The Big Book of English Gerunds & Infinitives, Prepositions, and Phrasal Verbs for ESL and English Learners: Focus on English Big Book Series

By Thomas Celentano

This book combines three of our best selling English grammar books about English gerunds and infinitives, prepositions, and the English phrasal verbs. For low-intermediate through advanced ESL and English learners. Designed for individual and classroom use, for students, ESL instructors and schools. The prepositions and phrasal verbs sections, especially, can be used to help with IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, Cambridge, and GED studies. This book uses quick-find menus so students can quickly and easily find any grammar topic of interest. This book also includes the full content of "Beyond Prepositions for ESL Learners", "Beyond Phrasal Verbs for ESL Learners", and "English Gerunds and Infinitives for ESL Learners", three of the most popular books for mastering these English points.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Celentano
• Release date: Dec 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393675761

Thomas Celentano

Thomas Celentano has published seven books and multiple articles about English grammar for English students worldwide. His 810-page "The Big Book of English Grammar" is a culmination of his work. He is also the novelist behind R. Cameron Bryce's "When Pigs and Horses Fly" ("Under the Giant Mimosa") and "Killing Tony, Excerpts from My Diary." He has taught English as a second language for more than 20 years and has held directorships in various ESL schools over his career. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Hawaii, at Manoa, he holds degrees in foreign language studies and anthropology. An avid surfer, sailor and adventurer, he has spent years crisscrossing the South Pacific Ocean on his 8.3 meter sailboat, Carrie Ann, capturing, on film and in audio recordings, the sights and sounds of island communities there.

Book preview

The Big Book of English Gerunds & Infinitives, Prepositions, and Phrasal Verbs

for ESL and English Learners

by

Thomas Celentano

Copyright

© 2020 by Thomas Celentano

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the express written permission of the copyright holder.

For all inquiries, please contact us via our website: FOEBooks.com

Focus on English Books (LB)

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About the Author

Thomas Celentano has written seven books about English grammar for English students worldwide and has taught English as a second language for more than 17 years. He holds university degrees in foreign language studies and anthropology from the University of Hawaii, at Manoa.  A novelist, he writes under the pen name, R. Cameron Bryce.

Dedication

To my students everywhere

Forward

The three English grammar hotspots (difficult areas), gerunds and infinitives, prepositions, and phrasal verbs are found everywhere in the English language. The correct use of English grammar in English communication can sometimes be difficult because of its unpredictable nature. This text was written as a classroom textbook, a study guide and  quick reference guide to help students quickly find and correct problem areas. The book was written for low-intermediate through advanced English learners.

Table of Contents

The Big Book of English Gerunds & Infinitives, Prepositions, and Phrasal Verbs

for ESL and English Learners

Copyright

About the Author

Forward

Introduction

How to use this grammar book

Master Quick-Find Menu

Part 1 – Gerunds and Infinitives

Part 1 - Quick-Find Menu

Part 1 Introduction

Chapter 1 - Common English Verbs + Gerund

Chapter 2 - Common English Verbs + Infinitives

Chapter 3 - Common Verbs + Either a Gerund or an Infinitive

Chapter 4 - Common Verb + Object + Infinitive

Chapter 5 - Common Verb + Object + Gerund

Part 2 – Prepositions Made Easy

Part 2 - Quick-Find Menu

Part 2 - Introduction

How to use this prepositions book

Section 1: Using Prepositions correctly in context

Chapter 1 - Using Prepositions to Talk About Time

Chapter 2 - Using Prepositions when Talking About Place or Location

Chapter 3 - Using Prepositions when Talking About Transportation and Traveling

Chapter 4 - Using Prepositions when Giving Directions

Section 2 - Using Prepositions Correctly After Certain Common English Verbs

Chapter 1 - Prepositions Following Verbs Beginning with the Letter A

Chapter 2 - Prepositions Following Verbs Beginning with B and C

Chapter 3 - Prepositions Following Verbs Beginning with D and E

Chapter 4 - Prepositions following verbs beginning with F, G, H,  and I

Chapter 5 - Prepositions following verbs beginning with K, L, and M

Chapter 6 - Prepositions following verbs beginning with N, O, P,  and Q

Chapter 7 - Prepositions following verbs beginning with R  and S

Chapter 8 - Prepositions following verbs beginning with T through Z

Section 3 - Understanding the meanings and correct usage of all common English prepositions

