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Jurgen Klopp playing padel.

Understanding Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives

Understanding Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Jack and Rich talk about two sports that you might not know and ask you to tell us about a sport that is played in your country. The language focus is on gerunds and infinitives and your task is to notice how the meaning of some verbs change depending on whether we use the gerund or infinitive. This lesson will help you decide when to use the gerund. On the page below, you will also find some explanations, the transcript, interactive activities, a quiz and a discussion to help you understand. Don't forget to listen to the end of the podcast because we also have a new football phrase for you to guess. Enjoy!

Who is the ex-footballer on the tennis court?

Transcript

If you find the podcast difficult to understand, you can read the transcript and listen at the same time.
Read the transcript and listen at the same time.

Jack: Hey Rich. What have you been doing? 

Rich: Alright, Jack. I’ve just got back from my padel class. 

Jack: Cool. You must be good at it, you’re not even wet?

Rich: What are you on about?

Jack: You’re learning to canoe or kayak or something?

Rich: No, not that kind of paddle. It’s the name of a sport.

Jack: Oh, really? I’ve never heard of it.

Rich: It’s really popular in Spain. Not as popular as football of course but lots of people play it.

Jack: So, what do you have to do in padel?

Rich: I’ll tell you in a bit. In fact, I’ll tell you in this week’s podcast which is all about minority sports.

Jack: Great.

Welcome - Gerunds & Infinitives

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich

Jack: and I’m Jack

Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we are going to talk about minority sports and the grammar focus is on gerunds and infinitives.

Jack: Ah yes, gerunds and infinitives. That’s always something that learners find difficult as there are no easy rules to remember. We use the gerund after some verbs and the infinitive after other verbs.

Rich: We’ll look at some examples of these and we’ll have some activities and tasks to help you with this area of grammar.

Jack: Don’t forget to listen to the end because we have a new football phrase for you to guess.

Topic Focus

Jack: In the last section, you used the phrase minority sport. What would you say is a minority sport, Rich?

Rich: What’s a minority sport? Well, I’d say a minority sport is a sport that is not often on TV and or not so many people do it.

Jack: What like chariot racing or pigeon fancying?

Rich: Maybe a bit more popular than those!

Jack: Right, OK … you were talking about padel at the beginning of the podcast. You said it’s getting really popular.

Rich: Mmm, yes, so maybe it’s not exactly a minority sport especially in countries like Spain and Argentina but on a global level, it’s a minority sport.

Jack: So, a sport might be a minority sport in one country but not another. Football has global appeal, everyone knows it but there are lots of sports that are really popular in one country that people in other countries have never heard of.

Rich: In the next section, we’re going to talk about two minority sports.

Jack: I don’t know much about padel. So, I’ll ask you about that sport and then after I’ll tell you about a minority sport in the UK. 

Rich: OK, then. Are you ready with your questions about padel?

Minority Sport  1

Jack: I really don’t know anything about padel. Would you mind telling me some basic things like where you play and what you have to do?

Rich: I suppose the best way to describe padel is that it’s a racket sport and it’s a kind of cross between tennis and squash.

Jack: OK, I’ve got a tennis racket so I can play.

Rich: No, sorry. You need a special racket for padel. It doesn’t have any strings like rackets for tennis and squash. It looks a bit like a big table tennis bat. It’s solid with some holes in it. But the balls are the same as tennis so you can use them if you have them.

Jack: Can you play on a tennis court?

Rich: Not really. You have a net in the middle like in tennis but a padel court is much smaller. The biggest difference is that you use the walls around the court too.

Jack: What do you mean?

Rich: It’s a bit like squash. You can hit the ball off a wall and the ball is still in play. 

Jack: Why do you enjoy playing it?

Rich: I think I like playing it because it’s a new sport for me so it doesn’t matter if I’m not that good because I’m just learning to play at the moment.

Jack: Anything else?

Rich: It’s fun to play too. You usually play doubles so there are four of you. Because the ball stays in play a lot more than in tennis, I think it also gives you a better workout. I need to stop to have a rest every half an hour!

Jack: Maybe we should arrange to play a game one day? Not sure how many padel clubs there are near me though. 

Rich: Sure. Right, now it’s your turn.

Minority Sport  2

Jack: I’ve decided to tell everybody about a sport called snooker.

