends.

A relative clause that refers to or modifies entire clauses in this manner is called a sentential clause. Sometimes the "which" of a sentential clause will get tucked into the clause as the determiner of a noun: • Charlie might very well take a job as headmaster, in which case the school might as

well close down.

Elliptical Clauses: see below. Finally, everybody's favorite clause is the Santa Clause, which needs no further definition:

Independent Clauses

Independent Clauses could stand by themselves as discrete sentences, except that when they do stand by themselves, separated from other clauses, they're normally referred to simply as sentences, not clauses. The ability to recognize a clause and to know when a clause is capable of acting as an independent unit is essential to correct writing and is especially helpful in avoiding sentence fragments andrun-on sentences.. Needless to say, it is important to learn how to combine independent clauses into larger units of thought. In the following sentence, for example, • Bob didn't mean to do it, but he did it anyway.

we have two independent clauses — "Bob didn't mean to do it" and "he did it anyway" — connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction ("but"). If the word "but" is missing from this sentence, the sentence would be called a comma splice: two independent clauses would be incorrectly connected, smooshed together, with only a comma between them. Furthermore, a long series of clauses of similar structure and length begins to feel monotonous, leading to what is called "Dick and Jane" or primer language (after the kind of prose that we find in first grade textbooks or "primers"). (See the section onAvoiding Primer Language for advice and exercises on combining sentences.) It would also be helpful at this time to review the section on Punctuation Between Two Independent Clauses. Clauses are combined in three different ways: coordination, subordination, and by means of a semicolon. Coordination involves joining independent clauses with one of the coordinating conjunctions:and, but, or, nor, for, yet, and sometimes* so. Clauses thus connected are usually nicely balanced in length and import. • Ramonita thought about joining the church choir, but she never talked to her friends

about it.

Subordination involves turning one of the clauses into a subordinate element (one that cannot stand on its own) through the use of a Subordinating Conjunction (sometimes called a dependent word) or a Relative Pronoun. When the clause begins with a subordinating word, it is no longer an independent clause; it is called a dependent or subordinate clause because it depends on something else (the independent clause) for its meaning. There are other ways of combining ideas — by turning independent clauses into various kinds of modifying phrases. Again, see the section on Avoiding Primer Language. • Although Ramonita often thought about joining the choir, she never talked to her

friends about it. • Ramonita never talked to her friends about joining the choir, because she was afraid they would make fun of her. • Yasmin is Ramonita's sister. Yasmin told Ramonita to join the choir no matter what her friends said.

Joining these with the use of a relative clause: Yasmin, [who is] Ramonita's sister, told Ramonita to join the choir. . . .

Semicolons can connect two independent clauses with or without the help of a conjunctive adverb (transitional expression). Semicolons should be used sparingly and only when the two independent clauses involved are closely related and nicely balanced in terms of length and import. • Ramonita has such a beautiful voice; many couples have asked her to sing at their

wedding. • Ramonita's voice has a clear, angelic quality; furthermore, she clearly enjoys using it.

(Click on the words semicolons and conjunctive adverb above for further help with their use.) Take these two quizzes on recognizing independent clauses before proceeding to the section on dependent clauses.

Recognizing Independent Clauses

Recognizing Independent Clauses II

Dependent Clauses

Dependent Clauses cannot stand by themselves and make good sense. They must be combined with an independent clause so that they become part of a

sentence that can stand by itself. (Review the section on Commas Usage for advice and plenty of exercises on the punctuation requirements when dependent and independent clauses are combined.) Unlike independent clauses, which simply are what they are, dependent clauses are said to perform various functions within a sentence. They act either in the capacity of some kind of noun or as some kind of modifier. There are three basic kinds of dependent clauses, categorized according to their function in the sentence. Remember that a dependent clause always contains a subject and a verb, but it cannot stand by itself. • Adverb clauses provide information about what is going on in the main

(independent) clause: where, when, or why. "When the movie is over, we'll go downtown." or "John wanted to write a book because he had so much to say about the subject." • Adjective clauses work like multi-word adjectives. "My brother, who is an engineer, figured it out for me." or "The bridge that collapsed in the winter storm will cost millions to replace." A special kind of adjective clause begins with a relative adverb (where, when, and why) but nonetheless functions as adjectivally. • Noun clauses can do anything that nouns can do. "What he knows [subject] is no concern of mine." or "Do you know what he knows [object]?" or "What can you tell me about what he has done this year [object of the preposition "about"]?" What they did with the treasure remains a mystery. Whatever you want for dessert is fine with me. That you should feel this way about her came as a great surprise to us. Juan finally revealed what he had done with the money. Her husband spent whatever she had saved over the years. I don't know what I should do next.

