Grammar Stories: Gerunds & Infinitives: Jim (B1)

Module code: 605

📋 On this page you will be able to:

Listen to and read Jim's Story
Review the use of Gerunds & Infinitive forms used in the story
Review some fundamental Gerunds & Infinitives usage guidance
Consolidate your knowledge with a quiz
Access a 'snapshot' page review

🎧 Listen to Jim's Story:

📖 Jim’s New Life in Spain (B1/B2)

After years of working in London, Jim decided to change his life completely. He moved to a small town in southern Spain, and now he spends his days doing things he always dreamed about. His story shows how taking risks can lead to happiness.

Jim had always imagined living near the sea. For twenty years, he had worked in an office in London, and he had started missing the simple pleasures of life. One day, he decided to make a big change. He wanted to find a place where he could be happy to wake up every morning.

Moving to Spain was difficult to organize at first. Jim needed to sell his flat and find a new home. He gave up working in the corporate world and chose to teach English online instead. His friends thought he was risking too much, but Jim knew what he wanted to do.

Now, Jim lives in a white house near the beach. Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity. He enjoys walking along the coast and watching the sunset. Learning Spanish keeps him busy in the afternoons. He practices speaking with his neighbors and studies grammar every evening.

Jim often thinks about his old life in London. He misses seeing his family regularly, but they visit him twice a year. He doesn’t miss sitting in traffic or working long hours in a gray office. Being free to choose his own schedule makes him feel alive again.

His daily routine is simple but satisfying. He wakes up early to go swimming. Then he works for a few hours to earn money. In the afternoon, he goes to the local café to meet friends. Talking with people from different countries is always interesting. He has learned to appreciate the small moments.

Jim also started painting last year. Creating art was something he had always wanted to try. At first, it was hard to paint well, but he kept practicing. Now his paintings hang on the walls of his house. He feels proud to show them to visitors.

Some days are challenging. Understanding Spanish bureaucracy can be frustrating. He had to learn about taxes and residency permits. But these problems seem small compared to the joy he feels every day.

Jim’s friends from London often ask him about his new life. They want to know if he regrets leaving. He always tells them the same thing. He is delighted to have made this choice. Living in Spain has taught him that happiness comes from doing what you love, not from earning a big salary.

Last month, Jim decided to write a blog about his experiences. He hopes to inspire other people who dream about changing their lives. Writing about his journey helps him remember why he made this decision.

Now, Jim cannot imagine going back to his old lifestyle. He plans to stay in Spain permanently. Every morning, when he opens his windows and sees the blue sea, he feels grateful. Taking the risk of moving abroad was the best decision he ever made.

Grammar Investigation

Answer each question to reveal the grammar explanation:

Focus: Verbs followed by gerund

Jim had always imagined living near the sea.

In the sentence ‘Jim had always imagined living near the sea’, why is ‘living’ used after ‘imagined’?

Focus: Verbs followed by gerund

He misses seeing his family regularly.

Why does the story say ‘He misses seeing his family’ and not ‘He misses to see his family’?

Focus: Gerunds after prepositions

He gave up working in the corporate world.

In the sentence ‘He gave up working in the corporate world’, why do we use ‘working’ after the preposition ‘up’?

Focus: Gerunds after prepositions

He hopes to inspire other people who dream about changing their lives.

Why does the story say ‘dream about changing’ and not ‘dream about to change’?

Focus: Gerunds as subjects

Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity.

What does the gerund ‘Swimming’ do in the sentence ‘Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity’?

Focus: Gerunds as subjects

Learning Spanish keeps him busy in the afternoons.

In the sentence ‘Learning Spanish keeps him busy’, the gerund is used because…

Focus: Infinitive after adjectives

He wanted to find a place where he could be happy to wake up every morning.

In the sentence ‘He could be happy to wake up every morning’, why do we use ‘to wake up’ after ‘happy’?

Focus: Infinitive after adjectives

Moving to Spain was difficult to organize at first.

Why does the story say ‘difficult to organize’ and not ‘difficult organizing’?

