Lesson 112--more gerunds versus infinitives

 

 

The phrasal verb go on can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive.  The meanings of these two things are not the same.

 

+ gerund

He went on talking about his car for two hours.

This means he only talked about his car, non stop, for two hours.

 

+ infinitive

He started talking about motorcycles, then he went on to talk about cars.

This means he changed the subject (either closely related or not).  He started talking about one thing, then something else.

Lesson 111--Gerunds versus Infinitives Quiz

In the following quiz, you need to put the verb in the blank, either as an infinitive or gerund.  When you are done, check your answers by clicking the quiz button in the top right corner.  There are some tricky ones, so don't forget to check your answers,  You might be surprised.



 

1. I am interested in ________(play) tennis this afternoon.
2. The carpet needs ________(be) vacuumed.
3. The rug needs ___________(vacuum).
4. Vanessa dislikes _________(watch) black and white movies.
5. Gregory had trouble _______(find) a gift for his wife's birthday.
6. Paul's mother refused _____(allow) him to get a tattoo.
7. Grace was not accustomed to working so much every week.
8. I advise you ________(study) harder.
9. It takes time ______(learn) English.
10. The politician denied _______( take)bribes.
11. Everyone deserves _______(have) a good life.
12. He regrets _____(tell) his mother about his new job.
13. When I get more money, I mean _______(buy) a new television.
14. Janice stopped ____(buy) milk on the way home.
15. After talking about cars, he went on ______(talk) about motorcycles.

Lesson 110--to blow it

to blow it

 

He doesn't look happy.  I guess he blew it.

This expression means to fail, to not succeed, to miss an opportunity.

examples.

Although he knew the answer, he blew it by not answering quickly enough.

The baseball player blew it for his whole team when he struck out.

Daniel doesn't want to blow it with his new girlfriend, so he is taking it slow.

HIs coached warned him not to blow this perfect opportunity.

Lesson 109--Get in on the ground floor

Get in on the ground floor

 

 

This expression indicated that you took advantage of an opportunity very early.  You could be among the first ones doing something

examples

Paul had a chance to get in on the ground floor with Apple, but missed his chance.

Maria got in on the ground floor of a new company and now she is a millionaire.

Getting in on the ground floor is the dream of every investor.

Greg was too late to get in on the ground floor of the company, and had to buy stock at a much higher price.

Lesson 108--jump at the chance

Jump at the chance

This expression shows enthusiasm and excitement for the opportunity of doing something.  This can be used to show actual enthusiasm or imagined enthusiasm.

examples

I jumped at the chance to appear on TV.

Pamela would jump at the chance to get a makeover.

Mathew jumped at the chance to see his favourite band play.

If I were you I would jump at the chance to do something so cool.

Lesson 107--Useful Expressions

 

 

 

 

 

Get one's (my, your, his, her, their, our) foot in the door

This expression is used when starting something new, most often a job.  Getting your foot in the door means you have started something, and will hopefully progress to the next level.

 

examples

I took the job of salesman just to get my foot in the door.

Bob was sure that if he could get his foot in the door, he would rise quickly to the top of the company.

Without a good education, you can't even get your foot in the door.

Mary didn't want her father to get her a job, just to help her get her foot in the door.

Lesson 106--Take one for the team

Take one for the team

 

 

This sports related idiom means to sacrifice on behalf of other people.  It isn't just for sports, but can be used in everyday situations as well.

examples

He took one for the team when he volunteered to work the weekend shifts.

To make up for her mistakes, Melissa took one for the team when she took all the blame for her mistakes and the mistakes of her co-workers.

Sometimes you have to take one for the team.

synonyms:  sacrifice