Pratica di Shadowing: GERUND or INFINITIVE? (What Your Textbook Didn't Teach You...) - Impara a parlare inglese con i video
Scegli una modalità di pratica
Ogni modalità apre una sala di pratica a schermo intero.
216 frasi
Se le frasi sono troppo corte o troppo lunghe, clicca su Edit per modificarle.
1
Today's lesson is one that many of you have been waiting for.
2
This is how to use gerunds and infinitives in English.
3
A gerund is a noun that looks like the ing form of a verb.
4
For example, I enjoy reading.
5
The verb is enjoy, and reading is the object, the thing that I enjoy.
6
An infinitive is to plus the base form of a verb, like I want to read.
7
Same thing here.
8
To read is the object.
9
This action is the thing that I want.
10
There are some situations when we can only use a gerund or only an infinitive.
11
And I'll show you these patterns later because they're useful.
12
But there's one situation where you can find either one.
13
after a verb as the direct object.
14
And this is the most confusing part for English learners because it's incorrect to say,
15
I enjoy to read or I want reading. But why?
16
It looks like there's no logic or no pattern, but there is.
17
And most textbooks don't explain this.
18
The real difference between gerunds and infinitives is not only about grammar, It's about perspective.
19
Very abstract, I know.
20
But I promise, after you understand this fundamental concept,
21
you'll know how to choose the right form naturally, almost every time.
22
Not by memorizing a long list of verbs and rules, but by thinking about these forms the way that native speakers do.
23
And of course, all the information in this lesson is available for you in a free PDF.
24
You can download it by clicking the link in the description below this video.
25
A grammatical choice, like using a gerund or an infinitive, is a reflection of how we see or feel about an action.
26
English speakers subconsciously view actions from two perspectives,
27
real and experienced actions versus potential and intended actions things that have been achieved,
28
and things that have not or not yet been achieved.
29
So for actions that are real, ongoing in the present, or completed in the past,
30
we strongly prefer the gerund form.
31
You'll notice that when we talk about our habits, our likes, our preferences, those are things that we have real experience with.
32
They exist in our reality.
33
On the other hand, we prefer the infinitive for actions that are possible or hypothetical.
34
Things that exist in your imagination but haven't happened yet, like your plans, your goals, your desires.
35
You may or may not complete them in the future.
36
This is the key difference.
37
Now, of course, there are always exceptions.
38
And this does not explain how every verb in English works.
39
That would be impossible.
40
But if you really try to understand and internalize this concept,
41
you won't need to waste time memorizing a rule for each individual verb.
42
Now, let's see how this works in practice.
43
Here are some common verbs that require a gerund as the direct object.
44
Again, you don't need to memorize them.
45
Just notice what they have in common.
46
I don't recommend visiting Buffalo in the winter.
47
This recommendation is based on my experience.
48
This is my hometown.
49
He kept running until he reached the finish line.
50
Sometimes I really miss being a student and going to school.
51
Has Gina finished editing her next video?
52
She's practicing speaking more clearly.
53
Don't worry, it's completely fine to have two words that end with ing next to each other.
54
The first one is just your main verb in the present continuous.
55
She is practicing.
56
What is she practicing?
57
This action, speaking more clearly.
58
Now let's look at some examples of verbs that require an infinitive as the direct object.
59
With the infinitive there's always this feeling of distance between our intention and reality.
60
The action may or may not occur.
61
He offered to help me with the project.
62
Did he help me with the project?
63
We don't know.
64
We only know that he offered.
65
Maybe I said, no thanks, I don't need any help.
66
Or maybe I said yes, but then he changed his mind.
67
Maria wanted to watch a movie yesterday.
68
This could imply that Maria did not watch a movie.
69
I hope to see you soon.
70
He promised to call me after work.
71
I'm so sorry.
72
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
73
Mean is a very useful conversational verb.
74
It's a less formal way to say intend.
75
A very common expression is I didn't mean to.
76
I didn't mean to.
77
That means it was not my intention.
78
Now here's where things get really interesting.
79
Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, and both are grammatically correct,
80
but the feeling changes a little bit, depending on the context.
81
One of the most common examples of this is the verb like.
82
I like swimming.
83
I like to swim.
84
Both sentences are grammatically correct, but they don't sound quite the same.
85
I like swimming feels more natural when you're talking about general enjoyment.
86
Based on your real experience, you know that you always enjoy this activity.
87
I like to swim also works, but in my opinion, it sounds a little incomplete.
