A. Grammar background
The form of the infinitive is very simple: to + V
- I like to eat pizza.
- She hopes to meet your friend.
- Mary wants to buy a car.
Infinitives can appear in a lot of different places. In this song we will see infinitives that follow verbs, such as like, hope, and want.
Not all verbs can be followed by infinitives. Some verbs are followed by a V-ing form.
- I enjoy going to the zoo. ←(NOT: I enjoy to go to the zoo)
- My doctor recommended eating vegetables. ←(NOT: My doctor recommended to eat vegetables)
In this song, a woman talks about her experiences and gives some advice.
- First, listen to the song once. Do you hear some infinitives? Write down any infinitives that you hear. How many did you hear?
- Now listen again and fill in the blanks below with infinitive forms. Some of them are already done for you. You may need to listen one more time to fill in all the blanks.
Listen to Me
I choose to be a fighter
I’ve earned my own degree
I refuse ________________ to
The people disrespecting me
I decided not ________________ the past
Become the future too
I’ve already wasted too much time
With self-important fools
I advise you ________________ to me
I have already seen just how hard life can be
I remind you ________________ yourself
There is some love you can’t get from anyone else
I promise ________________ better
I promise to live free
I’ve tried this all before, but
Been my own worst enemy
I hope ________________ some changes
I’ve done a lot of thinking
I plan ________________ today, ’cause
I want a new beginning
I advise you ________________ what you say
‘Cause you may find it comes back to haunt you someday
I remind you to watch where you go
‘Cause I’ve already been down some dangerous roads
**Music**
I advise you to listen to me
I have already seen just how hard life an be
I remind you to take care of yourself
There is some love you can’t get from anyone else
C. After you Listen
1. Practicing Forms
a. Verbs that take infinitives
You may notice that infinitives follow certain verbs. Look at the infinitives you wrote down. What verbs do they follow?
- choose
- ___________
- ___________
- ___________
- ___________
- ___________
- ___________
- ___________
b. Negation with infinitives
There is one infinitive in the song that has a “not” in front of it. Can you find it?
2. Using infinitives
a. New Year’s Resolutions
At the beginning of a new year, many people decide to try to make some positive changes in their lives. Think about four positive things that you would like to do in the next year. List them here. Start the sentences with promise, hope, or plan. Share your list with a friend!
Example: I promise to exercise more often
- __________________________________________________
- __________________________________________________
- __________________________________________________
- __________________________________________________
b. Healthy living
Imagine that a friend needs advice in the following situations. Give advice, starting the sentences with “I advise you to…” or “I’d encourage you to…”
- Your friend eats hamburgers and french fries every day, but never eats any vegetables.
- Your friend sits on the couch and watches TV all day.
- Your friend spends 10 hours a day on the internet.
c. To-do list
A to-do list is a list of things that you are hoping to do. Look at the list of things that your friend wanted to do today. Then ask questions about what they remembered to do today. Your friend can respond with “Yes, I remembered to…” or “No, I forgot to…”
Example:
You: Did you remember to take out the garbage?
Friend: No, I forgot to take out the garbage.
- Take out the garbage
- Feed the dog
- Wash the windows
- Do the laundry
- Buy groceries
- Study English vocabulary
Lyrics to "Listen to Me"
(Don’t look until you’ve completed the activities!)
Infinitives are underlined
I choose to be a fighter
I’ve earned my own degree
I refuse to listen to
The people disrespecting me
I decided not to let the past
Become the future too
I’ve already wasted too much time
With self-important fools
I advise you to listen to me
I have already seen just how hard life can be
I remind you to take care of yourself
There is some love you can’t get from anyone else
I promise to live better
I promise to live free
I’ve tried this all before, but
Been my own worst enemy
I hope to make some changes
I’ve done a lot of thinking
I plan to start today, ’cause
I want a new beginning
I advise you to watch what you say
‘Cause you may find it comes back to haunt you someday
I remind you to watch where you go
‘Cause I’ve already been down some dangerous roads
**Music**
I advise you to listen to me
I have already seen just how hard life an be
I remind you to take care of yourself
There is some love you can’t get from anyone else
Answers to "Listen to Me" exercises
1. Practicing forms
a. Verbs that take infinitives
You may notice that infinitives follow certain verbs. Look at the infinitives you wrote down. What verbs do they follow?
- choose
- refuse
- decide
- advise
- remind
- promise
- hope
- plan
b. Negation with infinitives
There is one infinitive in the song that has a “not” in front of it. Can you find it?
I decided not to let the past become the future
