Alexa Alexa

Gerunds and Infinitives
A2+ - B1 level

Description

In this lesson, students learn about gerunds and infinitives through guided discovery based on the verbs they use. The lesson starts with a grammar explanation about the use of gerunds and infinitives as direct objects. This is followed by a grammar practice where students review the structure. Finally there is some controlled practice and free practice.

Materials

Abc Board
Abc Notebook
Abc Student's book, page 76
Abc Student's book, page 77
Abc Student's book, page 78

Main Aims

  • Get to know a new friend
  • Cheer someone up
  • Discuss personality and its origin
  • Examine the impact of birth order

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide clarification and practice of gerunds and infinitives in the context of communication

Procedure

Warmer/Lead-in (20-25 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage students

To introduce the grammar point the teacher writes on the board sentences using gerund and infinitive and underlines them. Then the teacher asks students to read the sentences and to identify the subject and the verb. Teacher explains that some verbs are followed by a gerund or an infinitive. The altogether, students read the verbs that are followed by a gerund, and infinitive o both.

Exposure (15-20 minutes) • To provide context for the target language through a text or situation

Teacher prepares students by reading the title of the paragraph, and asks students about ways to make new friends, The teacher elicits some answers and then tells students to scan the first verb in each pair of verbs and decide if it should be followed by a gerund or an infinitive. Then have students complete the exercise. Teacher reviews the answers with the class, reads the first sentence and then ask students to read the completed questions aloud.

Highlighting (5-10 minutes) • To draw students' attention to the target language

Teacher high-lights the target language by doing the activity "find the grammar". Students underline all the gerunds and infinitives in the answers of the former activity. Then the theacher reviews them with the students.

Clarification (8-15 minutes) • To clarify the meaning, form and pronunciation of the target language

Teacher explains the correct pronunciaton of the infinitives and how the word "to" is reduced. Students notice how an unstressed "to" reduces to a shwa sound in natural speech. Students read and listen once again the audio in order to repeat the pronunciation.

Controlled Practice (10-15 minutes) • To concept check and prepare students for more meaningful practice

Teacher introduces the conversation model by writing on the board "likes and dislikes" and elicits some students answers. Then students will listen to the model conversation in order to understand the text, this is followed by students repeating each line chorally to get the correct rhythm and intonation. Finally, students practice in pairs the same conversation.

Semi-Controlled Practice (5-10 minutes) • To concept check further and prepare students for free practice

The teacher writes under "likes and dislikes" some personal preferences using gerunds, then elicits some student to do the same. Teacher tells students to write on their notebooks their preferences and to try to describe them. Teacher asks students to write at least five examples of each category.

Free Practice (10-15 minutes) • To provide students with free practice of the target language

Finally, students personalize the model conversation by using the conversation activator and their own preferences (the ones they wrote on their notebooks).

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