22 April 2010

Gerunds and Infinitives


Folgende Wörter haben eine andere Bedeutung, je nachdem ob das Gerund oder der Infinitiv steht:


GERUND INFINITIV
forget He'll never forget spending so much money on his first computer. Don't forget to spend money on the tickets.

Er wird nie vergessen, als er so viel Geld für seinen ersten Computer ausgab. Vergiss nicht, Geld für die Eintrittskarten auszugeben.

vergessen, dass man etwas getan hat (Vergangenheit) vergessen etwas zu tun (Zukunft)


GERUND INFINITIV
go on Go on reading the text. Go on to read the text.

Lies den Text weiter. Mach weiter und lies den Text.

mit der gleichen Sache weitermachen mit einer anderen Sache weitermachen


GERUND INFINITIV
mean You have forgotten your homework again. That means phoning your mother. I meant to phone your mother, but my mobile didn't work.

Du hast wieder deine Hausaufgaben vergessen. Das bedeutet, dass ich deine Mutter anrufen muss. Ich wollte deine Mutter anrufen, aber mein Handy war defekt.

etwas muss getan werden etwas tun wollen


GERUND INFINITIV
remember I remember switching off the lights when I went on holiday. Remember to switch off the lights when you go on holiday.

Ich erinnere mich, das Licht ausgemacht zu haben, als wir in den Urlaub fuhren. Denk daran, das Licht auszumachen, wenn du in den Urlaub fährst.

sich erinnern, dass man in der Vergangenheit etwas getan hat daran denken, in der Zukunf etwas zu tun


GERUND INFINITIV
stop Stop reading the text. Stop to read the text.

Hör auf den Text zu lesen. Halt an und lies den Text.

mit einer Sache aufhören anhalten, um etwas anderes zu tun


GERUND INFINITIV
try Why don't you try running after the dog? I tried to run after the dog, but I was too slow.

Warum versuchst du nicht mal, hinter dem Hund her zu rennen? Ich versuchte, hinter dem Hund her zu rennen, aber ich war zu langsam.

etwas probieren/testen versuchen, etwas zu tun


Bei einigen Wörtern ist es fast egal, ob du Gerund oder den Infinitiv verwendest. Manchmal gibt es einen kleinen Unterschied, wie du an folgenden Beispielen siehst.

be afraid

I'm afraid to go by bike on this road. I'm afraid of having an accident.
Ich weiß, dass es gefährlich ist, auf dieser Straße zu fahren. Ich habe Angst, dass etwas Schlimmes passiert.

help

I can't help laughing in serious situations. We always help (to) clean the car.
Ich kann nichts dafür, dass ich auch in ernsten Situationen lachen muss. Wir helfen immer, das Auto sauber zu machen. (to muss nicht immer stehen)

like

I like reading books. = I like to read books.
Es gibt eigentlich keinen Unterschied zwischen diesen beiden Sätzen.

Man nimmt das Gerund, wenn man like im Sinne von 'enjoy' ersetzen kann.
Beispiel: I like riding my bike.

Man nimmt den Infinitiv, wenn man die Sache tut, weil man denkt, dass es so gut ist.
Beispiel: I like to do my homework in the afternoon.
Hier betone ich, dass das Erledigen der Hausaufgaben am Nachmittag gut ist.

I like watching films. I would like to watch the film.
Hier mag man es, Filme anzusehen. Hier möchte man den Film ansehen (Ich will mir den Film ansehen).

need

The window needs cleaning. I need to go.
Der Satz hat hier Passivbedeutung. Es muss etwas getan werden. Ich muss jetzt gehen. (es ist notwendig)

remember

I remember switching off the lights. I remember to switch off the lights.
Ich hab das Licht ausgemacht und ich erinnere mich jetzt daran, es auch getan zu haben. Ich habe mich dran erinnert, das Licht auszumachen, (bevor ich z.B. weggehe) deswegen habe ich das Licht ausgemacht.

stop

I stopped smoking. I stopped to smoke.
Ich habe mit dem Rauchen aufgehört. Ich habe angehalten, um eine (Zigarette) zu rauchen.

try

I tried taking an aspirin but it didn't help. Try to be quiet when you come home late.
Leider hatte die Tablette keine Wirkung. (probieren, im Sinne von Test) Versuch leise zu sein, wenn du spät heimkommst.

used to

He is used to smoking. He used to smoke.
Er ist ans Rauchen gewöhnt. =
Er raucht immer noch.
Er war ans Rauchen gewöhnt. =
Er hat mit dem Rauchen aufgehört.