Rich: That’s not a sport! It’s a game.

Jack: No, no. It’s definitely a sport. A cue sport. The people who run it even tried getting snooker into the next Olympics in Japan and it’s recognised as a sport by national governing bodies.

Rich: Alright, tell us more about snooker. You mentioned a cue?

Jack: A cue is the piece of wood that you use to hit the balls. A cue is used in sports like billiards and pool ... and snooker.

Rich: And you play snooker on a table, right?

Jack: Yes, actually, people are always really surprised by how big snooker tables are. A full-size snooker table is over three and a half meters long and nearly two metres wide. Most people couldn’t afford to have a snooker table in their house so you have to practise in special snooker halls.

Rich: And what do you have to do?

Jack: There are six pockets in the table and you have to hit different coloured balls into the pockets. Each ball is worth a number of points. There are two players and when you miss it’s the next person’s turn.

Rich: And is it popular?

Jack: In the UK, it’s quite popular; especially on TV although it was more popular in the past.

Rich: Can’t have been that popular on black and white televisions?

Jack: Not that far in the past! But in the 1980s you’d get about 20 million people watching the World Final that was more than the FA Cup final!

Rich: That is surprising!

Language Focus

Jack: In the last section, we spoke about two sports; padel and snooker.

Rich: And we used some examples of verbs with gerunds and some examples of verbs with the infinitive and to.

Jack: It can be difficult to know whether to use the gerund or infinitive so we’re going to look at some examples from the last section that should help you.

Rich: There are some exceptions to what we say here so what we are talking about are the most common instances; what is most frequent when it comes to using gerunds and infinitives.

Jack: OK, let’s start with gerunds. One example from earlier was ‘why do you enjoy playing padel’. 

Rich: We use gerunds after many verbs that express likes and dislikes such as enjoy, adore, don’t mind, dislike, can’t stand, and detest.

Jack: An example of talking about something you like a lot could be: I adore watching football.

Rich: Or when you really dislike something you might say something like: I can’t stand waiting in queues.

Jack: However, even though the gerund is more common it’s also possible to use the infinitive with to after verbs such as like, love, hate and prefer. Rich said that he likes playing padel but he could also have said that he likes to play padel with very little change in the meaning.

Rich: It is a little bit different. When I say I like playing padel, I’m talking about my attitude to padel. If I say I like to play padel, it’s a bit like saying I think playing padel is a good idea. I like playing padel. I like to play padel on Wednesday evenings - it’s a good time to play.

Jack: It’s a subtle difference. The meaning is almost the same.

Rich: It’s not only verbs which are connected to likes and dislikes that often use the gerund. Some other verbs that usually use the gerund are: admit, avoid, can’t help, feel like, finish keep and regret. 

Jack: We’ve got a table for you to look at these verbs in the lesson below this podcast and some activities to help you.

Rich: What about the infinitive?

Jack: I said earlier ‘I’ve decided to speak about snooker’ and ‘most people couldn’t afford to have a snooker table in their house’. Decided and afford are two verbs that are usually followed by the infinitive and to.

Rich: Some other verbs that are normally followed by the infinitive with to are: agree, deserve, hope, prepare and refuse. Don’t forget to look at the table in the lesson below this podcast and the activities to help you.

Jack: So, it’s possible to learn which verbs usually take the gerund and which usually take the infinitive with to but the most difficult thing to learn is when you can use both of them.

Rich: That would make it easier, wouldn’t it?

Jack: Yes, of course. Some verbs like er …  like, can be used with the gerund or the infinitive and not change the meaning much. I like going to the cinema. I like to go to the cinema. This makes things easier.

Rich: But, you are talking about when the meaning changes. 

Jack: Exactly. There are some verbs that change meaning depending on whether you use the infinitive or the gerund.

Rich: Shall we look at some examples?

Jack: Yes, let’s look at four examples.

Rich: The first verb is stop.

Jack: Listen to these sentences: Sentence one: I stopped eating meat because I think it’s good for the environment. Sentence two: I stopped to eat my lunch because I was hungry. 

Rich: In the first sentence Jack uses the gerund: I stopped eating meat. Using the gerund means the activity ‘eating meat’ stopped. 

Jack: In the second sentence, I used the infinitive: I stopped to eat my lunch. Using the infinitive means the activity ‘eating my lunch’ is the reason I stopped.

