THEME 2 HOBBIES AND SKILLS GRAMMAR & EXERCISES

GERUND-INFINITIVE
INFINITIVE
We use” the infinitive”
1. after some verbs such as
advise decide invite pretend tend
afford expect intend promise threaten
agree fail learn recommend wait
allow forget manage remember want
appear get need refuse warn
arrange happen offer say wish
ask help plan seem would like
come hope prepare teach dare
They couldn’t afford to go on holiday last summer
You need to be a good swimmer with good balance to be an expert surfer.
You mustn’t forget to wear your helmed when you go rock-climbing.
2. to express purpose
I went to England to improve my English.
I studied all night to get a good mark.
3. after certain adjectives such as
glad sad proud happy pleased reluctant
stupid disappointed ashamed clever surprised
good afraid difficult nice kind sorry
Sometimes it is difficult to persuade old people to think in a different way.
I was surprised to see Celine at the party.
She was proud to be the best player in the team.
4. to express a specific preference (after would like / would love / would prefer)
I am really tired. I would like to go to bed a bit earlier tonight.
5. after “too-enough” constructions
He is too young to have a driving licence.
You aren’t strong enough to lift the table.
GERUND
We use “the gerund”
1. after some verbs such as
admit confess enjoy give up mention quit suggest
appreciate consider fancy hate miss regret worth
avoid delay finish imagine mind risk
can’t bear deny forgive involve postpone stand
can’t stand dislike go keep practice stop
Most surfers enjoy riding the waves in Hawaii.
We had to postpone going on a picnic because of bad weather conditions.
While you are surfing the Net, you should avoid getting too close to the screen.
2. after verbs of likes and dislikes (like, enjoy, love, hate, don’t mind….etc.)
I don’t mind sleeping late because I don’t have to get up early in the mornings.
3. as a subject
Riding the waves is the thrill of a lifetime.
Drinking too much coffee fastens your heartbeat.
4. after prepositions such as
talk about object to insist on instead of thank for
good/bad at tired of succeed in be gifted in afraid of
interested in fond of apologize for feel like rely on
keen on crazy about complain about accustomed to responsible for
use for blame for worry about happy about think about
believe in be into look forward to think of
Eskil is interested in balancing when he was five years old.
All the students are responsible for obeying the school rules.
Exercise 1 : Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
1. Sue has always enjoyed (1) ________________ (go) skiing. One day, when she saw some people (2) ____________
(snowboard), she decided (3) _________________ (give) it a try. It was more difficult than she had expected. At first she
could not (4) __________________ (keep) her balance on the board as easily as on skis, and it was almost impossible for her
(5) ________________ (go) any distance without (6) _____________________ (fall). She hates (7) _________________
(fail) at any sport, so she continued (8) ___________________ (try) and she finally managed (9) _________________ (go)
all the way down a slope without an accident. It was then that she realised what a great sport it is, and now she’d rather (10)
________________________ (go) snowboarding than skiing.
2. I have always loved (1) __________________________ (take) part in team sports, so when my P.E. teacher asked me if I
wanted (2) ___________________ (learn) how (3) _______________________ (play) handball, I immediately accepted. It
sounded ideal for me as I don’t mind (4) ______________________ (exercise) hard. But it wasn’t as easy as I thought. I kept
(5) ____________________ (practise) every day including weekends. But I gave up in the end because I couldn’t (6)
______________________concentrate) on my lessons.
Exercise 2 : Choose the correct options.
1. A: What do you think about the show? B: It’s very nice __________________ the live performances.
a. watch b. to watch c. to watching
2. A: I’ve never seen Bob diving into the sea. B: Ahh, you don’t know. His disability prevents him from __________
a. dive b. to dive c. diving
3. A: What are we doing now? B: I think it’s time ____________________ to my favourite band’s new single.
a. to listen b. listening c. listen
4. A: 4. A: I feel really disappointed. B: I’m so sorry for not ______________________ the equipment you wanted. I
completely forgot it.
a. buy b. buying c. to buy
5. A: I’m glad ____________________________ in the school team. B: Me, too.
a. to be b. be c. being
6. A: You promised ____________________________ me to the circus but you didn’t. B: I’m deeply sorry.
a. taking b. take c. to take
 CAN / CAN’T / COULD / COULDN’T / WAS ABLE TO
Can/ Can’t
• We use can to talk about ability.
She can speak English fluently.
Affirmative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They can play chess.
Negative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They can’t (cannot) ski
Interrogative
Can I / he / she / it /we / you / they do ice skating?
Could / Couldn’t
• Could / couldn’t are the past tense forms of can (ability).
I could run fast when I was young.
My sister couldn’t read when she was 3.
Could you play the flute when you were 10?
Was/Were Able to
• We use “could” for general statements.
• We use “was/were able to” for specific events or when something was difficult, but you manage to do it.
My brother is a real intelligent boy. He could play chess when he was only five.
The other team played very well, but we were able to win.
Our goalkeeper was great, so the other team couldn’t score a goal.
He could run very fast when he was a young boy, but now he’s very old, and it’s very difficult for him to do sports.