Chapter 1 - English prepositions beginning with the letters A and B

Chapter 2 - English prepositions beginning with the letters C - F

Chapter 3 - English prepositions beginning with the letters I - N

Chapter 4 - English prepositions beginning with the letter O

Chapter 5 - English prepositions beginning with the letters P - T

Chapter 6 - English prepositions beginning with the letters U - Z

Part 3 - Phrasal Verbs for Real-Life English

Part 3 - Quick-Find Menu

Part 3 Introduction

Chapter 1 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letters A and B

Chapter 2 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter C

Chapter 3 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letters  D, E, and F

Chapter 4 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter G

Chapter 5 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter H

Chapter 6 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter K

Chapter 7 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter L

Chapter 8 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letters M, N, and O

Chapter 9 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter P

Chapter 10 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter R

Chapter 11 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter S

Chapter 12 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter T

Chapter 13 - Phrasal verbs beginning with the letter U, W, and Z

Introduction

Focus on English© Mini Series Reference and Textbooks

Making the difficult parts of learning English easy

The Big Book of English Gerunds & Infinitives, Prepositions, and Phrasal Verbs, for Every ESL / English Second Language Learner

This book goes beyond just being a guide to the correct use of these English grammar points. The student can use this text to learn how to correctly use gerunds and infinitives, prepositions and phrasal verbs correctly in situational English communication, in a wide variety of English sentence contexts. In addition to complete and clear explanations of the correct way to use these difficult areas of English Grammar, there are many examples of correct usage and self reviews throughout the book.

The student is encouraged to use this book in three ways:

- As a quick reference resource. The book layout and design make it easy for the student to quickly search for words or phrases of interest.

- As a learn-by-example text. Every step of the way there are many clear examples of usage, making it easy for the student to understand how English speakers use prepositions in everyday communication.

- As a grammar text.  This book was designed to push the student to the next level in learning these English grammar points in their many different usages. The practice and review sections of the book challenge the student to generate communication based on the lesson at hand, helping the student to reinforce his or her new knowledge.

Focus on English© Books for ESL Learners

Making the difficult parts of learning English easy

Use English Grammar Correctly in Every English Sentence

book

This book is designed for low-intermediate through advanced English Learners who want to clearly understand the use of difficult English grammar in many different kinds of English sentences.

If English gerunds and infinitives, prepositions, and phrasal verbs sound confusing to you, don’t worry!  This Focus On English Big Book will help you to learn and master these difficult areas (these hotspots) of English grammar.

How to use this grammar book

This book was designed to be both a reference book and an aid for classroom work that can be quickly searched for answers about the correct use in most English sentences of gerunds and infinitives, prepositions, and phrasal verbs. At the beginning of each book there is a full Quick-Find Menu for that book.

This English grammar Big Book is broken down into three parts: gerunds and infinitives, prepositions, and phrasal verbs. The student can quickly go to any book from the Master Quick-Find Menu after this section.

The student is encouraged to use the many examples in this book to help understand how we use grammar in particular English sentences, and to practice with the review sections at the end of each chapter.

This book was designed to be used in the classroom, for individual study and as a quick-search resource manual.

Master Quick-Find Menu

Title

Copyright

About the author

How to use this grammar book

Part 1 – Gerunds and infinitives, using them correctly

Part 2 – Prepositions made easy

Part 3 – Phrasal verbs and idioms

Part 1 – Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds and Infinitives for Real Life English

Part 1 - Quick-Find Menu

(Note: To return to this table of contents, click on Table of Contents in the navigation (left) pane.)