88
Like I'm waiting for more information, like a reason or a specific condition or choice.
89
For example, I like to swim to stay in shape.
90
I like to swim when it's hot outside.
91
So in most everyday contexts, native speakers naturally use the gerund, I like swimming.
92
But if we want to emphasize a particular choice or purpose of the action, we can use the infinitive.
93
Now, we always use the infinitive after the phrase would like.
94
This describes a specific desire or imagined situation, now or in the future.
95
I'd like to swim in the Pacific Ocean one day.
96
Remember, the contracted form of I would is I'd, I'd.
97
Here, I'm expressing a desire to do something that I've never done before.
98
The same thing applies to other similar verbs.
99
I would love to travel to Spain.
100
I have to work in the office, but if I had a choice, I'd prefer to work from home.
101
I hope that I feel better by Saturday.
102
I'd hate to miss your party.
103
So this is hypothetical.
104
If I don't feel better by Saturday, I'll miss your party, and I would hate that.
105
Okay, now I'm going to test you to see if you've been paying attention.
106
Let's look at some more advanced examples of verbs where the difference is much stronger.
107
Read each sentence and fill in the blank with the gerund or the infinitive form.
108
Remember to keep the perspective in mind.
109
Gerund for things that are real, experienced, or completed in the past.
110
And infinitive for things that are possible, not yet completed in the present, or intended for the future.
111
Number one, I this game all the time when I was a child.
112
Both are grammatically correct, but which one makes sense in this context?
113
Remember to play or remember playing?
114
The correct answer is remember playing.
115
If you remember doing something with a gerund, that means you have a memory of a real action in the past.
116
On the other hand, if you remember to do something, that means you keep an idea or an intention in your mind.
117
For example, Did you remember to call your mom on her birthday?
118
I had the intention, but we still don't know if the action was successfully completed.
119
Okay, number two.
120
I, her mind, but she's going to quit her job.
121
The correct answer is tried to change.
122
If you try to do something, that means you make an effort to do something difficult.
123
In this context, was I successful?
124
Did I change her mind?
125
Unfortunately, no. I'll try to finish by 5 p.m., but I don't think it's possible.
126
Now, if you try doing something, that's a little different.
127
It means you experiment with an action to see if it helps or if it works for you.
128
For example, if it's really difficult to fall asleep at night, you can try doing a few different things.
129
You can try turning off your phone.
130
You can try counting sheep.
131
You can try listening to different sounds like rain.
132
Let's try one more.
133
This one's a little tricky.
134
He never about how his actions might affect others.
135
The answer depends.
136
They're both correct, but they have almost opposite meanings.
137
The gerund form, stop doing something, means that you quit an action or something does not continue.
138
In this context, he never stops thinking.
139
So this is always on his mind.
140
By the way, this form is really useful if you're a parent.
141
Stop running.
142
Stop jumping.
143
Stop crying.
144
Please stop doing that.
145
Now the meaning changes completely with the infinitive form.
146
If you stop to do something,
147
you pause one action to start another action before you continue the original action again.
148
In this context, if he never stops to think, that's a bad thing.
149
That means he never pauses for a moment and he never thinks about the effect of his actions before he does things.
150
Another example, let's compare he stopped smoking and he stopped to smoke.
151
In the first sentence, he stopped smoking, the gerund shows a real action was happening and then ended.
152
So this means he quit that habit.
153
He doesn't smoke anymore.
154
But in the second sentence, he stopped to smoke, the infinitive shows a purpose, a new action he wanted to start.
155
This means he paused another activity, like working, for example, so that he could have a cigarette.
156
This is going to take lots and lots of practice, I know.
157
But once you start to feel the difference, you'll notice that your instinct for which one sounds right will become much stronger.
158
Okay, that was the hard part.
159
The rest of this lesson should be much easier.
160
Obviously, I can't explain all of the ways that we use gerunds and infinitives and all of the exceptions,
161
but I can show you the most consistent patterns and structures
162
so you can feel more confident when you create your own sentences.
163
In English, if the subject of the sentence is an action.
164
We use the gerund form like 99% of the time.
165
Dancing is my favorite form of exercise.
166
The subject can also be a phrase.
167
Playing board games is a great way to spend an evening with friends.
168
Speaking in public can be stressful for some people.
169
Liking this video is the best way to support my content.
170
Another great pattern to remember.
171
We use a gerund after a preposition.
172
I always feel better after meditating.
