Chapter 21---Verbs That
Take Both Gerund and
Infinitive Complements
P505-509
Jie Ma
BrainStorming
• What is gerund?
• What is infinitive?
Gerund:
Verb (ending with –ing)
Eg: swimming, playing
Infinitive:
Verb + to do
Eg: forget to do, try to do
What we are going to learn:
Verbs That Take
Both Gerund and
Infinitive
Complements
Question:
Does the two sentences
have similar meaning?
•She can’t stand to be alone at night.
•She can’t stand being alone at night.
Answer: Similar Meaning
Part 1: Different Complements
with Similar Meanings
(1) He hates to mow the lawn.
Similar meaning
= He hates mowing the lawn.
Notes: With stative verbs of emotion (eg.
bear, detest, dislike, hate, like,
love, stand), gerund and infinitive
complements can be used with no
difference in meaning.
The word “Continue”
(2) She continued arguing her client’s case.
= She continued to argue her client’s case.
Notes:
Certain verbs that describe the beginning or
progression of an action—eg: begin, start, and
continue– often occur with both types of
complements with little or no difference in
meaning.
The word “Start”
(3) He took a few steps and started jogging.
= He took a few steps and started to jog.
(4)
He started to speaking.?=? He started to speak.
He definitely spoke.
Maybe he changed his
mind before actually
speaking. We are not
sure if he had spoken or
not.
Part 2: Complements with
Different Meanings
• 1. The word “Remember”
(1) John remembered to mail the letter.
(= He remembered he had the task and then
did it.)
Notes: When “remember” is followed by an
infinitive complement, the meaning is that the
need to carry out some action was
remembered before it was carried out.
The word “Remember”
(Continue)
• (2) John remembered mailing the letter.
(= He did the task and then
remembered doing it.)
Notes:
When a gerund complement following
“remember”, the action occurred before the
remembering.
The word “Forget”
(1) I forgot to lock the door.
(= I did not lock the door because it
slipped my mind.)
Notes: “Forget” usually has an infinitive
complement. In this case, the sentence subject
did not carry out the action in the complement
because he or she did not remember to.
The word “Forget”
(Continue)
(2) I’ll never forget seeing Olivier on the stage at
the Old Vic Theater in London.
(= I can’t forget that experience.)
Notes: When “forget” takes a gerund complement,
the action did occur. “Forget” can be followed
by a gerund complement only when the main
clause includes a negative word like never or
not with a modal. The content of the
complement must describe something that was
a special experience for the speaker.
The word “Forget”
(Continue)
• * He forgot mailing the letter.
Notes: When these conditions do not occur,
the gerund complement sounds
ungrammatical.
The word “Try”
(1) Julia was furious at Fred’s treatment of
her. When he came back into the room,
her rage boiled over into action._____,
but he dodged the blow and laughed at
her.
a. She tried to slap his face.
(Julia did not slap Fred’s face.)
b. * She tried slapping his face.
(the action was carried out)
The word “Try”
(Continue)
Notes:
When an infinitive complement follows try,
the implication is that the action in the
complement was attempted but may not
have been carried out.
With a gerund complement, the implication
is that the action was carried out.
The word “Try”
(Continue)
(2) Harry suddenly began to choke. Alarmed, Fred
asked what the matter was. Harry continued to
make choking noises as he pointed to the fish on
his plate. Fred realized that Harry must have a
bone lodged in his throat. Some kind of first aid
was needed!_____, but to no avail. Harry’s eyes
were beginning to bug out of his face. This was
getting serious.
a. * Fred tried to pound him on the back.
(The action was not carried out)
b. Fred tried pounding him on the back.
(The action was carried out)
The word “Try”
(Continue)
In both American and British English,
“try and” can be heard instead of and
infinitive complement.
Eg:
I am going to try and talk him out of it.
= I am going to try to talk him out of
it.
The word “Stop”
• A. He stopped eating at that restaurant.
(He did not eat that restaurant again.)