Rich: The second verb is try.

Jack: Listen to these sentences: Sentence one: Try to put the balls in the pockets if you want to win at snooker. Sentence two: If you want to do some new sports you could try playing padel or snooker.

Rich: In the first sentence Jack uses the infinitive: try to put the balls in the pocket. Using the infinitive means to attempt something.

Jack: In the second sentence, I used the gerund: Try playing padel or snooker. Using the gerund means to experiment with something possibly for the first time. 

Rich: The third verb is mean.

Jack: Listen to these sentences: Sentence one: Dieting means giving up things like chocolate and ice cream. Sentence two: I’m meant to be on a diet but I ate three doughnuts yesterday.

Rich: In the first sentence, Jack uses the gerund: dieting means giving things up. Using the gerund here means involve.

Jack: In the second sentence, I used the infinitive: I’m meant to be on a diet. Using the infinitive here is talking about an intention. Another example could be I meant to phone you; sorry, I forgot.

Rich: The fourth verb is remember.

Jack: Listen to these sentences: Sentence one: I must remember to collect the children from school. Sentence two: I remember collecting football stickers as a kid.

Rich: In the first sentence Jack uses the infinitive: I must remember to collect the children. Using the infinitive means to remember to do something you need to do.

Jack: In the second sentence, I used the gerund: I remember collecting football stickers. Using the gerund is remembering or recalling an activity in the past; something you used to do. 

Rich: We’ve got an activity to help you with this in the lesson below this podcast.

Task

Rich: We’re going to give you four pairs of sentences. Your task is to tell us how the meaning is different in the two sentences.

Jack: Pair number one: He stopped playing football years ago. He stopped to play football in the park. 

Rich: Pair number two: I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. 

Jack: Pair number three: Becoming a top footballer means training every day. I meant to go to football training but I forgot. 

Rich: Pair number four: Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries. I tried to get it right but it was too difficult. 

Jack: Write your answers to this task at the bottom of the page. 

Football Phrase

Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us this week? 

Jack: Yes, I have, but first, last week’s football phrase. The phrase was to go down to the wire. This phrase is used to describe a season that is not decided until the very last moment because it is very close.

Rich: It was a difficult one but some of you got it right. Well done to Liubomyr and Sabonoleg from Ukraine, and Lakerwang from China. Are you ready with this week’s phrase?

Jack: This week’s football phrase is to *** ****. This is a strange phrase and means to win a match even though you have played really badly or really defensively. To make it a bit easier one of the words you are looking for is the opposite of beautiful.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below.

Jack: If you have enjoyed this podcast or found it useful, leave us a rating or review and that will help other people find us. Bye for now and enjoy your football!

Who is this Premier League player catching an oval shaped ball?

Vocabulary

How much did you understand?

In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words or phrases in bold?

You need a special racket for padel. It doesn’t have any strings like rackets for tennis and squash.

You usually play doubles and the ball stays in play a lot more than in tennis.

There were a few more tricky words in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words.

Activity 1

Activity 1: In this activity, try to match the words and phrases to the descriptions.
Can you match the words to their definitions?

Have you ever played Padel?

Grammar

Gerunds & Infinitives

In this week's podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about gerunds and infinitives. It is common to use the gerund after some verbs and the infinitive after other verbs. Here are a couple of examples from the podcast:

Why do you enjoy playing Padel?

I can't stand waiting in queues.

I've decided to speak about snooker.

Most people couldn't afford to buy a snooker table.

There are no concrete rules about which verbs usually take the gerund or -ing form and which take the infinitive. This means that you have to learn them. Remember that there are also some verbs that can take either the gerund or infinitive, but remember that there is often a change in meaning when you change the gerund for the infinitive. In the table below you can see a list of verbs that commonly use either the infinitive, the gerund or both:

Gerund Infinitive Gerund or Infinitive
enjoy decide continue
don't mind agree begin
can't stand afford start
admit learn like
avoid hope love
feel like prepare remember
finish refuse mean
keep want try
regret would like stop

If you want to know more about gerunds and infinitives, have a go at the activity below, then, take a look at our LearnEnglish website for more activities and advice.