Nach folgenden Verben kann sowohl das Gerund als auch der Infinitiv stehen:
begin He began talking.
He began to talk.
Er begann mit dem Sprechen.
continue They continue smoking.
They continue to smoke.
Sie machen mit dem Rauchen weiter.
hate Do you hate working on Saturdays?
Do you hate to work on Saturdays?
Hasst du es, an Samstagen zu arbeiten?
like I like swimming.
I like to swim.
Ich mag (das) Schwimmen.
love She loves painting.
She loves to paint.
Sie mag das Malen.
prefer Pat prefers walking home.
Pat prefers to walk home.
Pat bevorzugt es, nach Hause zu laufen.
start They start singing.
They start to sing.
Sie fangen mit dem Singen an.

Auch nach folgenden Verben kann sowohl das Gerund als auch der Infinitiv stehen. Beachte folgende Strukturen:
Gerund: Verb + -ing
Infinitiv: Verb + Person (als Objekt) + Infinitiv mit to
advise They advise walking to town.
They advise us to walk to town.
Sie raten uns, in die Stadt zu laufen.
allow They do not allow smoking here.
They do not allow us to smoke here.
Sie erlauben uns hier das Rauchen nicht.
encourage They encourage doing the test.
They encourage us to do the test.
Sie ermutigen uns, den Test zu machen.
permit They do not permit smoking here.
They do not permit us to smoke here.
Sie erlauben uns hier das Rauchen nicht.

Wenn nach recommend der Infinitiv verwendet wird, steht nach recommend noch das Wort that, danach das Objekt und dann der Infinitiv ohne to.

recommend They recommend walking to town.
They recommend that we walk to town.
Sie raten uns, in die Stadt zu laufen.

Bei einigen dieser Wörter gibt es manchmal kleine Bedeutungsunterschiede, je nachdem ob du Gerund oder den Infinitiv verwendest. Schau am besten in einem Wörterbuch nach.



Source:
englisch-hilfen.de

3 April 2010

Our Life in 2050


Hi Superstars,

Your texts are marvellous.
I am really proud of you lot!


We don’t know how our future will be. We only can try to imagine it.
Probably we will use computers every day: At school, for homework, for our jobs.
I'm sure things and people will be different. Maybe people will be lazier, because robots will do their housework. We can have an easier and faster life. In 2050 we will travel to other planets instead of foreign countries.
One of the biggest problems will be that vehicles will still pollute nature.
But we can make the situation better. For instance, we can use public transport or we can use the bike. On the one hand there will be many rich people, but on the other hand there will be many homeless and jobless people.
All in all I think positive about the future.

Anna M.


When I think of the future I feel really scared.
Many people do not care enough about the environment. We don't know how our future will look like. We only can try to imagine it.

I think in forty years half of the population will live on the street. Everything will have changed.
Let me show some examples: Computers will be too expensive, TV will only show black and white programmes and cars will also be too expensive. Spending holidays will also be completely different. The gap between rich and poor will be bigger. We will worry about our and our children’s future.
But I think we should be rather optimistic about this matter. We should live and be happy not thinking too much about what will or won't be possible in the future.

Sandra

Of course we want to know how our life will be in forty years, but we are only able to guess it.
In the year 2050 lots of things will be different.
The Earth might be totally destroyed because of pollution and so we will live on another planet.
Some things will be easier and others maybe crazier. There might be wars. Water could get scarce and countries could start fighting for it.
I am sure we will drive solar-powered cars. In addition, planes could get popular for the traffic. It is definitely true that many things will be invented . Nobody can tell which ones - but everything will be different, maybe even some things in your family will change.
But that's not the only thing we should consider. What we should really think about is in which way we can influence our future. The next years may show what way our technology is going to take. Is it going to keep spoiling our planet or will it start to invent environmentally-friendly technology? That’s another question which nobody is able to answer yet. But the person who can make the decision about that, are you, the consumer.

Albert


Nobody knows how the future will be like. We can just try to imagine it.

