Verb + to or -ing: what do you enjoy doing? Exercises on verbs with to + verb or verb-ing
About this lesson
This A2 drill lesson gives infinitive or -ing exercises: which verbs take to + verb (want to go), which take verb-ing (enjoy cooking), and which take both, like love.
- Grammar
- Want, hope, decide, plan, learn, need, would like + to; enjoy, finish, mind, practice, avoid, spend time + -ing; like, love, hate, start, begin + both; negatives, questions, the past.
- Topic
- Language exchange: Luana's member profile on TalkTwin, an invented app, Rasmus's profile, their first messages, and a chat with your partner Itzel.
- Activities
- Sorting, choices, gap-fills, drag-and-drop, tables, word order, matching, find-the-mistake quizzes, an anagram, a memory game of -ing forms, a chat and a test.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: verb + to or verb-ingGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the verbs: to, -ing or both?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose to + verb or verb-ingChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: to + verb or verb-ingFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Verb + to: plans and wishes
- Choose the right form: verb + toChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: verb + to + verbFill in the gapsUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: verb + toDrag and dropUnlock
- Fill in the table: negatives and questionsFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake: verb + toQuizUnlock
- Read Hafsa's list and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Verb + -ing: what we enjoy
- Write the -ing formFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right form: verb-ingChoose the optionUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: verb-ingDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: verb-ingUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake: verb-ingQuizUnlock
- Read Aurelio's post and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 4To or -ing? Mix it up!
- Fill in the gaps: both forms are OKFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: mixed practiceChoose the optionUnlock
- Drag the right form into each gapDrag and dropTry it
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Read about Dagny's new hobby and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Find your TalkTwin
- Read Luana's profile on TalkTwinReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the profile again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Rasmus's profile and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Luana's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Rasmus's reply and choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: chat with ItzelChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at homeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: at workFill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: verb and -ing formMemory gameUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: like, love, hate, start, beginFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Fill in the table: present and pastFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Unscramble the verbsAnagramUnlock
- Write the questionsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Read Tarek's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Lior's review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Oona's post and choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right answer: to or -ing?QuizUnlock
Grammar: verbs followed by to + verb or verb-ing
When two verbs meet, the first one decides the form of the second: I want to learn Spanish. She enjoys cooking. Learn each first verb with its pattern: some take to + verb, some take verb-ing, and a few take both with the same meaning.
Verb + to or -ing: what do you enjoy doing?
Some verbs need to + verb after them, some need verb-ing, and some can have both.
To + verb, verb-ing or both
Want, hope, decide, plan, learn, need and would like take to + verb: We decided to stay home. Enjoy, finish, mind, practice, avoid and spend time take verb-ing. Like, love, hate, start and begin take both: It started to rain.
Verb + verb
subjectfirst verbto + verb · verb-ing
I want to learn Spanish.
She enjoys cooking.
They love to dance. · They love dancing.
Which verbs?
+ to + verb
- want · hope · decide · plan
- learn · need · would like
- I hope to see you soon.
- We decided to stay home.
+ verb-ing
- enjoy · finish · mind
- practice · avoid · spend time
- I finished cleaning the kitchen.
- She spends hours reading.
Both are OK
- like · love · hate · start · begin
- I like to swim. = I like swimming.
- It started to rain. = It started raining.
What mind, avoid, practice and hope mean
Mind + -ing means have a problem with: I don't mind waiting. Avoid means try not to do, and practice means do again and again. Hope to means wanting something you think is possible: We hope to win.
- hope to = want something and think it's possible: We hope to win.
- would like to = want to (polite): I'd like to book a table.
- mind + -ing = have a problem with: I don't mind waiting. (= Waiting is OK for me.)
- avoid + -ing = try not to do: I avoid eating late.
- practice + -ing = do again and again: I practice speaking every day.
- spend + time + -ing: He spends an hour running every morning.
Only the first verb changes
Negatives, questions and the past work on the first verb: She doesn't want to dance. Did she enjoy dancing? The second verb stays as it is: to go, not to went. The -ing spelling is the present continuous one: making, swimming.
