Week 7 - Day 4 - February 27, 2014

In Thursday's lesson, we continued to talk about gerunds and infinitives. If you need a review of those, please see the lessons from earlier in the week. 

We focused on the relationship between verb and gerunds/infinitives. We used a table to help us create good sentences. Here's the table.

Gerund Only
can't help, give up, spend time, waste time, consider, finish, keep, recommend, postpone, imagine, avoid, dislike, put off, practice, enjoy, suggest, believe, don't mind, can't stand, mind, detest

Infinitive Only
would like, want, ask, volunteer, fail, hope, choose, expect, wait, intend, agree, afford, refuse, manage, appear, attempt*, need, decide, seem, learn

Gerund OR Infinitive - No change in sentence meaning
begin, prefer, continue, start, feel, like, hate, love

These are not complete lists. As you learn English, you will be able to put more words in these categories.

We focused on a 4th category.

Gerund OR Infinitive - Change in sentence meaning
    These are verbs that you can use either a gerund or infinitive after, but they change the meaning of the sentence. Here are the examples we reviewed.

Stop
stop + gerund = the person (either temporarily or permanently quit something)
   
     ex. He stopped smoking.  (in the past, he smoked. Now, he doesn't.)
          They stopped talking. (in the past, they were talking. Now, they are not.)
          She stopped taking the class. (in the past, she took the class. Now, she doesn't.)

stop + infinitive = the person stopped doing something else and started doing the stated action.

    ex. He stopped to smoke. (He was doing something else. He stopped that, then he smoked.)
          They stopped to talk. (They stopped doing something. Then they started talking.)
         She stopped to take a class. (She stopped doing something. Then she began taking a class.)


Remember
remember + gerund = when someone remembers something that happened in the past.

     ex. I remember living in Boston. (in the past, I lived in Boston. I remember that time.)
          She remembers graduating university. (in the past, she graduated university. She remembers that time)

remember + infinitive = when you are supposed to do something

     ex. I remembered to lock the door. (I was supposed to lock the door. I did lock the door.)
     ex. She remembered to buy milk. (She was supposed to buy milk. She did buy milk.

Forget
forget + gerund = when someone forgets something that happened in the past.

     ex. I forgot going to the museum. (I went to the museum. I don't remember the event.)
          We forgot seeing the play. (They saw the play. They do not remember it happening.)

forget + infinitive = when someone is supposed to do something but doesn't do it.

      ex. I forgot to do my homework. (I was supposed to do my homework. I did not do it.)
      ex. we forgot to see the play. (They were supposed to see the play. They did not see it.)

Regret
regret + gerund = when someone feels bad about something that happened in the past

     ex. I regret taking that job. (I took the job. I feel bad about taking it. I wish I hadn't)
     ex. Tim regrets buying that computer. (Tim bought the computer. He wishes he hadn't)

regret + infinitive = used before "to tell" or "to inform" to mean that you feel bad about what you are going to say.

     ex. I regret to inform you that your dog is dead. (I don't want to tell you, but I have to.)
     ex. We regret to tell you that you have failed. (We don't want to tell you, but we must.)

Try
try + gerund = used when you are listing possible options or solutions.

      ex. You should try buying her flowers. (your girlfriend is mad at you. Here's an idea.)
      ex. You should trying talking to your professor. (You failed a test. Here's a possible solution.)

try + infinitive = used when someone does something, but fails or is not successful.

      ex. Mr. Ian, I tried to do my homework. (You attempted it, but you did not finish your homework.)
       ex. She tried to learn Chinese. (She attempted to learn Chinese, but she failed. She cannot speak Chinese now.)


Main Learning Point
You should be able to identify gerunds and infinitives. You should also be able to use them with increasing accuracy. You will still need to study them and practice them. You should also be familiar with the relationship between verbs and gerunds/infinitives. You will not be a master of these yet. This will take a long time. Choose one or two a week and try to use them in conversation. Keep your ears open to native speakers, so that you are aware of what is natural.

Week 7 - Day 3 - February 26, 2014

Great job today, guys. You took a huge professional step with your new resume. If any of you would like to finish it at home and bring it in for me to look at, please do. We don't have much more class time to dedicate to it.