Part 1 Introduction

Part 1 - A Note to Students

Chapter 1: Common English Verbs Followed by a Gerund

acknowledge + gerund

admit + gerund

appreciate + gerund

avoid + gerund

can’t help + gerund

celebrate + gerund

consider + gerund

delay + gerund

deny + gerund

detest + gerund

discontinue + gerund

discuss + gerund

dislike + gerund

dispute + gerund

endure + gerund

enjoy + gerund

escape + gerund

explain + gerund

feel like + gerund

finish + gerund

give up + gerund

imagine + gerund

justify + gerund

keep + gerund

mention + gerund

mind + gerund

miss + gerund

postpone + gerund

practice + gerund

prevent + gerund

prohibit + gerund

quit + gerund

recall + gerund

recommend + gerund

regret + gerund

report + gerund

resent + gerund

resist + gerund

risk + gerund

Suggest + gerund

Chapter 1 Gerunds and Infinitives Review

Chapter2: Common English Verbs + Infinitives

afford + Infinitive

agree + Infinitive

appear + Infinitive

ask + Infinitive

arrange + Infinitive

attempt + Infinitive

can’t afford + Infinitive

can’t wait + Infinitive

care + Infinitive

choose + Infinitive

consent + Infinitive

decide + Infinitive

deserve + Infinitive

expect + Infinitive

fail + Infinitive

grow + Infinitive

help + Infinitive

hope + Infinitive

hurry + Infinitive

intend + Infinitive

learn + Infinitive

manage + Infinitive

mean + Infinitive

need + Infinitive

offer + Infinitive

pay + Infinitive

plan + Infinitive

prepare + Infinitive

pretend + Infinitive

promise + Infinitive

refuse + Infinitive

request + Infinitive

seem + Infinitive

want + Infinitive

wish + Infinitive

would like + Infinitive

Chapter 2 Gerunds and Infinitives Review

Chapter 3: Common English Verbs Followed by a Gerund or an Infinitive

begin + Gerund or Infinitive

can’t stand + Gerund or Infinitive

continue + Gerund or Infinitive

forget + Gerund or Infinitive

hate + Gerund or Infinitive

like + Gerund or Infinitive

love + Gerund or Infinitive

prefer + Gerund or Infinitive

remember + Gerund or Infinitive

start + Gerund or Infinitive

stop + Gerund or Infinitive

try + Gerund or Infinitive

Chapter 3 Gerunds and Infinitives Review

Chapter 4: Common English Verbs Followed by an Object + Infinitive

advise + Object + Infinitive

allow + Object + Infinitive

ask + Object + Infinitive

cause + Object + Infinitive

choose + Object + Infinitive

convince + Object + Infinitive

encourage + Object + Infinitive

expect + Object + Infinitive

forbid + Object + Infinitive

force + Object + Infinitive

help + Object + Infinitive

hire + Object + Infinitive

invite + Object + Infinitive

need + Object + Infinitive

order + Object + Infinitive

pay + Object + Infinitive

permit + Object + Infinitive

persuade + Object + Infinitive

remind + Object + Infinitive

require + Object + Infinitive

teach + Object + Infinitive

tell + Object + Infinitive

urge + Object + Infinitive

want + Object + Infinitive

warn + Object + Infinitive

would like + Object + Infinitive

Chapter 4 Gerunds and Infinitives Review

Chapter 5: Common English Verbs Followed by an Object + Gerund

catch + Object + Gerund

see + Object + Gerund

spend + Object + Gerund

witness + Object + Gerund

Chapter 5 Review

Part 1 Introduction

Focus on English© Big Book Series

Making the difficult parts of learning English easy

Master the Use of Gerunds and Infinitives after Certain English Verbs

This is a book about how to correctly use gerunds (verb + ing) and infinitives (to + base verb) after certain common English verbs. The book is organized by verb in alphabetical order.

This Focus on English© book contains a comprehensive listing of common English verbs that are followed by the correct usage of gerunds and infinitives after them.  The student will find explanations for each of the verb combinations, followed by examples of their correct usage in a sentence. 

Each chapter is followed by a practice and review section, which is designed to help the student reinforce the lessons from the previous chapter. 

The student is encouraged to use this book in three ways:

As a quick reference resource. The book layout and design make it easy for the student to quickly search for words or phrases of interest.

As a learn-by-example text. Every step of the way there are many clear examples of usage, making it easy for the student to understand how English speakers use gerunds and infinitives in everyday communication.

As a grammar text.  This book was designed to help the student internalize the subject matter. The student is continuously challenged to generate, on his or her own, communication based on the lesson at hand. Reviews at the end of each chapter help the student to reinforce his or her new knowledge.

Book 3 A note to students

Students are encouraged to use this text in groups, when possible. In a group, the student can practice using gerunds and infinitives by listening and speaking, as well as reading, which should make learning easier, faster and more fun.

Chapter 1 - Common English Verbs + Gerund

Correct usage of some common English verbs that are followed by gerunds

In this first chapter you will learn how to use gerunds correctly after certain common English verbs in typical English sentences.

Read each of the common English verbs below, followed by their meanings as they are used in sentences with gerunds, and then some examples of how they are used in common English sentences followed by a gerund.

Remember that the meanings being given for the verbs are the meanings when the verbs are used with a gerund.

Common English Verbs followed by gerunds

Read the examples, as they will give you a good idea as to how to use the common verb-gerund combinations in real English sentences.

After the examples are given for each verb, you have a chance to practice what have learned.  In the Now you try sections, fill in the blank space with the correct form of the word given in parenthesis ( ).

There is a review section at the end of this chapter.  The answers to the review section are found by carefully studying this chapter; especially the examples given for each verb.

Acknowledge

To admit to, or confirm knowledge of, doing something or knowing the existence of something or someone

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My teacher asked me if I had studied English before. I acknowledged studying English while attending high school.