Negatives, questions and the past
| Form | + to + verb | + verb-ing |
|---|---|---|
| Positive (+) | She wants to dance. | She enjoys dancing. |
| Negative (−) | She doesn't want to dance. | She doesn't enjoy dancing. |
| Question (?) | Does she want to dance? | Does she enjoy dancing? |
| Past (+) | She wanted to dance. | She enjoyed dancing. |
| Past (−) | She didn't want to dance. | She didn't enjoy dancing. |
| Past (?) | Did she want to dance? | Did she enjoy dancing? |
Only the first verb changes
The first verb changes: she wants, she wanted, she doesn't want. The second verb never changes: to + base verb (to go, not to goes or to went) or verb-ing (going). The -ing spelling is the same as in the present continuous: make → making, swim → swimming.
I'd like to… or I like…?
I'd like to dance means you want to now; I like dancing means you enjoy it in general. After would like, use only to: We'd like to try the fish. Would you like to come? takes Yes, I would or Yes, I'd love to!
I'd like to… or I like…?
I'd like to dance. = I want to dance now. I like dancing. = I enjoy it in general. After would like, use only to: I'd like to order, please. (Not: I'd like ordering.) Would you like to come? — Yes, I would. / Yes, I'd love to!
Examples
- I want to visit Japan one day.want + to + verb
- My parents decided to sell their old house.the past: decided
- Do you enjoy playing tennis?question: Do you + enjoy + -ing?
- Sam doesn't mind sharing his room.negative: doesn't mind + -ing
- We'd like to try the fish.would like + to + verb
- I hate to wait. · I hate waiting.both are OK
Common mistakes
Look out for I want going home, I enjoy to cook, I finished to read the book and I'd like going out tonight. Each one puts the wrong pattern after the first verb, so students should check that verb first.
I want going home.
I want to go home.
want + to + verb
I enjoy to cook.
I enjoy cooking.
enjoy + verb-ing
I finished to read the book.
I finished reading the book.
finish + verb-ing
I'd like going out tonight.
I'd like to go out tonight.
would like + to + verb
More lessons on this grammar: Gerunds and infinitives lessons and exercises
Try the infinitive or -ing exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 39 auto-checked exercises
- 6 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- use to + verb after want, hope, decide and need: I hope to open my own café one day. We decided to walk home.
- use verb-ing after enjoy, finish, mind, avoid and practice: I don't mind talking about anything, not She enjoys to cook
- use either form after like, love, hate, start and begin: It started to snow. = It started snowing.
- change only the first verb in negatives, questions and the past: Did you enjoy dancing? She didn't want to wait for the bus.
- tell I'd like to… from I like…: I'd like to order the fish, please, not I'd like ordering the fish
- Grammar:
- verb + to-infinitive · verb + -ing · would like to · like / love / hate + to or -ing
- Topic:
- grammar practice · hobbies · plans and wishes · language exchange
Teaching tips
- Keep a two-column wall chart: want, hope and decide under to, enjoy, finish and mind under -ing, and point at it whenever a student hesitates.
- Write a language-exchange profile: after Luana's, each student writes five lines with I enjoy…, I'd like to…, I need to… and I don't mind…, then finds a classmate with a shared interest.
- Play find someone who: students walk around asking Do you enjoy cooking? or Do you want to learn to drive? and write down one name for each question.
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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · A2
English Grammar Practice · A2 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the past simple and continuous, used to, comparatives, going to and will, the present perfect, modals, the zero and first conditionals and questions. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Past simple with -ed: moving day!
- 2Past simple irregular verbs: we went, we saw, we bought
- 3Past simple negatives and questions: where did the cake go?
- 4Past continuous: what were you doing at 9 p.m.?
- 5Past simple or past continuous: what were you doing when it happened?
- 6Used to: how things were back then
- 7Comparatives: which one is better?
- 8Superlatives: the best in town
- 9As … as, too, enough: is it the right size?
- 10Adverbs of manner: how did she drive?
- 11Much, many, a few, a little: how much do we need?
- 12Possessive pronouns: whose is it?
- 13Be going to: what's your plan?
- 14Will: what will the future bring?
- 15Present continuous for plans: what are you doing tonight?
- 16Will vs going to: decided before or right now?
- 17Present perfect: have you ever tried it?
- 18Just, already, yet: have you done it yet?
- 19For and since: how long have you known her?
- 20Present perfect or past simple: up to now or finished time?
- 21Must and have to: what are the rules?
- 22Should: what should I do?
- 23Can, could, may: could you help me, please?
- 24Verb + to or -ing: what do you enjoy doing?
- 25Zero conditional: what happens if…?
- 26First conditional: what will you do if it rains?
- 27Articles: a, the or no article?
- 28Subject and object questions: who won the quiz?