Grammar Story: Loving Life - A Tale of Gerunds & Infinitives

Module code: 613

🎧 Loving Life: Jim's Story

You Can Read Jim’s Story Here:

📖 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 + gerund (imagine/miss/risk)

Jim had always imagined living near the sea.

In the sentence ‘Jim had always imagined living near the sea’, why do we use the -ing form after ‘imagine’?

Focus: Gerund after preposition

He gave up working in the corporate world.

Why do we say ‘gave up working’ and NOT ‘gave up to work’?

Focus: Gerund as subject

Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity.

In ‘Swimming in the sea has become his favorite morning activity’, what does the gerund ‘Swimming’ do?

Focus: Infinitive after adjective

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

Why do we use ‘to wake up’ after the adjective ‘happy’ in this sentence?

Focus: Verbs + infinitive (decide/want/plan/hope)

One day, he decided to make a big change.

Why does the story say ‘he decided to make a big change’ and NOT ‘he decided making a big change’?

Focus: Infinitive of purpose

Then he works for a few hours to earn money.

In ‘he works for a few hours to earn money’, what does ‘to earn money’ tell us?

📚 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: These verbs describe mental states (imagine), emotional experiences (miss), or actions with consequences (risk) and always require the gerund form

When to use: After verbs imagine, miss, and risk in any tense or form (affirmative, negative, questions)

Why this form: These verbs grammatically require gerunds; the gerund represents the activity or state being imagined, missed, or risked

Examples in story: 7

CLUSTER 2: Gerunds after prepositions

Structure: preposition + gerund (-ing form)

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

What it expresses: Prepositions in English are always followed by gerunds (not infinitives) when a verb follows

When to use: After any preposition (about, of, from, by, without, before, after, etc.) when you need to add a verb

Why this form: This is a fixed grammatical rule in English: preposition + noun form of verb (gerund)

Examples in story: 8

CLUSTER 3: Gerunds as subjects

Structure: gerund + verb (as sentence subject)

Pattern: verb-ing (+ object/complement) + verb + rest of sentence

What it expresses: Presents an activity or state as the main topic/subject of the sentence

When to use: When you want to talk about an activity in general terms as the subject of a sentence

Why this form: Gerunds function as nouns and can be subjects; this makes the sentence focus on the activity itself

Examples in story: 7

CLUSTER 4: Infinitive after adjectives

Structure: adjective + to + infinitive

Pattern: subject + be + adjective + to + base verb

What it expresses: Describes emotional reactions, difficulty levels, or states related to performing an action

When to use: After adjectives that describe feelings (happy, proud, delighted) or qualities (difficult, hard, easy, free)

Why this form: These adjectives require infinitives to show the action or situation being described

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, choose, need, agree, refuse, promise

What it expresses: These verbs express intentions, desires, plans, or obligations that point toward future actions

When to use: After verbs that express decision-making (decide, choose), desires (want, hope), plans (plan, intend), or necessity (need, have to)

Why this form: These verbs grammatically require infinitives; the infinitive represents the intended or desired action

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: Expresses the purpose, reason, or goal of an action (why someone does something)

When to use: To explain the reason for doing the main action; answers ‘Why?’ or ‘What for?’

Why this form: Infinitive of purpose is the most natural way to express reason/purpose in English

Examples in story: 5

Try the Quiz

Which sentence uses a gerund correctly after the verb “love”?

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

Which sentence correctly uses a gerund after a preposition?

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

Which sentence uses a gerund as the subject correctly?

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

Which sentence correctly uses an infinitive after “want”?

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

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

Which sentence correctly uses an infinitive after an adjective?

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?”

A Snap Shot 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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