The independent-user threshold. Learners deal with most situations while traveling, produce connected text on familiar topics, and explain their opinions, plans and experiences.
Printable one-to-one lesson plan
Gerunds vs infinitives
Choose verb complements through pattern families, infinitive and prepositional to, object structures, and meaning-changing verbs in context.
Use after the complete B1 sequence, not as a lesson quiz.
Open diagnostic →15–20 minutes optional: Tutor-read weak infinitive to, prepositional to plus -ing, stop contrast, try contrast, and information-stress listening check · Next-day verb family, remembered responsibility, and used-to contrast 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
Choose verb complements through pattern families, infinitive and prepositional to, object structures, and meaning-changing verbs in context.
What must become clear
Can-do: By the end, you can retrieve frequent verbs with -ing or to + base verb ; use -ing after ordinary prepositions and prepositional to ; build object + to-infinitive and bare-infinitive patterns; distinguish stop, remember, try , and regret by meaning; treat flexible verbs as flexible rather than forcing a false rule; and make weak to plus clear -ing recoverable in connected U.S. speech.
High-value friction points
- The coach suggested revising the opening.Use suggest + -ing for the proposed activity; do not insert an infinitive marker in this structure.
- I look forward to hearing from the team.Prepositional to takes an -ing complement, just as it can take the noun reply.
- The deadline was close, so Maya stopped wasting time.Stop + -ing ends the named activity. Stop to waste would mean pause something else in order to waste time.
Protect these lesson moments
- Reactivate three familiar shapes
- Discovery check: form and meaning
- Pattern-family check: retrieve the chunk
- Preposition check: decide what kind of to you see
- Object-pattern check: keep every participant visible
Learner production
Plan: State what Maya considered doing, decided to do, hopes to do, and must remember to do.
- Methods: Suggest one experiment with try + -ing , then describe one effort with try + to-infinitive and a stated result.
- Change: Contrast one activity Maya ended with one moment when she paused another activity for a purpose.
- Coaching: Use one object + to-infinitive pattern and one active let or make + bare verb pattern.
Carry this language into the next session
Retrieve Gerunds vs infinitives in one true sentence at the next lesson.
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 “Reactivate three familiar shapes” express the same core meaning?
- How would you explain this decision in your own words: Can-do: By the end, you can retrieve frequent verbs with -ing or to + base verb ; use -ing after ordinary prepositions and prepositional to ; build object + to-infinitive and bare-infinitive patterns; distinguish stop, remember, try , and regret by meaning; treat flexible verbs as flexible rather than forcing a false rule; and make weak to plus clear -ing recoverable in connected U.S. speech.
- What needs to change in this repair, and why: The coach suggested revising the opening.
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 Gerunds vs infinitives 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 Reactivate three familiar shapes and Discovery check: form and meaning 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 weak infinitive to, prepositional to plus -ing, stop contrast, try contrast, and information-stress listening check · Next-day verb family, remembered responsibility, and used-to contrast retrieval, then repeat the communication task with a new situation or stricter success criteria.
60–70 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: Reactivate three familiar shapes · Discovery check: form and meaning · Pattern-family check: retrieve the chunk.
- 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 retrieve frequent verbs with -ing or to + base verb ; use -ing after ordinary prepositions and prepositional to ; build object + to-infinitive and bare-infinitive patterns; distinguish stop, remember, try , and regret by meaning; treat flexible verbs as flexible rather than forcing a false rule; and make weak to plus clear -ing recoverable in connected U.S. speech.
- 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: The coach suggested revising the opening. Use suggest + -ing for the proposed activity; do not insert an infinitive marker in this structure.
- 12–15 min
Build + drill
Move from accurate choices to faster retrieval and sentence construction.
Teacher move: Prioritize these lesson tasks: Reactivate three familiar shapes · Discovery check: form and meaning · Pattern-family check: retrieve the chunk · Preposition check: decide what kind of to you see. 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: Plan: State what Maya considered doing, decided to do, hopes to do, and must remember to do.
- 3–5 min
Reflect
Make progress visible and choose one specific next use.
Teacher move: Retrieve Gerunds vs infinitives 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 weak infinitive to, prepositional to plus -ing, stop contrast, try contrast, and information-stress listening check
- Clip 1
Read: Maya deCIDed tə APply for the project role.
Supports: What pattern is recoverable in the first line?
- Clip 2
Read: She’s looking FORward tə HEARing from the team.
Supports: Why does the second line contain to hearing ?
- Clip 3
Read: She STOPPED checking messages after dinner.
Supports: What happened in the third line?
- Clip 4
Read: During lunch, she stopped tə CHECK one alert.
Supports: What happened in the fourth line?
- Clip 5
Read: She tried TURNing notifications off, then tried tə RESTART the phone.
Supports: What contrast does the final line create?
Delivery and evidence notes
- Weak /tə/ still marks the to-infinitive selected by decide .
- Look forward to ends in a preposition, so hearing uses -ing .
- Stopped checking ends the named activity.
- Stopped to check pauses lunch for the purpose of checking.
- Tried turning presents an experiment; tried to restart presents an effort.
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
B1 · Gerunds vs infinitives
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 retrieve frequent verbs with -ing or to + base verb ; use -ing after ordinary prepositions and prepositional to ; build object + to-infinitive and bare-infinitive patterns; distinguish stop, remember, try , and regret by meaning; treat flexible verbs as flexible rather than forcing a false rule; and make weak to plus clear -ing recoverable in connected U.S. speech.
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?
Choose verb complements through pattern families, infinitive and prepositional to, object structures, and meaning-changing verbs in context.
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.