Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
Very often in English, one verb is followed by a second verb: I want to go, I enjoy going. The big question at B1 is simple to ask but hard to master: does the second verb take the -ing form (the gerund) or the to form (the to-infinitive)? English does not choose randomly — the first verb decides.
Here is the core idea in one line: some verbs are always followed by a gerund (enjoy, avoid, finish), other verbs are always followed by a to-infinitive (want, decide, hope), and after a preposition we always use the gerund.
The gerund is the base verb + -ing; it behaves like a noun. The to-infinitive is to + the base verb. Both let you put a second verb into your sentence, but they are not interchangeable — the first verb (or a preposition) chooses one of them.
| Form | How to build it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | verb + -ing (acts like a noun) | swimming, reading, going, being |
| To-infinitive | to + base verb | to swim, to read, to go, to be |
These common verbs are always followed by the -ing form. Learn them as a group and the choice becomes automatic.
| Verb | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| enjoy | I enjoy reading at night. | keyif almak |
| avoid | She avoids driving in the city. | kaçınmak |
| finish | We finished painting the room. | bitirmek |
| mind | Do you mind waiting here? | sakınca görmek |
| suggest | He suggested taking a break. | önermek |
| keep | They kept talking during the film. | -meye devam etmek |
This second group is always followed by to + base verb. Many of them talk about plans, wishes and promises.
| Verb | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| want | I want to travel more. | istemek |
| decide | She decided to study law. | karar vermek |
| hope | We hope to see you soon. | ummak |
| promise | He promised to help me. | söz vermek |
| agree | They agreed to meet at six. | kabul etmek |
| learn | I learned to swim at eight. | öğrenmek |
This is one of the most useful rules in the whole unit: when a verb comes straight after a preposition (at, in, of, about, on, for...), it must be the gerund. Adjectives and nouns are often linked to a fixed preposition, so learn them together.
| Expression | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| good at + -ing | She is good at drawing. | -de iyi olmak |
| interested in + -ing | I'm interested in learning Spanish. | -e ilgi duymak |
| think about + -ing | We're thinking about moving house. | -i düşünmek |
| before / after + -ing | Wash your hands before eating. | -den önce/sonra |
When you want to explain why you do something, use to + verb. It answers the question "What for?" — and it is much more natural than "for + -ing" here.
A few verbs can take either form — but the meaning changes completely. These are classic B1 exam traps, so read each row carefully.
| Verb | + gerund | + to-infinitive |
|---|---|---|
| stop | stop doing = end the activity (She stopped smoking.) | stop to do = pause in order to do (She stopped to smoke.) |
| remember | remember doing = a memory (I remember locking it.) | remember to do = don't forget (Remember to lock it!) |
| forget | forget doing = forget a memory (I'll never forget seeing it.) | forget to do = fail to do it (I forgot to call.) |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with gerunds and infinitives. Check your own writing against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| I enjoy to read books. | I enjoy reading books. | enjoy always takes the gerund. |
| She avoided to answer. | She avoided answering. | avoid always takes the gerund. |
| I'm interested in to learn art. | I'm interested in learning art. | after a preposition, use the gerund. |
| We decided going home. | We decided to go home. | decide always takes the to-infinitive. |
| I went there for buy a ticket. | I went there to buy a ticket. | purpose = to + verb, not "for + verb". |
Two friends talk about a new hobby. Read it twice and notice how the second verb changes form after each first verb or preposition.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them in your own sentences about your life.
Write 8 sentences about your habits, hobbies and goals. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): habit · routine · avoid · give up · take up · improve · goal · manage
Emre is thirty-two years old, and he works in an office in the centre of a big city. For most of his twenties, he was too busy to think about his health. He spent long hours sitting in front of a computer, and after work he only wanted to relax. Cooking felt like too much effort, so ordering food became a daily habit. At the weekend, he preferred staying at home to going out, and little by little his routine became completely inactive.
It was not always like this. When Emre was a child, he loved playing football with his friends after school, and he was rarely still for a moment. As he grew older, however, studying and then working slowly took over his time. He stopped playing sport, and he forgot how good it felt to be active. By the time he started his office job, exercising had almost disappeared from his life, and he could hardly remember the energetic boy he used to be.
Two years ago, Emre was not a healthy person. He spent every evening watching television, and he never thought about exercising. He enjoyed eating fast food, but he avoided walking anywhere if he could take the bus. His friends often suggested joining a gym; however, he always kept finding excuses.
His days followed the same pattern for years. In the morning he woke up feeling tired, and he often skipped breakfast to save time. At lunch he chose the easiest option, which usually meant a burger or a pizza near the office. By the evening he had no energy left for anything except the sofa. Whenever a friend mentioned a gym, the idea of exercising after such a long day always seemed impossible. Deep down, he knew that his lifestyle was not good for him, yet changing it felt far too difficult to even begin.
When winter came, Emre got ill. The doctor advised him to change his lifestyle, so he finally decided to do something. Although he wanted to give up after the first week, he promised himself to continue for one month, because he was tired of feeling weak.
