Stop delay fancy consider admit miss involve finish postpone imagine avoid deny risk practise

* Suddenly everybody stopped talking. There was silence.

* I'll do the shopping when I've finished cleaning the flat.

* He tried to avoid answering my question.

* I don't fancy going out this evening.

* Have you ever considered going to live in another country?

Note the negative form not ~ing:

* When I'm on holiday, I enjoy not having to get up early.

B. We also use ~ing after:

give up (= stop)

put off (= postpone)

carry on/go on (= continue) 0

keep or keep on (= do something continuously or repeatedly)

* Paula has given up smoking.

* We must do something. We can't go on living like this! (or ... carry on living ...)

* Don't keep interrupting me while I'm speaking. (or Don't keep on interrupting ...)

C. With some verbs you can use the structure verb + somebody + ~ing-

* I can't imagine George riding a motorbike.

* You can't stop me doing what I want.

* 'Sorry to keep you waiting so long.' 'That's all right.'

Note the passive form (being done/seen/kept etc.):

* I don't mind being kept waiting. (= I don't mind people keeping me ...)

D. When you are talking about finished actions, you can say having done/stolen/said etc.:

* She admitted having stolen the money.

But it is not necessary to use having (done). You can also use the simple ~ing form for finished actions:

* She admitted stealing the money.

* I now regret saying (or having said) what I said.

For regret, see Unit 55B.

E. After some of the verbs on this page (especially admit/deny/suggest) you can use that ...

* She denied that she had stolen the money. (or She denied stealing ...)

* Ian suggested that we went to the cinema. (or Ian suggested going ...)

For suggest, see also Unit 34.

@p105

EXERCISES

52.1 Complete each sentence with one of these verbs:

answer apply be be listen make see try use wash work write

1. He tried to avoid _answering_ my question.

2. Could you please stop --- so much noise?

3. I enjoy --- to music.

4. I considered --- for the job but in the end I decided against it.

5. Have you finished --- your hair yet?

6. If you walk into the road without looking, you risk --- knocked down.

7. Jim is 65 but he isn't going to retire yet. He wants to carry on ---.

8. I don't mind you --- the phone as long as you pay for all your calls.

9. Hello! Fancy --- you here! What a surprise!

10. I've put off --- the letter so many times. I really must do it today.

11. What a stupid thing to do! Can you imagine anybody --- so stupid?

12. Sarah gave up ---to find a job in this country and decided to go abroad.

52.2 Complete the sentences for each situation using ~ing.

1. What shall we do? We could go to the cinema.

She suggested going to the cinema.

2. Do you want to play tennis? No, not really.

He didn't fancy ---

3. You were driving too fast. Yes, it's true. Sorry!

She admitted ---

4. Why don't we go for a swim? Good idea!

She suggested ---

5. You broke into the shop. No, I didn't!

He denied ---

6. Can you wait a few minutes?. Sure, no problem.

They didn't mind ---

52.3 Complete the sentences so that they mean the same as the first sentence. Use ~ing.

1. I can do what I want and you can't stop me.

You can't stop me doing what I want.

2. It's not a good idea to travel during the rush hour.

It's better to avoid ---

3. Shall we go away tomorrow instead of today?

Shall we postpone --- until ---?

4. The driver of the car said it was true that he didn't have a licence.

The driver of the car admitted ---

5. Could you turn the radio down, please?

Would you mind ---?

6. Please don't interrupt me all the time.

Would you mind?

52.4 Use your own ideas to complete these sentences. Use ~ing.

1. She's a very interesting person. I always enjoy _talking to her._

2. I'm not feeling very well. I don't fancy ---

3. I'm afraid there aren't any chairs. I hope you don't mind ---

4. It was a lovely day, so I suggested ---

5. It was very funny. I couldn't stop ---

6. My car isn't very reliable. It keeps ---

@p106

UNIT 53. Verb + to... (decide to do/forget to do etc.)

A. offer decide hope deserve attempt promise agree plan aim afford manage threaten refuse arrange learn forget fail

If these verbs are followed by another verb, the structure is usually verb + to ... (infinitive):

* It was late, so we decided to take a taxi home.

* Simon was in a difficult situation, so I agreed to lend him some money.

* How old were you when you learnt to drive? (or 'learnt how to drive')

* I waved to Karen but failed to attract her attention.

Note these examples with the negative not to ...:

* We decided not to go out because of the weather.

* I promised not to be late.

With many verbs you cannot normally use to... . For example, enjoy/think/suggest:

* I enjoy dancing. (not 'enjoy to dance')

* Ian suggested going to the cinema. (not 'suggested to go')

* Are you thinking of buying a car? (not 'thinking to buy')

For verb + ~ing, see Unit 52. For verb + preposition + ~ing, see Unit 61.

B. We also use to... after: seem appear tend pretend claim. For example:

* They seem to have plenty of money,

* I like George but I think he tends to talk too much.

* Ann pretended not to see me as she passed me in the street.

There is also a continuous infinitive (to be doing) and a perfect infinitive (to have done):

* I pretended to be reading the newspaper. (= I pretended that I was reading)

* You seem to have lost weight. (= it seems that you have lost weight)

C. We say 'decide to do something', 'promise to do something' etc. In the same way, we say 'a decision to do something', 'a promise to do something'etc. (noun + to..).

* I think his decision to give up his Job was stupid.

* George has a tendency to talk too much.

D. After dare you can use the infinitive with or without to:

* I wouldn't dare to tell him. or I wouldn't dare tell him.

But after daren't (or dare not), you must use the infinitive without to:

* I daren't tell him what happened. (not 'I daren't to tell him')

E. After the following verbs you can use a question word (what/whether/how etc.) + to ...

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 912