173
Think carefully before making a decision.
174
He learned Japanese by watching anime.
175
You're really good at cooking.
176
This is an important collocation for talking about skills.
177
Be good or bad at something, not in.
178
If you've ever watched one of my lessons until the end, you'll notice that I always use this pattern when I say,
179
thank you so much for watching.
180
The cool thing is that this pattern also applies to phrasal verbs
181
because the particle of a phrasal verb is usually a preposition.
182
We planned to go out, but we ended up staying home.
183
I'm looking forward to seeing you next week.
184
Be careful here.
185
I know it looks incorrect to use two plus ing, but this two here is not an infinitive.
186
This phrasal verb is special because it's made of two particles, forward and to.
187
It requires both.
188
So the same rule applies.
189
Preposition plus gerund.
190
Look forward to doing something.
191
Next, let's talk about the infinitive of purpose.
192
We use the infinitive to express why someone does something.
193
They went to the library to study.
194
Why did she call?
195
To ask a question.
196
We can use just the infinitive as a short, casual response in speaking.
197
You must work hard to get a promotion.
198
Or, to get a promotion, you must work hard.
199
Keep in mind that in writing, if you move the infinitive phrase to the front for emphasis,
200
we need to separate this from the main clause with a comma.
201
Finally, it's very common to see an infinitive after a question word, and here the meaning is can or should.
202
For example, a more natural way to say, I don't know what I should eat is,
203
I don't know what to eat.
204
I don't know what to eat.
205
Please tell me when to start.
206
Do you know how to ride a unicycle?
207
A common mistake I see is know to ride.
208
This is incorrect.
209
When we're talking about skills or things that we learn, we say know how to do something.
210
Okay, if you have any questions or if you want to practice writing some example sentences with gerunds and infinitives,
211
please leave a comment.
212
I'd love to read them.
213
If you enjoyed watching this lesson, you know what to do.
214
Thank you so much for being here.
215
I'm Gina, this is Your World in English, and I'll see you next time.
216
Bye!
Scarica l'app
Tutto ciò che serve per parlare fluentemente
Pronuncia con IAVoto per ogni frase
Pratica IPAPadroneggia ogni suono
VocabolarioCostruisci il tuo lessico
Gioco di vocabolarioImpara giocando
Stesso Canale
B21
Can You Understand This Famous American Comedy? | Real English Practice 📺
Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B12
English Reading with Connected Speech 📖 Vocabulary and Native Pronunciation Practice
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B12
The BEST way to learn PHRASAL VERBS! 💡 and 10 COMMON phrasal verbs in context (Intermediate)
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B12
How to Use GET in English ⚡ 15 ESSENTIAL Ways!
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B23
Slow English Listening for Intermediate (+ PDF) 🎧 Native Comprehensible Input Podcast
American AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
Learn English with the NEWS 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary and Shadowing Practice for Fluency
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepBusiness English
B23
Yes, you CAN read the NEWS in English! 📰 (Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar)
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
Learn English with the NEWS (Step by Step) 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary from BBC and more
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B23
Learn English with NEWS Articles 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar from BBC
American AccentIELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
B24
Read the NEWS in English 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar with CNN (FULL LESSON)
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
C113
Daily English Questions and Answers ⭐ Speaking Practice and IELTS Vocabulary (A1 to C1)
American AccentIELTS PrepInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
C13
Read the NEWS in English 🌐 Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar from CNN
American AccentUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1Learn English with this VLOG 🚗 Explore the USA (Subtitles + PDF)
American AccentTravel EnglishTeensDaily Conversation
B1English Fluency Training: Reading and Pronunciation Practice ⭐
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B2English Reading Practice 📖 Advanced Vocabulary and Grammar Lesson (+ PDF)
American AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B1Read the NEWS in English 📰 Advanced Vocabulary from BBC #englishreading
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B2How to Read English NEWS Articles 🌐 8 Advanced Grammar Tips (+ Free PDF)
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B2This Trick Will Change Your English Pronunciation FOREVER! (Fluent Speaking Practice)
American AccentBusiness EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B2Understand FAST English: Connected Speech + Advanced Vocabulary Lesson🔥
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B1Read a SHORT STORY in English 📖 20 Essential Adjectives for Daily Use
American AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
FOR YOU
Video consigliato
B115
118 frasi
The Right Grammar for English Introductions | Meeting Someone New
American AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
B11
68 frasi
English Grammar - Gerund or Infinitive? ('I like swimming' or 'I like to swim'?)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
338 frasi
From Basic to Fluent: Transform Your English Fluency with These 5 Elements
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
250 frasi
English You’ll Actually Use : Episode 1
American AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B13
98 frasi
Why your English still isn’t improving
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B111
301 frasi
Why Reading is So Important || Improve Your English || Learn English Through Story || Graded Reader
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
43 frasi
How to discuss a topic in a group
Business EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B111
35 frasi
Irregular Verbs - Part 1 (B1) - Learn English With Songs
Cambridge Exam PrepTeensDaily Conversation
B12
247 frasi
Adverbs in English - Learn All About English Adverbs
British AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B111
8 frasi
FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION VERB | English Reading & Listening Practice (A2-B1)
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
Per chi è questo video?