Today we concentrated on finishing our resumes and typing them on the computer. A good resume can be let down with poor presentation.

We also starting talking about the concept of a cover letter. This is an opportunity to describe what type of person you are to a potential employer. It's divided into 5 paragraphs

Paragraph 1: Introduction
     This should include a simple introduction sentence that should be similar to this:

 To Whom It May Concern:
 
        I writing to express interest in the (name of job) position at (name of company) that was posted on the (name of website) website. I would be a great asset to you company because I am (adjective 1, adjective 2, and adjective 3).

Paragraph 2: First Adjective
      Use this first paragraph to talk about why you are (adjective 1). Use stories from your past that make you look good. Use details.

Paragraph 3: Second Adjective
      Use this paragraph to talk about why you are (adjective 2). Use stories from your past that make you look good. Use details.

Paragraph 4: Third Adjective
      Use this paragraph to talk about why you are (adjective 3). Use stories from your past that make you look good. Use details.

Paragraph 5: Conclusion
      In this paragraph, you will say your 3 adjectives again and include a conclusion statement such as: "Being a part of your company will allow my abilities of (adj 1, adj 2, and adj 3) to make a great contribution to (company name). I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you.

Include a closing.

   Sincerely,

(Your name)


Main Learning Point
You should be able to finish typing your resume with a little extra help from your teacher. You should also understand the basic layout of a cover letter. If you would like to create one in your own time, I would be more than happy to correct it for you. I hope this lesson has been useful if not very practical.

Week 7 - Day 2 - February 25, 2014

We had a great time in class today. I appreciate you guys and your hard work and patience. Today had a difficult task.

We created resumes using a template that you can find here.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/209263176/Resume-Template

After you have studied the template, you can create your own using this blank resume

http://www.scribd.com/doc/209263144/Blank-Resume-Template

Tips

• Follow the template line by line. Don't freestyle the organization.
• Location means City, State or City, Country
• Use positive words to describe yourself and include details about each job, even if you think they are not important.
• Don't include any personal information such as: Social Security Number, birth date, immigration status, or ID numbers.
• Don't tell them you speak English. List yourself as a fluent speaker of your native language.

Tomorrow, we will finish creating them and we will type them up in Word. If you have already finished, we will talk about starting a cover letter.

Main Learning Point
After today, you should be familiar with the layout of an American resume and what employers want to see. You should also have almost completed your own.

Week 7 - Day 1 - February 24, 2014

Welcome Class,

   Today our concentration was on Gerunds and Infinitives. Remember what they look like.

Gerunds
      base verb + ing
             ex. eating, sleeping, going, waiting

Infinitives
      to + base verb
             ex. to eat, to sleep, to go, to wait

Also remember that you will almost never use both "to" and "ing"
             ex.  I can't wait to seeing you later.  I can't wait to see you later.
                    He likes to skating in the winter. He likes skating in the winter.

Gerunds are used as nouns, and infinitives are verbs that usually follow other verbs.

We read four paragraphs about extreme sports and answered some questions about them. Here's the document.

A. Read the four articles below about extreme sports. After you have read the 

articles, answer the questions below.

1. Which of the sports have only been in existence for a few years?

2. Which of the sports have their own special vocabulary words

3. Which of the sports has inspired new sports for other reasons?

4. According to the article, which sports have organizations to support and promote 

them?

5. Which sport has a very long history?

6. Which sports does the article say can cause death?

7. In which sport are women competing as successfully as men?

8. Which sports does the article compare to the movement of animals?


9. Which sports have been created by putting other sports

A. Freediving

Not all extreme sports are modern. Ancient civilisations went freediving to 

explore the depths of the sea. Don’t even consider using an oxygen tank – free 

divers attempt to reach their maximum depth or distance on just one breath of air. 

