No use, no point and worth + -ing: what's worth your time? Gerund exercises after no use, no point and worth

This B2 drill lesson gives no use, no point, worth exercises with -ing, plus can't help, can't stand and have trouble.

Grammar: It's no use, There's no point (in) and It's (not) worth + -ing, never to; questions and the past; worth + a noun; can't help, can't stand / can't bear and have trouble + -ing.
Topic: Productivity: a post on Worth the Time, an invented blog, about what ten years of to-do lists taught its author, with readers' comments, a newsletter, an email and a coworker's texts.
Activities: True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, matching, word order, quizzes, tables, drag-and-drop texts, a memory game and a chat.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: no use, no point, worth + -ingGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: what does the speaker mean?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: the verb after the phraseFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2No use, no point
- Fill in the gaps: no use and no pointFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right form: no use and no pointChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the problems and the adviceMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: no use and no pointUnjumbleUnlock
- Write the questions: Is there any point…? What's the point…?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: no use and no pointQuizUnlock
- Read Adaeze's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 3Worth it?
- Fill in the gaps: worth + -ingFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: worthChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the table: two ways to say itFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: worthUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: worthQuizUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
- Read Wairimu's travel tips and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 4Can't help it, can't stand it
- Fill in the gaps: can't help, can't stand, have troubleFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: can't help, can't stand, have troubleChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right meaningQuizUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: can't help, can't stand, have troubleMatchTry it
- Put the words in the right order: can't help, can't stand, have troubleUnjumbleUnlock
- Read Rutendo's post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Fill in the table: say it another wayFill in the tableUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: Worth the Time
- Read the blog post and the commentsReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the post again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Femke's newsletter and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Mehmet's email to Femke and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Tsegaye texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at work and at homeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: no use, no point and worth at workFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: can't help, can't stand and have trouble at homeFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: everyday sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: now, past and questionFill in the tableUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the phrase and its meaningMemory gameUnlock
- Write the questionsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the office manager's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Tendai's review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the forum thread and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: in townChoose the optionUnlock

Grammar: no use, no point and worth + -ing

A handful of fixed phrases judge whether an action makes sense, and every one of them is followed by verb + -ing: It's no use complaining. It's worth checking the weather. The to-infinitive never comes after them. Three more phrases also take -ing: can't help, have trouble and can't stand, which can take to as well.

No use, no point, worth it: phrases + -ing

Say that something won't help, has no purpose or is (not) worth your time, and what you can't stop, can't stand or find hard: every phrase takes verb + -ing.

No use and no point

It's no use + -ing says an action won't help: It's no use arguing with him. There's no point (in) + -ing says it has no purpose, and in may be left out: There's no point waiting. Both phrases are negative already, so they have no not form.

no use, no point, worth + verb-ing (never to)

It's no use / There's no point (in) / It's (not) worthverb + -ing

It's no use complaining. Nobody is listening.

There's no point (in) waiting. The last bus has gone.

It's worth checking the weather before you go.

Two right answers

There's no point in waiting = There's no point waiting. It isn't worth = It's not worth. After can't stand / can't bear, -ing and to are both right: I can't stand waiting / to wait. Americans also say I couldn't help but laugh and I have a hard time sleeping. You may hear It's no good + -ing too (mostly British).

Questions and the past

Ask Is there any point (in) asking? or What's the point of asking? and Is it worth asking? For the past, is becomes was: It was no use asking. There was no point in staying. It wasn't worth fixing.

Form	no use / no point	worth
Positive (+)	It's no use asking. · There's no point (in) asking.	It's worth asking.
Negative (−)	no use and no point are already negative	It isn't worth asking. · It's not worth asking.
Question (?)	Is there any point (in) asking? · What's the point of asking?	Is it worth asking?
Past	It was no use asking. · There was no point (in) asking.	It was (not) worth asking.