- The secretary asked me if I had paid the fee.  I acknowledged having paid the fee.

(For more information about English irregular verbs, please see:  A Guide to English Irregular Verbs; How to Use Them Correctly Every Time, by this author)

Now you try:  The man acknowledged (smoke) ____________ in the building.

Admit

To acknowledge or confirm that something, someone, or some action is or was real; to acknowledge the existence of an action or something or someone

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- I admitted using marijuana when I was in high school.

- I admitted not studying for the exam.

Now you try:  Tomoko admitted (work) ____________ for the government.

Appreciate

To recognize the quality, significance or greatness of something or someone

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- I appreciated being able to study English in Hawaii.

- Lana appreciated having the chance to travel to Europe last year.

Now you try:  Lana appreciated (work) ____________ for the good company.

Avoid

To stay clear of something or someone

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Students usually avoid going to expensive restaurants.

- Soo Woo avoids doing exercises in the evening.

Now you try:  Adam avoided (walk) ____________ to work because of his injury.

Can’t help

An inability to refrain from doing something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My sister can’t help eating delicious chocolates.

- Jason couldn’t help going to the pub with his friends every night.

Now you try:  Alice can’t help (eat) ____________ chocolate.

Celebrate

To observe an important occasion, usually with festivity

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My classmates and I celebrated graduating from university.

- Kaori celebrated getting married.

Now you try:  The team celebrated (win) ____________ the tournament.

Consider

To think carefully about or give careful thought to something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My sister considered attending university after graduating from high school.

- Mika considered studying English in Hawaii.

Now you try:  Alex considered (work) ____________ for the good company.

Delay

To postpone until a later time; defer

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- We delayed going to the theater because we wanted to look at the sunset.

- Susan delayed studying for the exam because she had other work to do.

Now you try:  The student delayed (register) ____________ at the new school.

Deny

To refuse to acknowledge

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Cindy denied smoking cigarettes when she was younger.

- The policeman stopped Toshiko for driving through the red light, but Toshiko denied driving through the red light.

Now you try:  Juan denied (use) ____________ marijuana.

Detest

To dislike intensely.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The children detested eating Brussels sprouts.

- The commuters detested driving in the bad weather.

Now you try:  Christina detests (talk) ____________ to people who are not honest.

Discontinue

To put a stop to; to terminate.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The store discontinued selling the laptop computers.

- Mayumi discontinued shopping at the computer store.

Now you try:  Megumi discontinued (study) ____________ at the school because of illness.

Discuss

To speak with others about something or someone; to talk something over.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My wife and I discussed going to dinner tonight.

- Sam discussed getting a raise with his boss.

Now you try:  Sandra discussed (work) ____________ for another company.

Dislike

To not be pleasing; to regard something or someone with displeasure.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My brother dislikes taking out the garbage.

- The daughter dislikes doing the dishes.

Now you try:  Fred disliked (have) ____________ to go to work every day.

Dispute

To disagree about something; argue about or debate something.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Alison’s friends called her a gossip, but Alison disputes being a gossip.

- Sun Wa said that her brother sprayed her with the water hose, but her brother disputes spraying her with a water hose.

Now you try:  Frankie disputed (be) ____________ lazy.

Endure

To continue on or continue doing something despite difficulties and hardships.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Andrew could not endure going to school again without having nice clothes to wear.

- The runners endured racing in the hot sun to finish the competition.

Now you try:  Donny endured (work) ____________ for the bad company.

Enjoy

To receive pleasure or satisfaction from doing something.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My girlfriend and I enjoy hiking in the mountains.

- We enjoy going to the beach.

Now you try:  Eddie enjoyed (go) ____________ surfing every day.

Escape

To get free of something; to break out of the confines of something.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The little dog narrowly escaped getting hit by a car.

- We escaped having to go to the boring company meeting.

Now you try:  The criminal escaped (get) ____________ caught by the police.

Explain

To make something clear, plain, and understandable through written or spoken communication

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- How do you explain being late to class every morning this week?  I have been late because my car is being repaired and won’t be finished until tomorrow.

- How do you explain getting such a poor grade on the exam?  I didn’t study.

Now you try:  The child explained (have) ____________ his hand in the cookie jar.

Feel like

To have the desire to do something; to be in the mood to do something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- I don’t feel like doing homework tonight.

- No one on the soccer team felt like having a hard workout yesterday.

Now you try:  Gladys felt like (eat) ____________ a piece of cake.

Finish

To complete something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Two of the students didn’t finish taking the exam.

- Shino finished shopping at 6pm.

Now you try:  The office workers finished (type) ____________ the report.

