Age: 11-12 years

Duration: 80 min

Objectives

• Sort common verbs by whether they take a gerund, an infinitive, or both.
• Complete sentence frames with the correct verb form.
• Write five original policy-discussion sentences using varied patterns.

Vocab

• enjoy reading: "People enjoy reading local news."
• decide to act: "The council decided to act quickly."
• gerund: "A gerund is the -ing form used as a noun."
• verb pattern: "Each verb follows its own pattern."

Warm-up (5min)

Board two frames: "I enjoy ___" and "I want ___." Students fill each with a verb and notice one takes -ing, the other takes "to." Name them gerund and infinitive.

Main Activity (65min): "Grammar: Gerunds vs Infinitives"

"Pattern Chart Build" — Round 1: co-build a three-column chart — gerund verbs (enjoy, avoid, finish), infinitive verbs (decide, want, plan), both (start, like, stop) with a meaning note on "stop doing vs stop to do." Round 2: sorting race — pairs place 12 verb cards into the right column. Round 3: error correction — fix 6 sentences with the wrong form. Round 4: meaning-change pair — write "I stopped reading" vs "I stopped to read" and explain the difference. Round 5: apply — students write 5 policy-discussion sentences ("The city plans to reduce..."; "Residents avoid wasting...") using at least three patterns. Peer-check.

Wrap-up (10min)

Rapid recall: teacher names a verb, students shout "gerund," "infinitive," or "both." Exit ticket: write one sentence with a gerund and one with an infinitive.

Teacher Tips

• The "both, meaning changes" set (stop, remember, forget) is where marks are won — spotlight it.
• Keep the chart posted for reuse during the essay workshop (Lesson 16).
• Common KET error — encourage students to memorize verbs in short phrases, not alone.