In fact, he wrote a book about what he had done over the years. We are interested in what he does for a living.

The trouble was that they had never been there before. The biggest disappointment of last season was that the women's team didn't make it to the final four. My brother, who now teaches math in a small college, never liked math in high school. The dealership that sold more cars ended up actually losing money. The Federated Bank, which was founded nearly two centuries ago, folded during the state's economic crisis. The team had fallen behind by ten points before they were able to figure out the opponent's defense. Since he started working nights, he doesn't see much of his kids. While Josie sat inside watching television, Gladys shoveled the driveway.

Combinations of Clauses

Review the section on Sentence Variety for help in understanding the variety of sentence patterns. It is difficult to know if you're using different patterns unless you keep in mind the way that clauses are combined in larger sentence-units of thought. Pay special attention to the variety of sentence types: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. These are defined by their essential ingredients, the clauses that make them up. There is also a quiz at the end of that section that will test your ability to distinguish among the kinds of clauses that make up a sentence. Elliptical Clauses

Elliptical Clauses are grammatically incomplete in the sense that they are missing either the relative pronoun (dependent word) that normally introduces such a clause or something from the predicate in the second part of a comparison. The missing parts of the elliptical clause can be guessed from the context and

most readers are not aware that anything is missing. In fact, elliptical clauses are regarded as both useful and correct, even in formal prose, because they are often elegant, efficient means of expression. (The omitted words are noted in brackets below). • Coach Espinoza knew [that] this team would be the best [that] she had coached in

recent years. • Though [they were] sometimes nervous on the court, her recruits proved to be hard workers. • Sometimes the veterans knew the recruits could play better than they [could play]. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/clauses.htm

Noun clauses after be? 2 replies FORUMS · GENERAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR & VOCABULARY, LISTENING & SPEAKING · GENERAL ENGLISH GRAMMAR QUESTIONS

frutadomar: Hi,There is a grammar point I don’t really understand. It is called noun clauses after be. For example an advantage of living in a big city is (that) stores are usually open. Ex 2. The best thing about being the oldest sibling is (that) you get to boss everyone around. I am supposed to teach noun clauses after be and teach them that ‘that’ is optional. Example problem with being the only girl in the family is (that) family members expect you to clean up after everybody. The sentences are easy enough to make but I don’t really get the grammar point or how I could clearly explain it to the students. Could someone give me direction

http://www.englishforums.com/English/NounClausesAfterBe/gblwz/post.htm

Gerundios e infinitivos (Inglés)

Gerundio e Infinitivos (Gerunds and Infinitives) El infinitivo en Español es la forma del verbo que termina en r, como por ejemplo, caminar, comer, dormir, eninglés lleva la palabra Concep Términos que cambian en su forma "to" delante. Por to: gramatical al usarse en un idioma u otro. ejemplo, las palabras to walk, to eat, to sleep son infinitivos que se traducen a las palabras caminar, comer, dormir, que a su vez son infinitivos castellanos. El gerundio es cuando la forma del verbo que termina en las letras "ing" y se usa mayormente cuando se usan verbos que expresan el comienzo y fin de una actividad, ejemplo Antes de salir = before leaving. Después de comer se traduce al Inglés por after eating o cuando el infinitivo juega el papel de un nombre. Por ejemplo nadar es muy saludable se traduce por swimming is very healthful. Contenido [ocultar]

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1 Su uso en inglés 2 El infinitivo 3 El gerundio 4 Verbos 5 Gerundio e infinitivo, cundo los dos son posibles 6 Frases relacionadas