Worth: two word orders and a noun

It's worth visiting the museum can start with the thing instead: The museum is worth visiting. The -ing stays active, never worth being visited, and a preposition stays at the end: worth listening to. A noun works too: worth the money, worth it.

It's worth + -ing (+ the thing)

It's worth visiting the science museum.
Is it worth taking the ferry?
It isn't worth fixing that old bike.

The thing + is worth + -ing or a noun

The science museum is worth visiting. (Not: worth to visit, worth being visited.)
This band is worth listening to. (Keep the preposition.)
The tickets were worth the money. · Was the hike worth it? Yes, well worth it!

Can't help, can't stand, have trouble

Can't help + -ing means you can't stop yourself: I can't help laughing at his jokes. Can't stand and can't bear mean hate and take -ing or to. Have trouble or difficulty + -ing means find it hard: I have trouble sleeping in hotels.

The phrases and what they mean

Phrase	Meaning	Example
It's no use + -ing	it won't help or work	It's no use arguing with him.
There's no point (in) + -ing	it has no purpose	There's no point (in) buying a bigger car.
It's (not) worth + -ing	it's (not) a good use of time, money or effort	It isn't worth repairing that old printer.
can't help + -ing	can't stop yourself	I can't help laughing at his jokes.
can't stand / can't bear + -ing or to	hate	I can't stand waiting. · I can't stand to wait.
have trouble / difficulty + -ing	find it hard	I have trouble sleeping in hotels.

Examples

It's no use worrying about things you can't change.it won't help
There's no point in buying a new phone. Mine works fine.it has no purpose
That documentary is worth watching.worth + -ing
I couldn't help smiling when she walked in with the cake.I couldn't stop myself
My dad can't bear wasting food.he hates it
Do you have trouble remembering passwords?a question

Can't help with a bare verb, and other slips

With a bare verb, can't help means can't assist: Sorry, I can't help move the sofa. The usual errors put to where -ing belongs: It's no use to call him, This museum is worth to visit, I couldn't help to laugh.

can't help: two meanings

can't help + -ing = I can't stop myself: I can't help worrying about her. can't help (to) + verb = I can't assist: Sorry, I can't help (to) move the sofa on Saturday. I'm working. The context tells you which one it is. And never to after no use, no point or worth: It's worth visiting (not: worth to visit).

Common mistakes

It's no use to call him now.
It's no use calling him now.
no use + -ing, never to
There's no point to wait any longer.
There's no point (in) waiting any longer.
no point (in) + -ing
This museum is worth to visit.
This museum is worth visiting.
worth + -ing (not: worth being visited)
I couldn't help to laugh at the joke.
I couldn't help laughing at the joke.
can't help + -ing = can't stop yourself

More lessons on this grammar: Gerunds and infinitives lessons and exercises

Try the no use, no point, worth exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

40 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

follow It's no use and There's no point (in) with -ing, not to: It's no use pretending. There's no point in running.
ask with Is there any point…? and What's the point of…?: Is there any point in going to the bank today?
say what is worth doing in two ways: It's worth visiting the old market or The old market is worth visiting, never worth to visit
put a noun after worth: The concert was worth every penny. Was the boat trip worth it?
describe habits with can't help, can't stand and have trouble + -ing: I always have trouble sleeping on planes.

Grammar:: it's no use + -ing · there's no point (in) + -ing · it's (not) worth + -ing · worth it · can't help + -ing · can't stand / can't bear · have trouble / difficulty + -ing
Topic:: grammar practice · productivity · time management · work habits

Teaching tips

Hold a worth-it-or-not vote: name things from the students' week, such as a gym membership, a taxi from the airport or a long meeting, and each student answers with It's worth… or There's no point in…
Strike through to on the board: write no use / no point / worth + to, cross out to and leave it there while students work through the gap-fills.
Add a comment under Femke's post: after the real-life chapter, each student writes one thing that's worth doing at work and one that's no use, in her readers' style.

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