Activity 2

Activity 2: In this activity, take a look at the sentences and decide if you should use the gerund or infinitive to complete the sentence. Use the table above to help you if you're not sure of an answer.
Can you complete the sentences?
Have you ever played snooker?

Grammar

Meaning Changes

In the podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about four verbs that change their meaning depending on whether you use the infinitive or the gerund. Let's take a look at them again.

Stop

I stopped eating meat because I think it’s good for the environment. = the activity 'eating meat' stopped.

I stopped to eat my lunch because I was hungry. = the activity 'eating my lunch' is the reason I stopped.

Try

Try to put the balls in the pockets if you want to win at snooker. = to attempt something

If you want to do some new sports you could try playing padel or snooker. = to experiment with something (often for the first time)

Mean

Dieting means giving up things like chocolate and ice cream. ​= involves

I meant to phone you; sorry, I forgot. = an intention

Remember

I must remember to collect the children from school. = remember something you need to do

I remember collecting football stickers as a kid. = remembering an activity that you used to do in the past

In this activity, take a look at the sentences that and choose whether to use the gerund or infinitive.

Activity 3

Activity 3: In this activity look at some verbs that can be followed by the infinitive or the gerund. What's the correct answer in these sentences?
Choose the correct answer.
Who is this Premier League player on the basketball court?

Task

What's the difference?

Your task is to look at four pairs of sentences and tell us what you think the difference in meaning is:

Write your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

  1. He stopped playing football years ago.
    He stopped to play football in the park.

  2. I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. 
    I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. 

  3. Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
    I meant to go to football training but I forgot.

  4. Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
    I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.

Who is this ex-Premier League player on the golf course?

Quiz

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Who is this ex-Premier League player at the pool table?

Comment

What do you think?

In this week’s podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about minority sports and gerunds and infinitives.

  • Have you ever played padel or snooker?
  • Can you tell us about a sport that is popular in your country but not globally?
  • Is football the most popular sport in your country? Why?
  • Can you name the footballers playing other sports on this page?

Write your answers and your answers to this week's task in the comments section below.

Remember to write your guess for this week's football phrase, too!

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Komentar

hsn's picture
hsn
14/04/2021
TR
5560
points

COMMENTS;

Have you ever played padel or snooker?
I've played snooker once.It looks like billiard.

• Can you tell us about a sport that is popular in your country but not globally?
The game of Jereed is a traditional Turkish sport played on horseback. Two team players throw a jereed that some kind of small javelin.They try to hit each other. Team get point when jereed touch opponent player however if it hits the horse they lose point. The balance is important in this game. Avoiding from jereed without falling down from horseback needs balance.

• Is football the most popular sport in your country? Why?
Yes, because football rules are simple and it's easy to watch the game. It doesn't need a great deal of knowledge. Everybody who is interested can make comment about football.

• Can you name the footballers playing other sports on this page?
I’ve only remembered Arsenal Laurent Koscielny and Chealse John Terry.

TASK;

1-He stopped playing football years ago. HE HAS GIVEN UP
He stopped to play football in the park. MAYBE HE WENT HOME .

2-I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. IT’S ABOUT MEMORY.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. IT’S ABOUT PROGRAM OR SCHEDULE.

3-Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
GENERAL RULE ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.
IT WAS A DAILY ACTIVITY WHICH WAS FORGOTTEN.

4-Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
GENERAL CONDITION ABOUT STARTING A SPORT ACTIVITY
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.
SPEAKER HAS TRIED SOMETHING BUT FOUND IT HARD.

PHRASES;

• I adore doing exercises and finding phrasal verbs which is asked on the (P.S. E. British Council) web page.

• I can't stand meaningless and long speeches of the politicians. I prefer to listen scientists.

• I like walking and running. I like to walk and run rather than squash..

• I'm meant to be in office but I went to stadium . That is why I was penalized.

P.S.

I think paddle is useful sport for newbie players. Although she/he hit the ball out of court, gets point as well-:)


hsn's picture
hsn
14/04/2021 11:36
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

COMMENTS;

Have you ever played padel or snooker?
I've played snooker once.It looks like billiard.

• Can you tell us about a sport that is popular in your country but not globally?
The game of Jereed is a traditional Turkish sport played on horseback. Two team players throw a jereed that some kind of small javelin.They try to hit each other. Team get point when jereed touch opponent player however if it hits the horse they lose point. The balance is important in this game. Avoiding from jereed without falling down from horseback needs balance.