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7 Fuentes

• • • • •

Su uso en inglés

El uso del infinitivo (I would like to travel) y del gerundio (I like travelling) en Inglés es una fuente habitual de problemas entre los educandos. Probablemente porque las dos estructuras se traducen en Castellano con la misma

estructura (me gustaría viajar / me gusta viajar), por lo tanto la tendencia natural consiste en sobre-utilizar el infinitivo en inglés. El otro problema es que el uso de una forma o de otra depende, en grande medida, del tipo de verbo al que acompañan (would like + infinitivo; like + gerundio) y para eso existe una lista de verbos que exigen un infinitivo y verbos que exigen un Gerundio que se tiene que memorizar. El inglés tiene dos tipos de sustantivos verbales, el infinitivo (con o sin "to") y el gerundio (la terminación -ing). La mayoría de los verbos que toman un sustantivo verbal pueden estar seguidos de uno u otro (un gerundio o un infinitivo, pero no ambos). Sin embargo, existen determinados verbos a los que puede seguirle indistintamente un gerundio o un infinitivo. El infinitivo

Se utiliza: 1. Después de algunos verbos como: would like, agree, decide, choose, plan, refuse, hope, want, manage etc. I want to become a teacher. 2. Después de adjetivos: I’m happy to see you again. 3. Para expresar un objetivo o el porqué estamos haciendo una acción: I’m here to study English. // I have come to help you. NO es correcto decir *I’m here for to study English. Importante: La forma negativa del infinitivo es “not + infinitivo”: I’m happy not to see you again. El gerundio

Se utiliza: 1. Después de algunos verbos: deny, avoid, can’t help, like, dislike, enjoy, mind, keep on, suggest, finish etc. He finished doing his homework.

2. Después de un preposición (normalmente se trata de verbos o adjetivos con preposición obligatoria): I’m interested in learning English. // I’m fond of playing tennis. En esta categoría entra también la típica fórmula del final de un email o de una carta: I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon. En esta construcción, “to” es una preposición. 3. Cuando el verbo es el sujeto de la frase: Smoking is dangerous for your health. Importante: La forma negativa del gerundio es “not+gerundio”: I enjoy not doing anything on holiday. Verbos

A algunos verbos puede seguirles el gerundio o el infinitivo y es sólo una cuestión de estilo cómo y cuándo utilizarlos. Tres de estos verbos son continue (continuar), start (arrancar, comenzar) y begin (comenzar, iniciar). The fans continued to shout / shouting at the referee. Helen started to cough / coughing because of her bad cold. It began to rain / raining. Otros verbos pueden tomar el gerundio o el infinitivo en la mayoría de los tiempos verbales (aunque el inglés británico prefiere el gerundio, el infinitivo es muy común en inglés americano), pero sólo se los usa con el infinitivo cuando se encuentran en condicional. Estos verbos son: hate (odiar, no gustar), love (amar), can't bear (no soportar), like (gustar), dislike (disgustar) y prefer (preferir). I hate talking to her. I like to get up early on Sunday mornings and go riding. Gerundio e infinitivo, cundo los dos son posibles

Existen verbos con los que se puede poner el gerundio (-‘ing’) o el infinitivo con ‘to’. En algunos, el significado de la combinación de los dos verbos cambiará al poner infinitivo o gerundio. Lee los siguientes ejemplos y su explicación en español. STOP

- I stopped to have a softdrink. Se interrumpe la actividad que se está haciendo para beber un refresco. - I have stopped drinking water. Se interrumpe la actividad (en este caso de beber agua). TRY - I tried to lift the box but it was too heavy. Se intenta algo difícil que requiere esfuerzo. - Why don’t you try closing the window if the traffic is too noisy? Se intenta un experimento, test o prueba para ver si funciona. LIKE - I like to get up at 6am. Me gusta el resultado de la actividad porque me da tiempo a desayunar y hacer otras cosas tranquilamente. - I like getting up at 6am. Realmente me gusta realizar la actividad. NEED - I need to work harder. Tengo la obligación de hacer algo. - This room needs painting. Hay necesidad hacerlo (en voz pasiva) REMEMBER Y FORGET 1. Remember to buy milk on your way home. 2. I remember kissing my first girlfriend. 1. I forgot to phone Dad on his birthday. 2. I’ll never forget seeing my wife for the first time. She looked beautiful. 1. Se refiere a recordar u olvidar cosas que tienes o tenías que hacer. 2. Se refiere a recordar u olvidar cosas que ocurrieron en el pasado. REGRET - We regret to inform you that your application for a loan of 5000 Euros has not been accepted. Normalmente se utiliza para comunicar malas noticias.

