Gerunds in English vs. Spanish — Story, Dialogue & Interactive Practice Level 4

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Story: Talking About Gerunds — An American and a Mexican Compare English and Spanish

Anna (American teacher): Hi, Luis! How’s your English study going today?

Luis (from Mexico City): Pretty good, teacher. I have a question about gerunds. We use -ing in English, but in Spanish we don’t always use it the same way.

Anna: Great question. In English, a gerund is a verb ending in -ing that acts like a noun: Swimming is fun. Reading helps me relax. I enjoy learning English.

Luis: Right. In Spanish we don’t say Nadando es divertido; we say Nadar es divertido. We use the infinitive (nadar, leer, aprender) where English uses a gerund.

Anna: Exactly. English uses -ing after certain verbs: I like cooking. She finished studying. They avoided talking. In Spanish: Me gusta cocinar. Terminó de estudiar. Evitaron hablar.

Luis: And Spanish -ando/-iendo is mostly for continuous action: Estoy comiendo = I am eating.

Anna: Yes—English -ing can be either progressive (I am eating) or a gerund (Eating is fun). So: I am running (tense) vs. Running is healthy (gerund/noun).

Luis: Some English verbs take gerunds, others take infinitives: I enjoy playing but I want to play. In Spanish, both often look like infinitives: Disfruto jugar / Me gusta jugar.

Anna: Summary: (1) English gerunds can be subjects/objects and follow prepositions; (2) Spanish often uses the infinitive instead; (3) Spanish -ando/-iendo mainly marks action in progress.

Luis: Thanks! I’ll practice using gerunds. Practicing makes perfect!

Vocabulary — Matching A (drag a term to its definition)

Definition: -ing form functioning as a noun (e.g., Swimming is fun).
Definition: base verb form (English: to read; Spanish: leer).
Definition: aspect showing action in progress (e.g., I am reading).
Definition: word like for, of, about; in English a gerund usually follows it.

Vocabulary — Matching B (drag the English sentence type)

Example: Reading every day improves vocabulary.
Example: I enjoy listening to podcasts.
Example: She is interested in learning Spanish.
Spanish: Leer es importante. (Use infinitive where English uses gerund.)

Multiple Choice — Gerunds vs. Infinitives

1) In English, a gerund functions as a…
2) Which sentence uses a gerund?
3) English gerund vs. Spanish infinitive:
4) Correct English usage:

Cloze — Use the Word Bank (drag to the rectangular blanks)

in English often works where Spanish uses leer.

Many students enjoy grammar through stories and dialogue.

In Spanish, people often say Me gusta jugar = I like , but in English we commonly use a gerund after enjoy.

patient is important when mastering verb patterns.

After finish, we use a gerund: She finished .

After some verbs, we prefer an infinitive: I want more about English gerunds; others take a gerund: He enjoys to music while reading.

Compare: Leer es importante = is important / Reading is important.

True / False — Choose the best answer

1) The word eating in “I like eating tacos” is a gerund.
2) In Spanish, nadar is a gerund.
3) Gerunds can be the subject of a sentence.
4) English and Spanish use gerunds the same way in all cases.

Sequencing A — Steps to Choose Gerund vs. Infinitive

Drag to arrange the best general strategy.
2) Check if the verb prefers a gerund or an infinitive (usage pattern).
4) Compare with Spanish (infinitive often maps to English gerund).
1) Identify the main verb in your sentence.
3) Consider the meaning you want (plan/intention → often infinitive; activity/general → gerund).

Sequencing B — Match Examples with Labels (Top → Bottom)

Order these from “Gerund subject” to “After preposition”.
I want to study more.
I enjoy studying grammar.
She apologized for being late.
Reading helps me relax.

Student Dialogue — Read with a Partner

Open/Close Dialogue

Student A (American): What’s your favorite activity?

Student B (Mexican): I love playing soccer. And you?

A: I like swimming and listening to music.

B: In Spanish we don’t say nadando es divertido. We say nadar es divertido.

A: Right. English often uses the gerund where Spanish uses the infinitive.

B: So Reading is a gerund, but in Spanish we’d say Leer.

A: Exactly. Some English verbs take gerunds—like enjoy—and others take infinitives—like want.

B: Got it! I enjoy learning English, and I want to learn more every day.

A: Perfect sentence! Keep practicing—Practicing really helps.

Discussion & Writing

Answer Key (tap to view)

Reveal/Hide Key

Matching A: gerund → “-ing as noun”; infinitive → base/“to read”; progressive → action in progress; preposition → gerund follows.

Matching B: subjectGer → “Reading every day…”; objectGer → “I enjoy listening …”; prepGer → “interested in learning”; spanInf → “Leer es importante”.

MCQ: 1) c 2) b 3) a 4) b

Cloze: Reading; learning; to play; Being; studying; to learn; Listening; to read

True/False: T, F, T, F

Sequencing A: verbList → pattern → meaning → spanishCompare

Sequencing B: subj → obj → inf → prep

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