With funs almost twice as long as those for scuba diving, freedivers don’t need to 

use as much effort to move. Freediving is as close to swimming like a fish or dolphin 

as humans can get. Humans, like dolphins and some other mammals, have a reflex 

that begins to slow our heart rate down when we put our faces in water. Freedivers 

practice slowing down their heart rate and breathing rate and try to relax as much 

as possible, which allows them to dive deeper and longer. Such dives can prove 

dangerous. Divers who stay down for too long begin to convulse. The term for this 

condition is ‘the samba’ because the victims appear to dance. Some medical experts 

suggest that if people continue to delay surfacing, divers will risk losing their lives. 

National associations want to establish guidelines that will make the sport safer. 

While men still dominate freediving, more and more women are showing 

their strength in the sport. In 1996, Mehgan Heaney-Grier set a US record of 155 

feet, breaking both men’s and women’s records. She broke it again a year later 

when she dove 165 feet. Another woman, Tanya Streeter, holds a number of world 

records, in many cases, beating both men and women. 

B. Wakeboarding

Can you do the Whirlybird? How about the Elephant? If so, you may have 

already tried one of the newest and hottest water sports: wakeboarding. A 

combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing, wakeboarding provides the 

opportunity for creativity that only a young sport can. Wakeboarding gets its name 

from the large wake that specially designed boats leave behind them in the water. 

The sport uses special convex boards which permit the boarder to cut quickly into 

the wake and catch more air. Although it is still a young sport, it already has a 

governing association, and a number of supporters who hope to make 

wakeboarding an Olympic event in the future. Among the easiest of adventure 

sports to learn, some say it is the fastest growing water sports in the world. So if 

you want a real adrenalin rush, grab your board and throw a Tantrum!

C. Paragliding

Would like glide through the air like a bird? If so, consider learning to 

paraglide. The sport has been around since the 1970’s, and today there are nearly 

half a million pilots in Europe alone who are hooked on floating over the 

countryside. 

Paragliding uses a canopy similar to a parachute, but it is designed to takeoff 

on foot rather than out of an airplane. You run down a hillside and launch into their 

air. You can expect to fly for an hour or more if the conditions are right. The longest 

recorded flight lasted over eleven hours, and covered almost 200 miles! If you enjoy 

looking at scenery and being outdoors, this may be the sport for you. 

As with any flying sport, if you decide to give paragliding a try, get proper 

instruction from a respected school, where you will learn to control the paraglider 

in different conditions.

D. Kitesurfing 

Imagine standing on a board while a kite carries you across the surface of the 

water or forty feet into the air! If that sounds like its for you, try the latest craze: 

kitesurfing. It is by far the wildest of the new extreme sports. Only identified as a 

sport at the end of the 1990’s, it nevertheless has been one of the fastest growing. 

Sometimes called kite boarding, it is a combination of surfing, wind surfing, 

wakeboarding, and kite flying. It might, at first, seem easy – a light wind is enough 

to get started. However, looks can be deceiving. First, the sport requires controlling 

the board and the kite at the same time. Additionally, because the kite makes its 

own wind, called apparent wind, power and speed increase dramatically. You can’t 

afford to lose control in this sport – the results could be deadly. So if you can’t wait 

to try it, avoid getting hurt by making sure you get good training. 

If you prefer to play in the snow (or in the sand!), don’t worry! Kitesurfing 

has given birth to other extreme sports: snow kiting and landboarding. Snow kiting 

uses a snow board or skis plus a kite to reach speeds of over 60mph and lifts 

participants ten or more feet into the air. Landboarding is similar, but with a 

wheeled board. The challenges keep getting greater and greater!



After reading the documents, we searched the readings for occurrences of "verb + gerund" and "verb + infinitive."  Using what we found, we created a list of verbs that can be followed by gerunds or infinitives. The worksheet looked like this.

Gerund Only       Infinitive Only    G and I No Change   G and I Change




We classified all of the verbs from the reading into one of these four categories. We will have a more complete list in class on Thursday


Main Learning Point

  You should be able to identify gerunds and infinitives. You should see the relationship between verb and gerunds/infinitives. You should know that there are some verbs that can only be used with gerunds or infinitives. You should also know that there are some verbs that can be used with both gerunds and infinitives and the meaning of the sentence does not change.