• B. He stopped to eat at that restaurant.
( He stopped in order to eat at that
restaurant.) (it answers “why did he stop”)
Notes: The verb “stop” takes a gerund
complement. It also takes what appears
to be an infinitive complement.
The word “Stop”
(Continue)
• adjuncts of purpose (purpose clauses): Infinitive
clauses that can answer a “why” question
posed about the main clause.
• They are a shortened version of clauses
introduced by in order.
Eg: He studied (in order) to pass the
test.
(Since purpose clauses are not complements
of verbs, they can appear after verbs that
do not take complements)
Conclusion of Complements
with Different Meanings
• Sentences with some verbs that take both
infinitive and gerund complements have
different meanings, depending upon which
complement is chosen.
• general difference:
• Gerunds impart a sense of actuality to the
event expressed
• Infinitives impart a more hypothetical or
future sense.
Chapter 21---Verbs That
Take Both Gerund and
Bare Infinitive
Complements
P510-512
Jie Ma
BrainStorming
• What is bare infinitive?
Bare Infinitive:
Infinitive without “to”
Verb + do
What we are going to learn:
Verbs That Take
Both Gerund and
Bare Infinitive
Complements
• A. We saw him resisting the policeman.
(We saw him in the act of resisting the policeman)
“in progress” action
• B. We saw him resist the policeman.
(We saw him do something- he resisted a
policeman)
a report of an action that took place.
Notes:
• A small set of perception verbs, including feel, hear,
listen to, notice, observe, overhear, see, and watch, can
be followed by bare infinitive or gerund complements.
• Sentences with perception verbs can have other fairly
distinct meanings depending on the type of verb that
appears in the complement.
Single Instance Versus
Repeated Action
• A. I saw Mr. Hanks snapping his fingers agitatedly just
before he turned and walked into the dining room.
Repetition of the action
• B. I saw Mr. Hanks snap his fingers agitatedly just before
he turned and walked into the dining room. Single instance
of the action
Notes:
If the verb in the complement is a punctual achievement verb (i.e., a
verb whose action ends as soon as it begins- bat, blink, hit, kick,
shoot, slap, snap, strike, etc.),
in a gerund complement its action will be interpreted as happening
repeatedly,
in a bare infinitive complement its action is understood as a single
occurrence.
Single Instance Versus
Repeated Action (Continue)
Notes:
If the verb in the complement is a punctual
achievement verb (i.e., a verb whose action
ends as soon as it begins- bat, blink, hit, kick,
shoot, slap, snap, strike, etc.),
in a gerund complement its action will be
interpreted as happening repeatedly,
in a bare infinitive complement its action is
understood as a single occurrence.
Completed Action Versus InProgress Action
• A. # I saw the boy drown in the pool, so I reached out,
pulled him in, and saved his life.
(the action is complete; a bare infinitive complement)
(doesn’t make sense)
• B. I saw the boy drowning in the pool, so I reached out,
pulled him in, and saved his life.
(a gerund complement; the action of drowning is still in
progress)
Notes:
• If the complement contains an accomplishment verb,
in a gerund complement the verb’s action is in
progress
in a bare infinitive complement the verb’s action is
complete.
Completed Action Versus InProgress Action (Continue)
• A. I looked up and saw this young kid
dive off a cliff that was 175 feet
above the sea. (a report of the event)
• B. I looked up and saw this young kid
diving off a cliff that was 175 feet
above the sea. (in progress action)
Assuming a Position Versus
Being in a State
• A. I saw the tired basketball player leaning
against the locker. (in the position of leaning
against the locker)
• B. I saw the tired basketball player lean against
the locker. (takes up the position of leaning
against the locker)
• Verbs that express an activity involving physical
position (e.g., lean, lie, sit, stand)
• when they appear in a gerund complement describe a
state
• when they appear in bare infinitive complement the
action of assuming the position
Let’s
do
grammar
activity!
EXERCISE
1
• Indicate whether the sentences in each pair
have the same meaning or a different meaning.