- Do you regret leaving school early and not going to university? Lamentas cosas que ocurrieron en el pasado. GO ON - After winning the Kings Cup, Valencia went on to win the Champions League. Expresa un cambio de actividad. - They went on complaining about their holiday all evening. Expresa que se continua realizando la misma actividad. Frases relacionadas

1. Estoy preocupado por empezar el lunes.

1. I'm worried about starting on Monday.

2. Me da miedo hablar en público.

2. I'm afraid of speaking in public.

3. Me gusta cocinar.

3. I like to cook / I like cooking.

4. Le gustaría (a él) trabajar más cerca de casa.

4. He would like to work closer to home.

5. Le encanta (a ella) pasear por el campo.

5. She loves to walk in the country / She loves walking in the country.

6. Le encantaría (a ella) tener un perro.

6. She would love to have a dog.

7. Prometiste recoger a los niños.

7. You promised to pick up the kids.

8. Espero conocerle algún día.

8. I hope to meet him some day.

9. ¿Cómo has logrado hacer eso?

9.How did you manage to do that?

10. ¿Qué edad tenía (ella) cuando aprendió a andar?

10. How old was she when she learned to walk?

11. Quiero sacar un máster.

11. I want to get a masters.

12. Se me olvidó comprar

12. I forgot to buy rice.

arroz. 13. Espero verla allí (cuento con verla).

13. I expect to see her there.

14. ¿Cuándo van a terminar de 14. When are they going to finish limpiar la casa? cleaning the house? 15. Estoy cansado de trabajar los fines de semana.

15. I’m tired of working on the weekends.

16. Negaron (ellos) haber atracado el banco.

16. They denied robbing the bank.

17. Disfruta (ella) pintando.

17. She enjoys painting.

18. Corremos el riesgo de perder cuota de mercado.

18. We run the risk of losing market share.

19. ¿Te imaginas vivir allí?

19. Can you imagine living there?

20. ¿A qué hora empezasteis a 20. What time did you start work / What trabajar? time did you start working? 21. ¿Estás pensando en alquilar 21. Are you thinking about renting a car? un coche? 22. ¿Les pediste que lo hicieran?

22. Did you ask them to do it?

23. ¿Qué necesitamos hacer?

23. What do we need to do?

24. ¿Cómo evitó pagar la multa?

24. How did he avoid paying the fine?

25. ¿Le recordaste que llamara 25. Did you remind him to call his uncle? a su tío?

http://www.ecured.cu/index.php/Gerundio_e_infinitivo_(ingl%C3%A9s)

GENERALIDADES Usos

Ejemplos

Problemas / Notas

Pon el gerundio: 1. Después de las preposiciones.

2. Después de algunos verbos. 3. Como el sujeto de una frase.

She left without Los verbos más frecuentes que solemos kissing me. We’re encontrar con el gerundio son: thinking of going to Italy. like, love, hate, enjoy, miss, feel like, mind, I enjoy eating out. finish, risk, practise, put off, stop, suggest, can’t help, fancy, admit, deny, give up, Do youmind imagine, keep (on), put off (postpone), spend giving me your time, can’t stand, delay, regret, avoid, address? Smoking is bad for consider, involve, go on (=continue) you. Skiingis expensive

Pon 'to' + Infinitivo: 1. Para dar una respuesta a la pregunta ‘Why’ (¿por que?)

Why did you stop working? - To spend more time with my children.

2. Después de los adjetivos

It’s not easy to find a good man.

3. Después de algunos verbos

I forgot to phone the bank. She needs to see you urgently.

for spend for to spend Observa los ejemplos con el negativo ‘not to’: We hope not to be in the same flat next year. She decided not to get married. Los verbos más frecuentes que solemos encontrar con 'to' + infinitivo son: would like, want, need, decide, hope, arrange, expect, plan, forget, seem, appear, wish, promise, offer, refuse, learn, manage, afford, agree, fail, tend, happen, mean, prepare, pretend, threaten, attempt.