Focus: Verbs followed by infinitive

One day, he decided to make a big change.

In the sentence ‘He decided to make a big change’, why is ‘to make’ used after ‘decided’?

Focus: Verbs followed by infinitive

He wanted to find a place where he could be happy to wake up every morning.

Why does the story say ‘wanted to find’ and not ‘wanted finding’?

Focus: Infinitive of purpose

He wakes up early to go swimming.

What does ‘to go swimming’ express in the sentence ‘He wakes up early to go swimming’?

Focus: Infinitive of purpose

Then he works for a few hours to earn money.

Why does the story say ‘works to earn money’ and not ‘works for earning money’?

📚 Grammar Reference

CLUSTER 1: Verbs which always take a gerund (imagine/miss/risk)

Structure: verb + gerund (-ing form)

Pattern: subject + verb (imagine/miss/risk) + verb-ing

Key verbs: imagine, miss, risk

What it expresses: Certain verbs are always followed by gerunds to express mental visualization (imagine), feeling absence (miss), or taking chances (risk)

When to use: After verbs like imagine, miss, risk – these verbs grammatically require the gerund form

Why this form: These verbs conceptually deal with experiences or activities as ongoing or abstract concepts, which gerunds naturally express

Examples in story: 7

CLUSTER 2: Gerunds after prepositions

Structure: preposition + gerund (-ing form)

Pattern: verb/noun/adjective + preposition + verb-ing

What it expresses: In English, prepositions are always followed by gerunds (never infinitives) when a verb follows

When to use: After any preposition (about, of, from, by, without, before, after, etc.) when expressing an action

Why this form: Prepositions need noun-like forms after them; gerunds function as nouns while infinitives do not

Examples in story: 8

CLUSTER 3: Gerunds as subjects

Structure: gerund as subject of sentence

Pattern: verb-ing + verb + complement

What it expresses: Gerunds can function as the subject of a sentence, treating an activity as a noun concept

When to use: When making general statements about activities or experiences as topics

Why this form: Gerunds nominalize verbs, allowing them to function grammatically as subjects

Examples in story: 7

CLUSTER 4: Infinitive after adjectives

Structure: adjective + to-infinitive

Pattern: be + adjective + to + base verb

What it expresses: Infinitives after adjectives express the cause or focus of the feeling/quality described by the adjective

When to use: After emotional adjectives (happy, proud, delighted) and evaluative adjectives (difficult, hard, easy, important)

Why this form: The infinitive shows purpose, potential, or the action being evaluated by the adjective

Examples in story: 7

CLUSTER 5: Verbs which always take infinitive (decide/want/plan/hope/learn)

Structure: verb + to-infinitive

Pattern: subject + verb (decide/want/plan/hope/learn) + to + base verb

Key verbs: decide, want, plan, hope, learn, need, choose

What it expresses: Certain verbs are always followed by infinitives to express intentions, desires, decisions, or future-oriented actions

When to use: After verbs like decide, want, plan, hope, learn, need, choose, promise, refuse

Why this form: These verbs express forward-looking actions or mental states that project toward future completion

Examples in story: 8

CLUSTER 6: Infinitive of purpose

Structure: to-infinitive expressing purpose/reason

Pattern: main clause + to + base verb (showing why/purpose)

What it expresses: The infinitive expresses purpose, reason, or intention – answering ‘why?’ or ‘for what purpose?’

When to use: When explaining the reason or goal behind an action

Why this form: Infinitives naturally express purpose and future intention, making them ideal for this function

Examples in story: 5

Which sentence is correct to express something you really enjoy?

Complete the sentence: “I miss ___ time with my family.”

Which sentence is correct?

What is the error in this sentence: “He’s good at to play tennis”?

Which sentence is correct?

Complete the sentence: “___ early is important for your health.”

Which sentence is correct?

Complete the sentence: “They decided ___ a new house.”

What is wrong with this sentence: “She chose studying abroad”?

Which sentence is correct?

Complete the sentence: “This book is easy ___.”

In this sentence, what does the infinitive express: “I went to the store to buy milk”?

Which sentence correctly uses an infinitive of purpose?