• Is football the most popular sport in your country? Why?
Yes, because football rules are simple and it's easy to watch the game. It doesn't need a great deal of knowledge. Everybody who is interested can make comment about football.

• Can you name the footballers playing other sports on this page?
I’ve only remembered Arsenal Laurent Koscielny and Chealse John Terry.

TASK;

1-He stopped playing football years ago. HE HAS GIVEN UP
He stopped to play football in the park. MAYBE HE WENT HOME .

2-I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. IT’S ABOUT MEMORY.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. IT’S ABOUT PROGRAM OR SCHEDULE.

3-Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
GENERAL RULE ABOUT ACHIEVEMENT.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.
IT WAS A DAILY ACTIVITY WHICH WAS FORGOTTEN.

4-Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
GENERAL CONDITION ABOUT STARTING A SPORT ACTIVITY
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.
SPEAKER HAS TRIED SOMETHING BUT FOUND IT HARD.

PHRASES;

• I adore doing exercises and finding phrasal verbs which is asked on the (P.S. E. British Council) web page.

• I can't stand meaningless and long speeches of the politicians. I prefer to listen scientists.

• I like walking and running. I like to walk and run rather than squash..

• I'm meant to be in office but I went to stadium . That is why I was penalized.

P.S.

I think paddle is useful sport for newbie players. Although she/he hit the ball out of court, gets point as well-:)

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020
TR
6539
points

This week's football phrase is ( ugly win )


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020 21:24
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

This week's football phrase is ( ugly win )

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020
TR
6539
points

He stopped playing football years ago.
He stopped to play football in the park.
Sentence 1 means he has retired from football whereas sentence 2 means he went to play in the park

I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night.
Sentence 1 means he remembers the past memories as a kind of Nostalgia whereas sentence 2 means that he reminds himself to do something

Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.
Sentence 1 tells what you should do to become a top player whereas sentence 2 shows his intention to go there

Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.
Sentence 1 shows advice to do something whereas sentence 2 means he has an attempt but couldn't do it


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020 20:42
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

He stopped playing football years ago.
He stopped to play football in the park.
Sentence 1 means he has retired from football whereas sentence 2 means he went to play in the park

I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night.
Sentence 1 means he remembers the past memories as a kind of Nostalgia whereas sentence 2 means that he reminds himself to do something

Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.
Sentence 1 tells what you should do to become a top player whereas sentence 2 shows his intention to go there

Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.
Sentence 1 shows advice to do something whereas sentence 2 means he has an attempt but couldn't do it

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020
TR
6539
points

Paolo Maldini plays tennis on the tennis court
Laurent Koscielny plays Rugby
I have no idea about the player who plays Basketball
Phil Neville plays Golf in the golf area
John Terry plays snooker at the pool table


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020 20:37
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

Paolo Maldini plays tennis on the tennis court
Laurent Koscielny plays Rugby
I have no idea about the player who plays Basketball
Phil Neville plays Golf in the golf area
John Terry plays snooker at the pool table

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020
TR
6539
points

I have never played padel or snooker because they are not famous in Turkey


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
27/05/2020 20:31
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I have never played padel or snooker because they are not famous in Turkey

luis_carlos
06/04/2018
ES
1900
points

I live in Spain and I enjoy playing football and I can't stand watching paddle.


luis_carlos
06/04/2018 13:18
Spain
Newcastle United
1900

I live in Spain and I enjoy playing football and I can't stand watching paddle.

sabanoleg
04/04/2018
UA
2337
points

I like watching snooker.My favourite players are Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby.


sabanoleg
04/04/2018 19:03
Ukraine
Arsenal
2337

I like watching snooker.My favourite players are Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby.

giovi's picture
giovi
01/04/2018
PL
292
points

1.He stopped playing football years ago.(he stopped playing and he hasn't played since then). Can we use in this case 'cease' interchangeably?
He stopped to play football in the park.( I see it like he was on his way to somewhere with no intention to stop but during his journey he changed his mind)
2. I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. (the meaning is like that I'll always have in my head the picture of the World Cup in 1986 and I can recall it easily)
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. (remember to do sth or not forget to do sth)
3. Becoming a top footballer means training every day.(you have to train every day to become a top footballer. "involve" is perfect substitute.)
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.( I was going to go.... )
Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.(It sounds like try + gerund is used to give some advice.)
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult(the attempt to do sth but failed.)
THis week football phrase is: to *** ****.
I forgot to send the letter.
I forgot sending the letter.
I'd like to ask about the meaning in the second sentence. Does it mean that I forgot that I had sent the letter?