GERUNDIO E INFINITIVO CUANDO LOS DOS SON POSIBLES Existen verbos con los que se puede poner el gerundio (-‘ing’) o el infinitivo con ‘to’. En algunos, el significado de la combinación de los dos verbos cambiará al poner infinitivo o gerundio. Lee los siguientes ejemplos y su explicación en español. STOP - I stopped to have a beer.

Se interrumpe la actividad que se está haciendo para beber una cerveza. - I have stopped drinking beer. Se interrumpe la actividad (en este caso de beber cerveza). TRY - I tried to lift the box but it was too heavy. Se intenta algo difícil que requiere esfuerzo. - Why don’t you try closing the window if the traffic is too noisy? Se intenta un experimento, test o prueba para ver si funciona. LIKE - I like to get up at 6am. Me gusta el resultado de la actividad porque me da tiempo a desayunar y hacer otras cosas tranquilmente. - I like getting up at 6am. Realmente me gusta realizar la actividad. NEED - I need to work harder. Tengo la obligación de hacer algo. - This room needs painting. Hay necesidad hacerlo (en voz pasiva) REMEMBER Y FORGET 1. Remember to buy milk on your way home. 2. I remember kissing my first girlfriend. 1. I forgot to phone Dad on his birthday. 2. I’ll never forget seeing my wife for the first time. She looked beautiful. 1. Se refiere a recordar u olvidar cosas que tienes o tenías que hacer. 2. Se refiere a recordar u olvidar cosas que ocurrieron en el pasado. REGRET - We regret to inform you that your application for a loan of 5000 Euros has not been accepted. Normalmente se utiliza para comunicar malas noticias. - Do you regret leaving school early and not going to university? Lamentas cosas que ocurrieron en el pasado. GO ON - After winning the Kings Cup, Valencia went on to win the Champions League. Expresa un cambio de actividad. - They went on complaining about their holiday all evening. Expresa que se continua realizando la misma actividad.

http://www.mansioningles.com/gram57.htm

El uso del infinitivo y del gerundio en inglés (1) Autor: Alexandra Vraciu | 34 comentarios

El uso del infinitivo (I would like to travel) y del gerundio (I like travelling) en inglés es una fuente habitual de problemas entre los estudiantes. Probablemente porque las dos estructuras se traducen en castellano con la misma estructura (me gustaría viajar / me gusta viajar), por lo tanto la tendencia natural de los estudiantes consiste en sobre-utilizar el infinitivo en inglés. El otro problema es que el uso de una forma o de otra depende, en grande medida, del tipo de verbo al que acompañan (would like + infinitivo; like + gerundio) y para eso existe una lista de verbos que exigen un infinitivo y verbos que exigen un gerundio que se tiene que memorizar. Hoy veremos las reglas generales del uso del infinitivo y del gerundio en inglés, y la semana que viene trataremos de algunos puntos más complejos. El infinitivo Se utiliza: 1. Después de algunos verbos como: would like, agree, decide, choose, plan, refuse, hope, want, manage etc. I want to become a teacher. 2. Después de adjetivos: I’m happy to see you again. 3. Para expresar un objetivo o el porqué estamos haciendo una acción: I’m here to study English. // I have come to help you. Recordad que NO es correcto decir *I’m here for to study English. Importante: La forma negativa del infinitivo es “not + infinitivo”: I’m happy not to see you again. El gerundio Se utiliza: 1. Después de algunos verbos: deny, avoid, can’t help, like, dislike, enjoy, mind, keep on, suggest, finish etc. He finished doing his homework. 2. Después de un preposición (normalmente se trata de verbos o adjetivos con preposición obligatoria): I’m interested in learning English. // I’m fond of playing tennis. Recordad que en esta categoría entra también la típica fórmula del final de un email o de una carta:I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon. En esta construcción, “to” es una preposición. 3. Cuando el verbo es el sujeto de la frase: Smoking is dangerous for your health. Importante:

La forma negativa del gerundio es “not+gerundio”: I enjoy not doing anything on holiday.

http://www.ejerciciodeingles.com/uso-infinitivo-gerundio-ingles/