The visit to the doctor was a real shock for Emre. The doctor looked at his results and explained that he needed to move more and to eat better food. 'You are still young,' she said, 'but you cannot keep ignoring your body. Try to build small, healthy habits instead of dreaming about big changes.' Emre listened carefully and agreed to try. On his way home, he decided to write a simple plan. He was afraid of failing again, however, so he promised to take just one small step at a time rather than trying to change everything at once.
Emre started small. Every morning he went out to run for twenty minutes before work. He also stopped eating sugar, which was the most difficult change of all. While he was getting fitter, he discovered that he was quite good at swimming, so he began going to the pool twice a week.
The first two weeks were not easy at all. Getting out of bed early was hard, and his legs hurt after every run. He often felt like stopping, but he kept remembering how weak he had felt before. Giving up sugar was even harder than running, because he was used to drinking sweet coffee and eating chocolate every afternoon. To stay motivated, he started writing down everything he managed to do, and seeing his progress on paper helped him to continue. When he tried swimming for the first time in years, he was surprised to find that he really enjoyed being in the water. Swimming did not hurt his knees, so he looked forward to going to the pool every week.
Now, Emre is a different man. He loves exercising, and he cannot imagine returning to his old habits. He still remembers feeling tired and unhealthy, and he never wants to feel like that again. Last month he even managed to run a half-marathon with a colleague.
Training for the half-marathon taught Emre a lot about himself. He learned to set clear goals and to be patient when progress was slow. A colleague from his office, who also enjoyed running, agreed to train with him, and together they practised every weekend. On the day of the race, Emre was nervous, but he refused to give up, even when he felt tired near the end. Crossing the finish line was one of the proudest moments of his life. His friends, who had once watched him make excuses, could not believe how much he had changed. Some of them even asked him to help them start exercising too.
'How do you manage to stay so motivated?' his colleague asked him one morning. 'I just try not to think about the whole race,' Emre replied. 'I only think about finishing today's run. If you focus on enjoying each small session, the big goal slowly takes care of itself.'
'The hardest part was starting,' Emre says. 'I kept telling myself that I would begin tomorrow. However, once you start, you learn to enjoy it. Now I exercise not to lose weight, but because it makes me happy.'
These days, Emre often talks to other people who want to change their habits but do not know how to begin. He always gives them the same simple advice. 'Do not wait for the perfect moment,' he says, 'because that moment never comes. Choose one small habit, and keep practising it until it becomes natural. It is better to run for ten minutes every day than to plan to run for an hour and never start.' He also reminds them to be kind to themselves. Everyone makes mistakes, and missing one day does not mean failing. What matters is deciding to begin again the next morning. For Emre, the most important lesson was learning that a healthy life is not about being perfect; it is about enjoying the small steps and refusing to give up.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the form (gerund or to-infinitive).
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. What made Emre finally decide to change his lifestyle?
2. Which change was the most difficult for Emre, and what new sport did he take up?
3. Why does Emre exercise now? Do you think his new attitude is a good one?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, because, when, while, however, although, also. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Speak with the unit's grammar, then drill it in the Practice Lab.
Read this conversation aloud two times — first as A, then as B. Notice every gerund and every to-infinitive in bold; you will use the same patterns in your own speaking in a moment.
Answer these questions out loud in full sentences. There is no single correct answer — the goal is to use the right verb pattern each time. (Sesli cevap ver; önemli olan doğru yapıyı kurman.)
Write down your spoken answers as a short dialogue or 5-6 sentences and submit them to your teacher — if you like. (Write your answers and submit them for feedback — optional.) Use at least three different verb patterns from this unit.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your speaking task.)
10 quick questions on gerunds and infinitives. Each one is marked instantly, and the questions get harder as you go.
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add four more powerful connectors: also, when, while, although and however. These let you show contrast, background events and extra information like a confident writer.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | I enjoy running, and I have started swimming too. |
| but | show a small contrast | I wanted to give up, but I kept going. |
| so | show a result | I'm good at cooking, so I decided to take a class. |
| because | give a reason | I exercise because it makes me happy. |
| also | add an extra point | I have learned to swim. I have also taken up cycling. |
| when | say at what past time | When I was a child, I avoided doing sport. |
| while | two things at the same time | While I was studying, I decided to get fit. |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although it was hard, I managed to continue. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | I planned to stop. However, I kept practising. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Separate sentences ✗ | Connected, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I decided to get fit. I enjoyed watching television. It was hard. I kept going. I run every day now. | I decided to get fit, although I enjoyed watching television. It was hard, but I kept going, so now I run every day. |
A "habits and goals" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | A general topic sentence about what you enjoy doing | I enjoy keeping active, and I have several hobbies. |
| 2. Body | Habits and decisions. Use gerunds after enjoy/avoid/keep, to-infinitives after decide/want/plan, and link with connectors. | Last year I decided to take up running. Although it was hard, I kept training. |
| 3. Closing | A goal for the future, with a to-infinitive | In the future, I hope to run a marathon. |
Write about your habits, hobbies and goals. Use gerunds and to-infinitives accurately.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + practice. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...