giovi's picture
giovi
01/04/2018 16:38
Poland
Manchester United
292

1.He stopped playing football years ago.(he stopped playing and he hasn't played since then). Can we use in this case 'cease' interchangeably?
He stopped to play football in the park.( I see it like he was on his way to somewhere with no intention to stop but during his journey he changed his mind)
2. I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. (the meaning is like that I'll always have in my head the picture of the World Cup in 1986 and I can recall it easily)
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. (remember to do sth or not forget to do sth)
3. Becoming a top footballer means training every day.(you have to train every day to become a top footballer. "involve" is perfect substitute.)
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.( I was going to go.... )
Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.(It sounds like try + gerund is used to give some advice.)
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult(the attempt to do sth but failed.)
THis week football phrase is: to *** ****.
I forgot to send the letter.
I forgot sending the letter.
I'd like to ask about the meaning in the second sentence. Does it mean that I forgot that I had sent the letter?

Rich's picture
Rich
02/04/2018
ES
594
points

Hi Giovi,

Well done with the football phrase and thanks for your message. It's clear that you have the main points of these verbs without any problems - I hope the podcast helped clear some things up.

The word 'cease' does have the same meaning but is only used in formal contexts and often written forms. The only informal/spoken context that I can think of is in the phrase 'you never cease to amaze me!'.

I forgot to send the letter = you didn't send the letter 

The second phrase is quite strange and I can't imagine it being used that often but, yes, you are right it means to send a letter but forget the action of sending/posting it.

Hope that helps,

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
02/04/2018 09:24
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi Giovi,

Well done with the football phrase and thanks for your message. It's clear that you have the main points of these verbs without any problems - I hope the podcast helped clear some things up.

The word 'cease' does have the same meaning but is only used in formal contexts and often written forms. The only informal/spoken context that I can think of is in the phrase 'you never cease to amaze me!'.

I forgot to send the letter = you didn't send the letter 

The second phrase is quite strange and I can't imagine it being used that often but, yes, you are right it means to send a letter but forget the action of sending/posting it.

Hope that helps,

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

giovi's picture
giovi
06/04/2018
PL
292
points

That helps a lot.
Cheers.


giovi's picture
giovi
06/04/2018 12:45
Poland
Manchester United
292

That helps a lot.
Cheers.

Minh Hoang's picture
Minh Hoang
01/04/2018
VN
276
points

I think the football phrase is to *** ****.
In my country Shuttlecock kicking is quite popular, if you go to the park you can see a lot of people playing it, but it's might strange for you, isn't it?


Minh Hoang's picture
Minh Hoang
01/04/2018 06:47
Vietnam
Liverpool
276

I think the football phrase is to *** ****.
In my country Shuttlecock kicking is quite popular, if you go to the park you can see a lot of people playing it, but it's might strange for you, isn't it?

admin's picture
admin
01/04/2018
GB
560
points

Yes - that does sound quite strange to me. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone playing it.


admin's picture
admin
01/04/2018 09:41
United Kingdom
Arsenal
560

Yes - that does sound quite strange to me. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone playing it.

Minh Hoang's picture
Minh Hoang
02/04/2018
VN
276
points

Happy Birthday Jack!!


Minh Hoang's picture
Minh Hoang
02/04/2018 16:41
Vietnam
Liverpool
276

Happy Birthday Jack!!

admin's picture
admin
04/04/2018
GB
560
points

Thanks Minh!


admin's picture
admin
04/04/2018 17:53
United Kingdom
Arsenal
560

Thanks Minh!

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
31/03/2018
SD
2903
points

First up, the football phrase, is it to "*** ****"? I'm not quite sure because I haven't heard of such a phrase. Let the chips fall where they may, this is my first guess anyway!


