Learners cope with routine tasks and exchanges. They can talk about the past and the future, compare things, and describe their background and immediate environment in short connected sentences.
Printable one-to-one lesson plan
Verb + infinitive / -ing
Build common verb-complement patterns, identify who performs the second action, control negation and prepositional to, and interpret pattern-based meaning changes.
Use after the complete A2 sequence, not as a lesson quiz.
Open diagnostic →15–20 minutes optional: Tutor-read core complement, second performer, complement negation, prepositional to, stopped activity, and experimental try listening check · Five-minute next-day core complement, second performer, and prepositional-to retrieval
Derived from this lesson’s source
Lesson-specific teaching brief
This is not a second lesson registry. The plan reads the same native content that produces the learner page.
What the learner should do
Build common verb-complement patterns, identify who performs the second action, control negation and prepositional to, and interpret pattern-based meaning changes.
What must become clear
Can-do: By the end, you can use common verb + to + base and verb + -ing chunks; add a person who performs the second action; place negation accurately; distinguish infinitive to from prepositional to ; and interpret useful meaning contrasts with stop, remember , and try .
High-value friction points
- Leo enjoys solving technical problems.Use solving after enjoy; to solve is not the stored complement in this meaning.
- Maya wants Leo to test the projector.Want plus a second performer uses person plus to-infinitive: wants Leo to test.
- Leo stopped working at six.Stop plus -ing names the activity that ended; stop to work would introduce work as a new purpose after pausing something else.
Protect these lesson moments
- Three checks from earlier lessons
- Discovery check: identify the pattern’s job
- Drill 1: complete the stored core pattern
- Drill 2: build participant, negation, and preposition meaning
- Drill 3: choose the relationship between two actions
Learner production
Prepare the roles: Choose a fictional coordinator, technician, greeter, and visitor. Decide who plans, enjoys, requests, avoids, and looks forward to each action.
- Final production: give a 45–60 second fictional workshop update. Include one to + base chunk, one -ing chunk, one person plus to-infinitive, one complement negation, one preposition plus -ing , and one accurate stop, remember , or try contrast.
- Meaning check: Ask the listener who performs two actions and what relationship one complement expresses. Then reformulate one sentence when the listener changes the intended meaning.
Carry this language into the next session
Retrieve Verb + infinitive / -ing in one true sentence at the next lesson.
Tutor-only contrastive support
L1 Transfer Lens
Test a pattern. Do not label a learner. Use this only after the learner’s actual production gives you evidence.
Select a first language to reveal only the contrasts relevant to this lesson.
Spanish → English
One pattern to test
Say want someone to do something
- Possible transfer
I want that you call me tomorrow.
- English rebuild
I want you to call me tomorrow.
Why it can happen: Spanish expresses a wish about another person with querer que followed by a subjunctive verb. English does not use that after want; it uses an object pronoun plus to and the base verb. Need, ask, and expect follow the same shape.
Natural English:
- My manager wants me to finish the report today.
- Do you want us to bring anything to the party?
Brazilian Portuguese → English
One pattern to test
Use the -ing form after a preposition
- Possible transfer
Before to leave, call me. / I’m interested in learn Python.
- English rebuild
Before leaving, call me. / I’m interested in learning Python.
Why it can happen: After a preposition, Portuguese uses the infinitive: antes de sair, depois de comer, interessado em aprender, obrigado por vir. In English, a verb that follows a preposition takes the -ing form. This includes chunks such as look forward to, where to is a preposition: I look forward to meeting you.
Natural English:
- Thanks for coming on such short notice.
- I’m looking forward to working with your team.
Italian → English
2 patterns to test
Use want someone to do, not want that
- Possible transfer
I want that you come to the meeting.
- English rebuild
I want you to come to the meeting.
Why it can happen: Italian expresses a wish about another person with volere che plus a subjunctive clause. English want, would like, need, and expect use an object plus a to-infinitive instead, so the that clause disappears entirely.
Natural English:
- My manager wants me to lead the project.
- Would you like me to book a table?
Place the listener correctly after say, tell, and explain
- Possible transfer
He said me the price. / Can you explain me the problem?
- English rebuild
He told me the price. / Can you explain the problem to me?
Why it can happen: Italian puts an indirect pronoun such as mi or ti with dire and spiegare. In English, tell takes the listener directly, while say and explain need to before the listener, and suggest is followed by a clause or an -ing form rather than a person plus to.
Natural English:
- She told us the office would close early.
- Could you explain the new process to the team?
Use while teaching
Operational teaching notes
Choose a route before class, but change it when the learner’s production gives you better evidence.
Ask before explaining
- Which examples in “Three checks from earlier lessons” express the same core meaning?
- How would you explain this decision in your own words: Can-do: By the end, you can use common verb + to + base and verb + -ing chunks; add a person who performs the second action; place negation accurately; distinguish infinitive to from prepositional to ; and interpret useful meaning contrasts with stop, remember , and try .
- What needs to change in this repair, and why: Leo enjoys solving technical problems.
Correct for the stage
- Controlled work: correct immediately, then require the complete repaired sentence.
- Fluency building: note repeated errors and reformulate after the learner finishes the thought.
- Communication: interrupt only when meaning breaks down or the target decision is the lesson’s main evidence.