Explain any differences.
• Example:
• We stopped to have lunch at that restaurant.
• We stopped to having lunch at that restaurant.
• Answer: different;
Sentence (a) means we stopped in order to have
lunch. Sentence (b) means we did not eat there
again.
EXERCISE
1
1.
a. I hate exercising early in the morning.
b. I hate to exercise early in the morning.
Answer: Same
2.
a. I remembered to put the keys in my coat pocket.
(=I was supposed to put the keys in my pocket
and I did.)
b. I remembered putting the keys in my coat pocket.
(=I remembered the act of putting the keys in my
pocket.)
Answer: different.
EXERCISE
1
3.
a. I’ll never forget going to the theater on
Sunday morning.
(= I will never forget the special occasion
of going to the theater on Sunday morning.)
b. I’ll never forget to go to the theater on
Sunday morning.
(= I will never forget that I am supposed
to go to the thearter on Sunday.)
Answer: different.
EXERCISE
1
4.
a. Bruce continued to talk to his wife.
b. Bruce continued to work out at the gym.
Answer: Same
5.
A. Tom started to work out at the gym.
B. Tom started working out at the gym.
Answer: Same
EXERCISE
2
State which of the two sentences fits the
discourse, and explain why.
When Alice walked into the room, she found Fred lying on
the bed, dead to the world. At the foot of the bed lay a
small plastic bottle with the top off. She picked it up and
read the label: “sleeping pills.”. Alice gasped as she realized
that Fred had probably swallowed the contents of the
bottle in an attempt at ending his life. Time was of the
essence; she had to take immediate action to revive him!
_____ But neither action had any effect. Fred slumbered
on.
a. First she tried to slap him, and then she tried to throw
water in his face.
b. First she tried slapping him, and then she tried throwing
water in his face.
EXERCISE
3
Indicate whether the sentences in each pair have
the same meaning or different meanings.
Explain any differences.
Example:
She saw him hit the tennis ball against the
backboard.
She saw him hitting the tennis ball against the
backboard.
Answer: different; Sentence (a) means she saw
him hit the ball once. Sentence (b) means she saw
him hit the ball repeatedly.
EXERCISE
3
1.
a. We saw him kicking the flat tire furiously. Then he went
around to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and took
out a jack.
b. We saw him kick the flat tire furiously. Then he went around
to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and took out a
jack.
2.
a. I saw the janitor lean the ladder against the wall.
b. I saw the janitor leaning the ladder against the wall.
3.
a. They heard someone pound on the door.
b. They heard someone pounding on the door.
EXERCISE
4
Indicate which choice better fits each
discourse, and explain why.
Example:_______, so he rushed over and picked her
up. She seemed
Little bruised but was otherwise all right.
a. He saw her falling down the stairs
b. He saw her fall down the stairs
Answer: Sentence (b) is better because the
bare infinitive complement indicates completed
action. The gerund complement in (a) indicates the
action is still in progress, which doesn’t fit
the content that follows.
EXERCISE
4
• Discourse1
Nancy had not fastened her seatbelt, so she was
thrown forward when the car crashed into the
tree, and she hit her head on the dashboard. She
got out of the car, staggered forward a few steps,
and then seemed to lose consciousness. Jim saw
her ____, so he reached out and caught her
before she hit the ground.
a. fall over
b. falling over
EXERCISE
4
• Discourse 2
_______________, so she fastened a tourniquet
around his arm. Later one of the paramedics who
took over told her that her knowledge of first aid
had saved the man’s life.
a. Alice saw the policeman bleed to death
b. Alice saw the policeman bleeding to death
EXERCISE
4
• Discourse 3
As she stepped out onto the balcony, Helen
noticed dark clouds rolling in. A storm was
brewing. She went back into the apartment,
closed the door to the balcony, and went to bed.
Before she turned off the light, ____________.
a. She heard the rain fall on the roof.
b. She heard the rain falling one the roof.
The End
Thank You!