B1 · 中级 章节 5

Connecting Ideas with -ing and To

5 总规则
60 例句
5 分钟
本章规则 快速练习

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of connecting your thoughts smoothly using gerunds and infinitives in everyday conversation.

  • Describe feelings and experiences using adjectives and infinitives.
  • Connect actions after prepositions using gerunds.
  • Express plans and causal relationships with confidence.
Connect your world with confidence and flow.

你将学到什么

Ready to make your English flow better? This chapter helps you effortlessly describe feelings (like 'easy to learn') and exciting plans, so you can sound more natural and confident when you speak. Get ready to connect your thoughts with ease!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Describe your daily routine and future plans using varied verb patterns.

章节指南

Overview

Mastering how to connect your thoughts smoothly is a huge step in sounding more natural and confident in English. At the B1 level, you're moving beyond basic sentences and really starting to express more complex ideas, feelings, and plans. This guide will show you how to effortlessly link verbs, adjectives, and prepositions using -ing forms (gerunds) and to-infinitives.
This isn't just about passing a grammar test; it's about making your everyday conversations richer and more authentic, whether you're describing how easy it is to learn something new or sharing what you're excited about doing.
Many B1 English grammar learners find that using gerunds and infinitives can feel a bit tricky at first, especially knowing when to use -ing and when to use to. That's why we're breaking down key patterns like Adjective + To-Infinitive, understanding Gerunds After Prepositions, and correctly using phrases like look forward to or verbs like make and let. By the end of this chapter, you'll have a clear understanding of these essential structures, enhancing your ability to connect ideas with -ing and to more effectively and improving your overall fluency.
Get ready to elevate your English communication!

How This Grammar Works

Let's dive into how these structures help you link your ideas seamlessly. First, we often use an Adjective + To-Infinitive to express opinions, feelings, or qualities about an action. For example, "It's easy to learn English or I'm happy to help you." The adjective (easy, happy) describes the *quality* or *feeling* connected to the action (to learn, to help).
This pattern allows you to clearly state how something is perceived.
Next, prepositions are little words that pack a big punch. When a verb follows a preposition, that verb must always take its -ing form, known as a gerund. This is because the gerund acts like a noun.
Think of "I'm good at speaking English or Thanks for coming." Here, 'at' and 'for' are prepositions, so 'speak' becomes speaking and 'come' becomes coming. This rule is crucial for correct sentence structure after words like for, in, about, of, and with.
Building on the gerund, certain common phrases involve go + gerund for leisure activities. If you like sports or hobbies, you often
go swimming,
go shopping,
or
go fishing.
It's a natural way to talk about activities that involve movement and are done for enjoyment. Then there's the special case of look forward to.
Many learners mistakenly use an infinitive here, but the 'to' in 'look forward to' is actually a preposition. Therefore, it must be followed by a gerund: "I'm really looking forward to seeing you or She's looking forward to starting her new job." The 'to' here is part of a fixed expression, not an infinitive marker.
Finally, we have make and let, two powerful verbs that describe influencing others. When you use make (meaning to force or cause) or let (meaning to allow), the verb that follows them is always the base form (without to). For instance,
My boss made me work overtime
(forced me) or
My parents let me go to the party
(allowed me).
Understanding these patterns will significantly improve your accuracy in connecting actions and intentions.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ It's difficult for understand this.
✓ It's difficult to understand this.
*Explanation: After an adjective expressing difficulty, we use the to-infinitive.*
  1. 1✗ I'm interested in to learn new languages.
✓ I'm interested in learning new languages.
*Explanation: A verb following a preposition (like 'in') must always be in the -ing form (gerund).*
  1. 1✗ We are looking forward to meet you.
✓ We are looking forward to meeting you.
*Explanation: The 'to' in 'look forward to' is a preposition, so it must be followed by a gerund.*

Real Conversations

A

A

"I'm so happy to be here in London!"
B

B

"Me too! It's an exciting city to explore. Are you looking forward to visiting the museums tomorrow?"
A

A

"Absolutely! I'm really good at finding the best exhibits."
A

A

My sister made me clean her room today.
B

B

"Oh, that's rough! My parents usually let me choose my own chores. Are you still planning on going shopping later?"
A

A

"Yes, I need some new shoes. I'm thinking about going to Oxford Street."

Quick FAQ

Q

When should I use -ing after 'to'?

You use -ing after 'to' when 'to' is part of a phrasal verb or a fixed expression where 'to' acts as a preposition, such as 'look forward to', 'be used to', or 'object to'. Otherwise, 'to' is usually followed by the base form of the verb (infinitive).

Q

Can I say go to swim instead of go swimming?

While go to swim isn't grammatically incorrect, it sounds less natural for a leisure activity.

Go swimming
is the standard and much more common way to talk about the activity. Go to swim might imply going *to a place* for the purpose of swimming, rather than the activity itself.

Q

What's the difference between make and let in terms of grammar?

Both make and let are followed by the base form of the verb (without 'to'). The difference is in meaning: make means to force or cause someone to do something (e.g.,

She made me laugh
), while let means to permit or allow someone to do something (e.g.,
He let me borrow his car
).

Cultural Context

Native English speakers use these patterns constantly in everyday conversation. The choice between -ing and to-infinitive often comes down to ingrained habits rather than conscious rule application. For instance, looking forward to is extremely common when discussing future plans, conveying enthusiasm.
While formal writing adheres strictly to these rules, casual speech might occasionally have slight deviations, but understanding the standard forms will always make you sound more natural and avoid miscommunication.

关键例句 (4)

1

I'm really `looking forward to starting` my new course next week.

Estoy deseando empezar mi nuevo curso la semana que viene.