Retrieve, do not reteach
Retrieve Verb + infinitive / -ing in one true sentence at the next lesson.
Short, core, or extended
Choose the route
All three routes end in learner production. More time means more contrast and transfer, not a longer explanation.
Short route
Retrieve for 3 minutes. Notice and discover for 8. Use the two most diagnostic tasks from Three checks from earlier lessons and Discovery check: identify the pattern’s job for 12. Protect 9 minutes for Learner production, then reflect for 3.
Core route
Follow the six-stage sequence below. Reduce repeated controlled items when accuracy is already stable, but keep the nearest useful contrast and final production.
Stretch route
Add Tutor-read core complement, second performer, complement negation, prepositional to, stopped activity, and experimental try listening check · Five-minute next-day core complement, second performer, and prepositional-to retrieval, then repeat the communication task with a new situation or stricter success criteria.
50–60 minutes core working plan
Session sequence
Protect the final communication and reflection time. If the learner needs more support, reduce the number of controlled items instead of removing production.
- 5 min
Retrieve
Activate what the learner already controls and check any prerequisite language.
Teacher move: Open with the first practice route: Three checks from earlier lessons · Discovery check: identify the pattern’s job · Drill 1: complete the stored core pattern.
- 6–8 min
Notice
Let the learner observe meaning and form in a small sample before naming the rule.
Teacher move: Keep the noticing conversation anchored to this decision: Can-do: By the end, you can use common verb + to + base and verb + -ing chunks; add a person who performs the second action; place negation accurately; distinguish infinitive to from prepositional to ; and interpret useful meaning contrasts with stop, remember , and try .
- 8–10 min
Discover
Connect form, meaning, use, word order, and the nearest useful contrast.
Teacher move: Test the learner’s explanation against this repair: Leo enjoys solving technical problems. Use solving after enjoy; to solve is not the stored complement in this meaning.
- 12–15 min
Build + drill
Move from accurate choices to faster retrieval and sentence construction.
Teacher move: Prioritize these lesson tasks: Three checks from earlier lessons · Discovery check: identify the pattern’s job · Drill 1: complete the stored core pattern · Drill 2: build participant, negation, and preposition meaning. Reduce repetitions if needed, but keep the final production time.
- 12–15 min
Communicate
Use the target language for a real adult purpose the learner cannot complete by copying.
Teacher move: Learner production: Prepare the roles: Choose a fictional coordinator, technician, greeter, and visitor. Decide who plans, enjoys, requests, avoids, and looks forward to each action.
- 3–5 min
Reflect
Make progress visible and choose one specific next use.
Teacher move: Retrieve Verb + infinitive / -ing in one true sentence at the next lesson.
Tutor-only source
Listening scripts
Read these lines from the tutor plan while the learner lesson remains on screen. Each clip names the learner item it supports.
Tutor-read core complement, second performer, complement negation, prepositional to, stopped activity, and experimental try listening check
- Clip 1
Read: Maya plans to teach the evening workshop. Evidence target: one subject for planning and teaching.
Supports: Who plans, and who will teach in the first message?
- Clip 2
Read: Maya asked Leo to test the projector. Evidence target: Leo performs the second action.
Supports: Who performs the test in the second message?
- Clip 3
Read: Maya decided not to cancel the session. Evidence target: a decision whose chosen action keeps the session.
Supports: What does the third message say about Maya’s decision?
- Clip 4
Read: The team looks forward to welcoming the visitors. Evidence target: prepositional to plus -ing .
Supports: How does the fourth message use to ?
- Clip 5
Read: Leo stopped testing at six. Evidence target: the testing activity ended.
Supports: What ended in the fifth message?
- Clip 6
Read: Leo tried restarting the projector, and the picture returned. Evidence target: restart used as an experimental method.
Supports: What role does restarting have in the sixth message?
Keep only useful evidence
After-lesson notes
These notes are for deliberate tutor records or printing. Nothing is stored in the learner’s browser.
The learner can now…
Write one observable use of the target language.
Still needs support with…
Record one repeated error, contrast, or point of hesitation.
Next retrieval prompt
Write one short prompt the learner will answer at the next session.
Anonymous live-lesson evidence
Learner pilot worksheet
A2 · Verb + infinitive / -ing
Pilot 1 of 30 recorded · 3 remaining
Date
Approximate starting level
Core lesson time
Starting evidence
What did the learner already control? What was the first misconception, hesitation, or contrast that mattered?
Did the principle become clear?
Can-do: By the end, you can use common verb + to + base and verb + -ing chunks; add a person who performs the second action; place negation accurately; distinguish infinitive to from prepositional to ; and interpret useful meaning contrasts with stop, remember , and try .
Did the first hint help?
Record the first item that caused difficulty and whether the contextual hint led to self-correction before the full repair appeared.
Could the learner do the outcome?
Build common verb-complement patterns, identify who performs the second action, control negation and prepositional to, and interpret pattern-based meaning changes.
Listen for: The learner uses the target language independently for a real purpose.
What remained available?
If possible, check before rereading in the next session. Record what returned independently and what still required a cue.
Keep, revise, or investigate?
Note any explanation the tutor still had to supply, the smallest useful revision, and whether another pilot should test the same issue.