Se sei un apprendista di inglese a livello intermedio, stai lottando con i gerundi e gli infiniti e vuoi parlare più naturalmente senza memorizzare regole a memoria, questo video è per te! Ideale per chi cerca quick wins e vuole capire il "perché" dietro le scelte grammaticali, non solo il "come". Perfetto anche per chi pratica lo shadowing in inglese: le esempi semplici e il tono chiaro rendono il video un ottimo partner per esercitarti a ripetere frasi in tempo reale.
Parole e espressioni da rubare
Ecco alcuni "pezzi" di inglese da aggiungere al tuo vocabolario oggi stesso:
- Subconsciously: "Sottoconsciamente" – come nei nativi, che scelgono gerundi o infiniti senza pensarci troppo.
- Internalize: "Internalizzare" – capire un concetto così bene che diventa parte di te. Es: "Devi internalizzare la differenza tra azioni reali e ipotetiche".
- Hypothetical: "Ipotetico" – azioni che non sono ancora accadute. Es: "I piani sono azioni hypothetical, quindi usiamo l'infinito".
Come migliorare l'accento con questo video
Il speaker ha un tono calmo e una pronuncia chiara, perfetto per lo shadowing! Ecco come usarlo al meglio:
- Ripeti le frasi lunghe: Frasi come "I don't recommend visiting Buffalo..." hanno una melodia naturale – segui il suono con lo shadow speech, focalizzando la pausa dopo "recommend".
- Attenzione alle "ing": Le forme gerundiali (reading, running) hanno una "ng" molle, non una "g" dura. Ripeti "missing being a student" per esercitarti a non esagerare la consonante finale.
- Usa un shadowing site: Se vuoi esercitarti di più, cerca piattaforme che ti permettono di registrare la tua voce e confrontarla con il video. Lo shadowspeak diventa più efficace quando puoi ascoltare le differenze e correggerti.
Ricorda: ogni ripetizione ti avvicina a un inglese più fluido. Non preoccuparti di sbagliare – il più importante è parlare, e questo video è la tua chiave per farlo con confidenza!
La grammatica di questo video
Le strutture che chi parla usa di più, con le parole esatte del video:
| Struttura | Nel video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — un’azione iniziata prima e ancora in corso | have been waiting · you've been paying |
| Frasi condizionali if + frase, will/would + verbo — una condizione e il suo risultato | if I had a choice, I'd prefer |
| Forma passiva be + participio passato — conta ciò che accade, non chi lo fa | have been achieved · been achieved · is based |
| Present perfect have/has + participio passato — un’azione passata che conta ancora adesso | have been achieved · haven't happened · I've never done |
Cos'è la tecnica dello Shadowing?
Shadowing è una tecnica di apprendimento delle lingue supportata da studi scientifici, originariamente sviluppata per la formazione dei traduttori professionisti e resa popolare dal poliglotta Dr. Alexander Arguelles. Il metodo è semplice ma potente: ascolti un audio in inglese di madrelingua e lo ripeti immediatamente ad alta voce — come un'ombra che segue il parlante con un ritardo di solo 1–2 secondi. A differenza dell'ascolto passivo o degli esercizi di grammatica, lo shadowing costringe il tuo cervello e i muscoli della bocca a elaborare e riprodurre simultaneamente i modelli di discorso reale. La ricerca dimostra che migliora significativamente la precisione della pronuncia, l'intonazione, il ritmo, il discorso connesso, la comprensione dell'ascolto e la fluidità del parlato — rendendolo uno dei metodi più efficaci per la preparazione alla prova di speaking dell'IELTS e per la comunicazione reale in inglese.