What is the error in this sentence: “You risk to lose everything if you’re not careful”?

Complete the sentence: “Can you imagine ___ in a different country?”

Reference:

Verbs Followed By GERUND

admit
appreciate
avoid
consider
delay
deny
dislike
enjoy
finish
imagine
involve
mention
mind
miss
postpone
practice
quit
recall
recommend
resist
risk
suggest

Verbs Followed By INFINITIVE

afford
agree
appear
arrange
ask
choose
decide
demand
deserve
expect
fail
hope
learn
manage
offer
plan
prepare
pretend
promise
refuse
seem
wait
wish

Learning Snapshot Review –

📚 Jim's New Life in Spain B1

🎯 6 grammar forms💬 23 examples⏱️ 3-4 minutes

📖 Story Summary

Jim worked in a London office for twenty years, but he started missing the simple pleasures of life. He had always imagined living near the sea. One day, he decided to make a big change and moved to southern Spain. He gave up working in the corporate world and chose to teach English online instead. Now Jim lives in a white house near the beach. Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity. He enjoys walking along the coast, learning Spanish, and painting. His story shows that taking risks can lead to happiness.

🎯 Grammar Showcase

CLUSTER 1: Verbs which always take a gerund (imagine/miss/risk)

These verbs are always followed by -ing form, never infinitive

“Jim had always imagined living near the sea.”

→ gerund after 'imagine' (mental visualization)

“He had started missing the simple pleasures of life.”

→ gerund after 'miss' (feeling absence)

“His friends thought he was risking too much.”

→ gerund after 'risk' (taking chances)

“He doesn't miss sitting in traffic.”

→ gerund after 'miss' in negative form

CLUSTER 2: Gerunds after prepositions

Prepositions (about, of, from, etc.) are always followed by -ing form

“He gave up working in the corporate world.”

→ gerund after phrasal verb 'give up'

“Happiness comes from doing what you love.”

→ gerund after preposition 'from' (showing source)

“He hopes to inspire other people who dream about changing their lives.”

→ gerund after preposition 'about' following verb

“Taking the risk of moving abroad was the best decision he ever made.”

→ gerund after preposition 'of' following noun

CLUSTER 3: Gerunds as subjects

When an action is the subject of a sentence, use -ing form

“Moving to Spain was difficult to organize at first.”

→ gerund as subject of sentence

“Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity.”

→ gerund as subject describing activity

“Learning Spanish keeps him busy in the afternoons.”

→ gerund as subject with verb 'keep'

“Talking with people from different countries is always interesting.”

→ gerund as subject with adjective complement

CLUSTER 4: Infinitive after adjectives

Pattern: be + adjective + to + infinitive

“He wanted to find a place where he could be happy to wake up every morning.”

→ infinitive after adjective 'happy'

“Moving to Spain was difficult to organize at first.”

→ infinitive after adjective 'difficult'

“At first, it was hard to paint well.”

→ infinitive after adjective 'hard'

“He is delighted to have made this choice.”

→ perfect infinitive after adjective 'delighted'

CLUSTER 5: Verbs which always take infinitive (decide/want/plan/hope/learn)

These verbs are always followed by to + infinitive, never -ing

“One day, he decided to make a big change.”

→ infinitive after 'decide' (making choice)

“He wanted to find a place where he could be happy.”

→ infinitive after 'want' (expressing desire)

“He hopes to inspire other people who dream about changing their lives.”

→ infinitive after 'hope' (future intention)

“He plans to stay in Spain permanently.”

→ infinitive after 'plan' (future arrangement)

CLUSTER 6: Infinitive of purpose

Use to + infinitive to explain why someone does something

“He wakes up early to go swimming.”

→ infinitive showing purpose of action

“Then he works for a few hours to earn money.”

→ infinitive explaining reason for working

“In the afternoon, he goes to the local café to meet friends.”

→ infinitive showing purpose of going

💡 Study Tip

Practice by talking about your own life: what do you imagine doing in the future, what did you decide to change recently, and what activities do you enjoy doing in your free time?

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