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
31/03/2018 07:19
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

First up, the football phrase, is it to "*** ****"? I'm not quite sure because I haven't heard of such a phrase. Let the chips fall where they may, this is my first guess anyway!

sabanoleg
30/03/2018
UA
2337
points

I deem football phrase is to"*** ****"


sabanoleg
30/03/2018 09:06
Ukraine
Arsenal
2337

I deem football phrase is to"*** ****"

lakerwang
30/03/2018
CN
337
points

1. I sometimes play snooker but never padel.
2.A sport that is popular in China but not globally......I think table tennis counts.
3.I think football is the most popular sport in China. It's a social issue, not just a sport issue.
4.The man in the picture is John Terry, who was a legend of Chelsea.
This week's football phrase is "*** ****"


lakerwang
30/03/2018 02:07
China
Chelsea
337

1. I sometimes play snooker but never padel.
2.A sport that is popular in China but not globally......I think table tennis counts.
3.I think football is the most popular sport in China. It's a social issue, not just a sport issue.
4.The man in the picture is John Terry, who was a legend of Chelsea.
This week's football phrase is "*** ****"

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
29/03/2018
SD
2903
points

Ouch! The download link has been forgotten once more


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
29/03/2018 19:52
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Ouch! The download link has been forgotten once more

admin's picture
admin
30/03/2018
GB
560
points

Oops! My mind must still be on the beach. Thanks for letting me know.


admin's picture
admin
30/03/2018 07:00
United Kingdom
Arsenal
560

Oops! My mind must still be on the beach. Thanks for letting me know.

milos
02/04/2018
RS
2663
points

Hi Jack,
I was wondering something.What is the best way to collect points,for leaderboard score?I mean this is not so important to me,but I just curious.I supposed that you need to be active on comments,listen and do the tests on the activity page.
Greetings


milos
02/04/2018 07:12
Serbia
Manchester United
2663

Hi Jack,
I was wondering something.What is the best way to collect points,for leaderboard score?I mean this is not so important to me,but I just curious.I supposed that you need to be active on comments,listen and do the tests on the activity page.
Greetings

admin's picture
admin
02/04/2018
GB
560
points

Hi Milos

You get points for each correct answer on a quiz at the end of a lesson and also for commenting. So the fastest way to collect points is to complete all the quizzes. The Football Vocabulary and Club pages are a good place to start as you can get around 360 points just from the quizzes. 

Occasionally, there are activities with more points.

Rich commented recently that we're trying to set up a new series of leaderboards so that we can keep the all-time leaders, but also have a fresh leaderboard for the new season. It all takes time to develop though and we're always busy (that's a good thing for us). 

Thanks

Jack


admin's picture
admin
02/04/2018 07:32
United Kingdom
Arsenal
560

Hi Milos

You get points for each correct answer on a quiz at the end of a lesson and also for commenting. So the fastest way to collect points is to complete all the quizzes. The Football Vocabulary and Club pages are a good place to start as you can get around 360 points just from the quizzes. 

Occasionally, there are activities with more points.

Rich commented recently that we're trying to set up a new series of leaderboards so that we can keep the all-time leaders, but also have a fresh leaderboard for the new season. It all takes time to develop though and we're always busy (that's a good thing for us). 

Thanks

Jack

milos
03/04/2018
RS
2663
points

Thank you Jack


milos
03/04/2018 06:54
Serbia
Manchester United
2663

Thank you Jack

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
31/03/2018
SD
2903
points

Haha. Even at work still holidaying!!!! I wish I can extend my holidays like you. LOL!

You're welcome and thanks for putting the link.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
31/03/2018 07:01
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Haha. Even at work still holidaying!!!! I wish I can extend my holidays like you. LOL!

You're welcome and thanks for putting the link.

lakerwang
29/03/2018
CN
337
points

1.He stopped playing football years ago.——He hasn't been playing football since years ago.
He stopped to play football in the park.——He stopped walking or talking or doing whatever other things and began to play football.
2.I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. ——The fact I watched the World Cup in 1986 will alway be in my mind.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. ——I never miss any Premier League highlights on a Saturday night.
3.Becoming a top footballer means training every day.——Becoming a top footballer involves training every day.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.——I intended to go to football training but I forgot.
4.Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.——You can use warming up before playing football, and you will find it could prevent injuries.I think you might enjoy warming up before doing any sports.
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.——I did my best to get it right but it was too difficult.


lakerwang
29/03/2018 18:44
China
Chelsea
337

1.He stopped playing football years ago.——He hasn't been playing football since years ago.
He stopped to play football in the park.——He stopped walking or talking or doing whatever other things and began to play football.
2.I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986. ——The fact I watched the World Cup in 1986 will alway be in my mind.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night. ——I never miss any Premier League highlights on a Saturday night.
3.Becoming a top footballer means training every day.——Becoming a top footballer involves training every day.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.——I intended to go to football training but I forgot.
4.Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.——You can use warming up before playing football, and you will find it could prevent injuries.I think you might enjoy warming up before doing any sports.
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.——I did my best to get it right but it was too difficult.

Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
29/03/2018
UA
4417
points

I think that the phrase is to ‘*** ****’.


Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
29/03/2018 16:32
Ukraine
Watford
4417

I think that the phrase is to ‘*** ****’.

milos
29/03/2018
RS
2663
points

No, I have not played padel or snooker.Football is very popular sport in my country,and honeslty I dont know why is so popular.I like baskteball more than football,and football in my country have more antention.In the picture above I see John Terry ex captain of FC Chelsea playing snooker.I think that football phrase is **** game or something like that.
He stopped playing football years ago.
He stopped to play football in the park.
In the first sentece focus is on activity stopped playing football.
In the second sentece focus is on a place where football play.In the park.
I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night.
I think that in the first sentece focus is on remembering ,and the second sentece is about something that need to do.
Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.
In the first sentece focus is on involves,and the second sentece tell us about an intention.
Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.
Firts sentece tell us about to do something that is can be good for you,and the second sentece is about trying.


milos
29/03/2018 07:47
Serbia
Manchester United
2663

No, I have not played padel or snooker.Football is very popular sport in my country,and honeslty I dont know why is so popular.I like baskteball more than football,and football in my country have more antention.In the picture above I see John Terry ex captain of FC Chelsea playing snooker.I think that football phrase is **** game or something like that.
He stopped playing football years ago.
He stopped to play football in the park.
In the first sentece focus is on activity stopped playing football.
In the second sentece focus is on a place where football play.In the park.
I’ll always remember watching the World Cup in 1986.
I always remember to watch the Premier League highlights on a Saturday night.
I think that in the first sentece focus is on remembering ,and the second sentece is about something that need to do.
Becoming a top footballer means training every day.
I meant to go to football training but I forgot.
In the first sentece focus is on involves,and the second sentece tell us about an intention.
Try warming up before playing football, it could prevent injuries.
I tried to get it right but it was too difficult.
Firts sentece tell us about to do something that is can be good for you,and the second sentece is about trying.

elghoul's picture
elghoul
29/03/2018
DZ
3988
points

Hello Milos,

We have not Snooker sport in Algeria nor Pool practising but  from what I understood and saw on the picture Terry is practising Pool . Both Snooker and Pool are played using cues just like billard.


elghoul's picture
elghoul
29/03/2018 15:00
Algeria
Manchester City
3988

Hello Milos,

We have not Snooker sport in Algeria nor Pool practising but  from what I understood and saw on the picture Terry is practising Pool . Both Snooker and Pool are played using cues just like billard.

milos
30/03/2018
RS
2663
points

Hi Elghoul
The pool is the name of the game,you are right


milos
30/03/2018 06:40
Serbia
Manchester United
2663

Hi Elghoul
The pool is the name of the game,you are right

Leaderboard

Top Scorers
RankNameScore
1Alex_from_Ukraine6578
2mobeckham6539
3hsn5560
4wsanta5086
5kwesimanifest4779
6Liubomyr4417
7elghoul3988
8assemjuve3705
9aragorn19863557
10Gergő Nagy3396
Country ranking
RankNameScore
1Colombia74679
2Ukraine33892
3Spain29525
4Serbia27426
5Brazil23661
6Albania20578
7Vietnam20460
8Turkey20111
9Macedonia19074
10Bosnia and Herzegovina16333
Club ranking
RankNameScore
1Manchester United147000
2Liverpool111527
3Chelsea90265
4Arsenal86299
5Manchester City58968
6Tottenham Hotspur19506
7Newcastle United10626
8West Ham United7701
9AFC Bournemouth4915
10Crystal Palace4568

Level

3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Goals

Skills: Listening

Grammar: Gerunds and infinitives

Vocabulary: Minority sports