Give up

To stop doing something.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- We gave up trying to drive into the city.  The traffic was terrible.

- At around 1am I gave up studying and went to bed.

Now you try:  Laura gave up (exercise) ____________  and gained ten pounds.

Imagine

To form a mental image or picture of something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- We imagined going to Europe next year.  We thought it would be possible.

- Imagine being the leader of a country?

Now you try:  We imagined (travel) ____________ around the world.

Justify

To demonstrate the validity of something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Jack and his wife justified spending all of that money on a new car by saying that the new car got very good fuel economy.

- My colleagues justified spending so much time on the project by explaining that this project was very important to the company.

Now you try:  The owner of the company justified (fire) ____________ many workers by saying that the economy was bad.

Keep

To continue to do something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The students kept going to the same pub every night.

- My brother and I kept going to the gym for two years.

Now you try:  Kyoko keeps (visit) ____________ the same cities every year on vacation.

Mention

To refer to or communicate something, usually incidentally, by spoken or written word

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Where did Flora and Bill go?  They mentioned going to the park.

- How long has the new student been in the United States?  He mentioned being here for two years.

Now you try:  The teacher mentioned (have) ____________ homework over the weekend.

Mind

To object to

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My sister didn’t mind going to the store for chips.

- The repairman didn’t mind returning to the customer’s house to explain how to use the new appliance.

Now you try:  The students didn’t mind (review) ____________ the work again.

Miss

To feel the lack or loss of something; to lose an opportunity to do something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- I miss going to the beach every Sunday.  Now I have to work on Sundays.

- The schoolgirls missed seeing the famous movie star because the movie star left the building one hour earlier.

Now you try:  After leaving New York City, Nicole missed (run) ____________ in Central Park every morning.

Postpone

To delay until a future time

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- We postponed having the picnic until the rain stopped.

- The school postponed giving the exam until after the holiday.

Now you try:  The referee postponed (start) ____________ the game because of rain.

Practice

To do something repeatedly, usually to improve

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The bicycle team practiced racing on that course every week.

- Successful English students practice speaking English every day.

Now you try:  The soccer team practiced (kick) ____________ the ball into the goal.

Prevent

To keep something from happening

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- To prevent being late, leave early.

- To prevent having trouble with the government, pay your taxes.

Now you try:  To prevent (miss) ____________ your flight, arrive at the airport early.

Prohibit

To not allow or forbid (usually by some authority)

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The law prohibits throwing trash on the highways.

- The school rules prohibit smoking in the building.

Now you try:  The building rules prohibit (sell) ____________ in the building without permission.

Quit

To stop doing something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Yuki quit eating at the restaurant because the prices were too expensive.

- Tom quit worrying about his business and decided to go to a show.

Now you try:  Alfred quit (go) ____________ to piano practice because it was too expensive.

Recall

To remember or recollect

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The European students recalled going to Majorca.

- The driver told the policeman that he didn’t recall seeing a red light.

Now you try:  The student didn’t recall (hear) ____________ about the homework assignment.

Recommend

To advise or counsel

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- We don’t recommend seeing the movie because it is too violent.

- The young couple went to a counselor to talk about their wedding, but the counselor didn’t recommend getting married because the couple was too young.

Now you try:  The teacher recommended (study) ____________ for the exam.

Regret

To be sorry or disappointed about something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- My girlfriend and I regretted going to the movie because it was too violent.

- The businessman regretted not getting more sleep the night before.

Now you try:  The criminal regretted (commit) ____________ the crime.

Report

To tell about something, to relate something

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The scientist reported finding a new kind of insect.

- Our friends reported going to the street festival last night and really having a good time.

Now you try:  The watchman reported (see) ____________ some strange activity in building number 5.

Resent

To be strongly offended by something or someone

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The new employee resented getting all of the hard jobs in the company.

- Tomomi resented being told that she could not play on the school’s basketball team.

Now you try:  Elena resented (be) ____________ told that she would not be hired for the job.

Resist

To struggle against something; to oppose with resistance

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- The puppy resisted being walked on a leash.

- Claudia resisted traveling by plane because she was afraid of flying.

Now you try:  Hiroko resisted (learn) ____________ to drive because she was afraid of having an accident.

Risk

To take a chance at something, especially when there are possible negative consequences to failure.

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Military air pilots often risk flying into dangerous areas to complete their mission.

- I didn’t study for the exam, but I will risk taking it because I will not have another chance.

Now you try:  Julie risked (spend) ____________ her money on jewelry sold on the Internet.

Suggest

To offer advice in a polite way

Examples of usage with a gerund:

- Cindy’s