Exercise 1 : Fill in the blanks with can, can’t, could, couldn’t, was/were able to.
1. When his mother was young she _____________________ skate but she can’t do it any longer.
2. Tom is really in to music. He _____________________ play three instruments.
3. Although it was raining hard, we______________________ finish the match.
4. As the weather was stormy, we______________________ go sailing.
5. Mary was a fast runner. She __________________________ run 18 km per hours.
6. He _____________________read without glasses till he suffered from visual disorder.
Exercise 2 : Fill in the blanks with the words can, can’t, could, couldn’t.
1. I’m really into art. I ___________________________ express my feelings through colours. I think I’m gifted in drawing.
2. Mozart was a famous child as he _______________________ play the piano and write music when he was four.
3. Most of my friends enjoy scuba diving but I __________________________ do it because I’m afraid of sea creatures.
4. Gwen’s brother is very intelligent. He ______________________ play chess when he was a little boy.
5. I’ve tried pottery many times but I _______________________ succeed it. I think I’m not creative enough.
6. Demi Lovato is an amazing pop singer. Do you know what she does in her leisure time? She ___________ knit very well.
7. Unfortunately, I’m not good at music at all. I _________________________ even do karaoke.
8. My grandma ____________________ use a computer when she was young but now what she likes most is to have a chat
with friends on the Net.
 EXPRESSING PREFERENCES
1. WOULD LIKE
We use “would like”
• to talk about what we want to do.
After would like we use the infinitive with to.
Do you have any time? I would like to talk to you about something.
I wouldn’t like to go on holiday alone. It must be really boring.
Affirmative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They would like to have a cup of coffee.
Negative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They wouldn’t like to have a cup of coffee.
Interrogative
Would I / he / she / it / we / you / they like to have a cup of coffee?
NOTE : “would like” has the same meaning with “want” but would like is more polite than want.
2. PREFER
We use “prefer”
• to state general preferences.
I don’t like big cities. I prefer living in the countryside. / My little daughter prefers wearing pink clothes instead of yellow or
green ones.
Affirmative
I / You / We / They prefer visiting historical places.
He / She / It prefers visiting historical places.
Negative
I / You / We / They don’t prefer visiting historical places.
He / She / It doesn’t prefer visiting historical places.
Interrogative
Do I / you / we / they prefer visiting historical places?
Does he / she / it prefer visiting historical places?
I prefer a full-time job to a part-time one.
My son prefers playing computer games to playing an instrument.
Turkish people prefer to go on a beach holiday rather than go on an adventure holiday.
3. WOULD RATHER
We use “would rather”
• to state specific preferences.
I would rather visit Aquarium when I go to İstanbul this summer.
I would rather stay at home and watch a movie with my friends tonight.
Affirmative
I / He / She / It We / You / They would rather (‘d rather) eat out.
Negative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They would rather not eat out.
Interrogative
Would I / he / she / it / we / you / they rather eat out?
4. WOULD PREFER
We use “would prefer”
• to say what someone wants in a specific situation not in general.
A: Shall we meet in front of the theatre?
B: No, I would prefer to meet in front of the City Hall. It is nearer.
Affirmative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They would prefer to go there by train.
Negative
I / He / She / It / We / You / They wouldn’t prefer to go there by train.
Interrogative
Would I / he / she/ it / we / you / they prefer to go there by train?
*** Would rather and would prefer have the same meaning but;
We use Subject + would rather + verb + than + verb
The sun is shining outside. I would rather sit in the garden than play chess here.
We use Subject + would prefer + to + verb + rather than + verb
The match on TV is very exciting. I would prefer to watch it rather than chat with my parents.
Exercise 1 : Fill in the blanks with would rather, prefer, would prefer.
1. Diana _________________________knit than sew. I'm sure, she’ll love it.
2. Do you ________________________________ watching extreme sports or documentaries?
3. ____________ you ______________________ to do salsa or tango?
4. They _______________________making music to listening to it.
Exercise 2 : Choose the correct option
1. Until I find a suitable flat, I would rather ____________ with my relatives _______________ in a dormitory.
a) stay – than b) staying – to c) to stay – than
2. A: Do you like baggy trousers?
B: Actually not. I prefer ________________ skinny jeans ______________ baggy ones. I think they are more fashionable.
a) wear – to wear b) wearing – to wearing c) wearing – than wearing
3. I would prefer _____________________to her directly _______________ this problem on the phone.
a) to talk – to solve b) talking – than solving c) to talk – rather than solve
4. I would rather _______________ from the job _____________________ those bad working conditions.
a) resigning – than accepting b) resign – than accept c) resign – to accept
5. I would like ____________________ my favourite singer on the stage when she comes to our city.
a) see b) seeing c) to see
6. People prefer ________________ in supermarkets ____________ to the local shops as they can find whatever they need.
a) shopping – to going b) shop – than go c) to shop – to go
7. I have been studying for hours and I feel sleepy, but I won’t go to bed. I would like _______________ this project even if
it lasts till the morning.
a) finish b) to finish c) finishing