期待 + 动名词 (对未来充满期待)
2

Are you `looking forward to visiting` your grandparents this summer?

¿Estás deseando visitar a tus abuelos este verano?

期待 + 动名词 (对未来充满期待)
3

My mom makes me clean my room every Saturday.

Mi mamá me hace limpiar mi cuarto todos los sábados.

Make vs Let: 强制与允许 (动词原形)
4

Please let me know if you need any help with your project.

Por favor, déjame saber si necesitas ayuda con tu proyecto.

Make vs Let: 强制与允许 (动词原形)

技巧与窍门 (4)

💡

哪些形容词适用？

多用表达观点、情绪或特征的词（如 good, happy, easy）。夸人聪明也可以用：
It was clever to say that.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 形容词 + 不定式 (很容易学习)
💡

介词是挑剔的保安

把介词想象成俱乐部的保安，它们只让名词进去。如果动词想凑热闹，就必须变成 -ing 形式来伪装成名词。 "Don't worry about making mistakes."
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 介词后的动名词（为什么我们在'For'、'In'、'About'后使用-ing）
💡

优先考虑“活动”

当你决定是否用这个结构时，想想这个动作是不是你特意出门去做的核心活动。比如运动或购物：go swimming。
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 使用'Go'的活动：游泳、购物等 (Go + 动名词)
💡

The Noun Test

If you aren't sure if you should use -ing, try replacing the verb with 'it'. If 'I look forward to it' sounds correct, then you must use the -ing form of the verb.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 期待 + 动名词 (对未来充满期待)

核心词汇 (5)

Excited very happy/enthusiastic Permission allowing someone to do something Recreational related to hobbies/fun Fluent speaking easily Interested in wanting to learn more

Real-World Preview

coffee

Planning the Weekend

Review Summary

  • It + be + Adj + to + verb
  • Prep + verb-ing
  • Go + verb-ing
  • Look forward to + verb-ing
  • Make/Let + object + base verb

常见错误

'Look forward to' uses 'to' as a preposition, so you must follow it with a gerund.

Wrong: I look forward to see you.
正确: I look forward to seeing you.

Adjectives need the 'to' particle to connect to the infinitive verb.

Wrong: It is easy learn English.
正确: It is easy to learn English.

After 'make' or 'let', we use the base form of the verb without 'to'.

Wrong: She made me to go.
正确: She made me go.

Next Steps

You've done an incredible job today. Keep practicing, and you'll be speaking like a native in no time!

Write a diary entry for tomorrow using all 5 rules.

Continue to: Advanced Verb Patterns and Meaning Changes

快速练习 (10)

哪句话正确使用了 'go + gerund' 结构？

Choose the correct sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I like to go swimming in the lake.
正确的模式是 'go' 直接跟活动的 -ing 形式 'swimming'。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 使用'Go'的活动：游泳、购物等 (Go + 动名词)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
'Make' is followed by the object and the base verb without 'to'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Make vs Let: 强制与允许 (动词原形)

Find the error in the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

The boss made us to finish the report before we left.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: c
The 'to' should be removed: 'made us finish'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Make vs Let: 强制与允许 (动词原形)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

My parents never let me ___ (watch) horror movies.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
'Let' is followed by the base verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Make vs Let: 强制与允许 (动词原形)

Identify the error in the following sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

She is looking forward to go to the beach this weekend.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: to go
It should be 'to going' because 'look forward to' requires a gerund.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 期待 + 动名词 (对未来充满期待)

Choose the most natural sentence for a business email.

Which sentence is best for closing a professional letter?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I look forward to hearing from you.
The present simple 'I look forward to' + gerund is the standard formal closing.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 期待 + 动名词 (对未来充满期待)

找出并修正句子中的错误。

They went to shopping at the new mall yesterday.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: They went shopping at the new mall yesterday.
在 go（或 went）和表示活动的 -ing 形式之间不需要加 'to'。应该是 'went shopping'。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 使用'Go'的活动：游泳、购物等 (Go + 动名词)

Fill in the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

I look forward to ___ (meet) you in person.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: meeting
After 'look forward to', we always use the gerund (-ing) form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 期待 + 动名词 (对未来充满期待)

选择正确的形式填空。

My family often _____ fishing on weekends.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: goes
因为 'My family' 在这里看作整体，使用第三人称单数形式 'goes'。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 使用'Go'的活动：游泳、购物等 (Go + 动名词)

将单词排序组成正确的句子。

Arrange these words into a sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: We will go fishing tomorrow.
未来计划的结构是 '主语 + will + go + 活动-ing'。

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: 使用'Go'的活动：游泳、购物等 (Go + 动名词)

Score: /10

常见问题 (6)

简单来说，就是把一个形容词（描述感觉或特征）和一个动作连起来，告诉我们做那个动作感觉怎么样。看，"It's easy to learn."
当然啦！像 "It's hard to understand« 或 »It's good to see you" 这种表达在英语口语中超常见，听起来也很自然。
动名词就是动词加上 -ing 之后，在句子里当名词用。比如 Swimming is fun，这里的 swimming 就像名字一样是句子的主角。
因为在英语里，介词后面必须跟着名词或代词。既然动名词是“像名词一样的动词”，它就完美符合了介词的要求，比如 interested in reading。
基本规则是使用 go（任何时态）紧跟动词的 -ing 形式来描述参与某项活动，尤其是休闲活动。例如：I go swimming 或 They went shopping。
-ing 形式在这里作为动名词，起名词的作用。当你写 go fishing 时，本质上是在说“去进行钓鱼这项活动”。
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Introduction to Gerunds and Infinitives
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Advanced Verb Patterns and Meaning Changes
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