I am sure many things will change - a few things for better but the most ones for worse. I think a big problem will be the overpopulation in cities.
Soon there will be no more clean water for everyone. It will get always more and more difficult to feed all people. The gap between poor and rich will get bigger.
Another problem will be the global warming. Lots of glaciers will disappear, the sea level will rise and this will cause more natural catastrophes. If we don’t stop polluting our planet we all could soon face the consequences.
But we should also see the good changes.
I think a really good thing is the internet. We will be able to have friends all over the world.
Maybe we will spend the whole day at the computer, which is not really a good thing to do. So we have to make sure to do sports and have a healthy lifestyle in order not to get overweight. I’m sure technology will improve and scientists will find opportunities to heal diseases.
All in all I look into the future in a positive way.

Anna F.


We don’t know how our future will look like. We only can try to imagine it.

When I think of the future, I am worried. Probably there will be too much air pollution. There will be more cars than ever.
People won’t have to discuss because they will have modern technology. In fact everything will be different.
Our life will be easier too, because we will have computers, cars and many other things. For instance computers will be used by the children at school. I’m sure one day people will fly to the moon in their holidays. But there will be many people without a job. Robots will do their jobs because they work more efficiently and quickly. Globalization will be also a big problem.
On the one hand it is good to have goods from all over the world, but on the other hand the traffic will pollute our planet.
The ozone layer will be thinner and thinner.

In the future there will be many problems.
The mission for our grandchildren will probably be to save the world.
Sometimes people say: It’s not the end of the world.
But the end of the world could soon be reality if we don’t protect our planet.


Julia


We don’t know how our life will be like in 2050. We can only try to imagine it, but I’m sure it will be different.
For example, it would be good if we were able to create cars that are powered by environmentally-friendly petrol. We will need them because otherwise our nature will be completely destroyed.
Instead of driving the car we should ride the bike more often or use public transport. I also think in the future we will use the computer a lot more than we do now. Scientists will invent high speed computers with a better technology. They will help us in our life.
On the one hand they could be very useful, but on the other hand we might get lazy because everything is done by robots.
It might be possible, thanks to advanced technology, even to fly to other planets. I think we should be optimistic about future and I’m sure we could expect some great new things.

Chiara

When I think of the future, I am worried because I think we will spend a lot of time at the computer.
We won’t go out into the nature doing sports or meeting friends.
We will meet our friends only at the computer.
In forty years we’ll look all very pale because we will always stay at home at the computer.
Maybe we will have robots which will be doing the housework for us.
I think the pollution will increase dramatically because we won’t use the bike and walk to work.
But I think cars without exhaust will be invented.
We will make our lives much easier.
We will even take the car, instead of waiting for the bus, tram or train,
We don’t know anything about the future, we can only hope for the best.

Andrea


We don't know how our future will look like. We only can try to imagine how the environment and the people will be.

When I think about the future, I have different feelings. In 2050 we will use computers almost every day. Computers will help us making new friends through Internet and they will also help us in many other activities. They will be used by the children at school to make their studying easier. There will also be much more other machines, such as robots which will do our housework. Travelling to the moon or to other planets will be able for everybody. We will be using solar-powered cars which will be environmentally-friendly. Scientists will probably find cures for nowadays cureless diseases, like cancer or AIDS. I think one of the biggest problems will be water shortage.

Although we can't predict changes, we have to be careful with our environment by protecting nature.

Melanie



When I think of the future, I feel that technology will be so advanced that cars drive without any help of the driver. There will be computer systems that can find the right route themselves. I am sure things and people will be different. Maybe there won’t be so much car exhaust any more. Children won’t ride bikes anymore because scientists will have invented mini with batteries for kids. On one hand this will be convenient and fun, but on the other hand it has negative effects as children will not do enough sports anymore and will be overweight. I also think that there will be more chemistry in our food.

I do not except that people will build more shopping centres and big cities because there won’t be enough space anymore.
One of the biggest problems will be the gap between the rich and the poor. So people from developing countries will not accept this anymore and protest and fight for their right to live a good life.

Daniela



We don’t know how our future will look like. We only can try to imagine it.
When I think about it, I feel happy. I think the future will be great. Modern technology will be more advanced than nowadays. Our watches will be computers and mobile phones in one.

Cars will drive with an autopilot and people will only have to sit in them and do nothing. At school children will learn new things easily as computers will help them to study things more quickly and more effectively than nowadays.
We will all live together in one Megacity because our ecological system will be like a big deposal site. And big parts of the oceans will be noxious and we won’t be able to in them anymore.

Despite all these problems, I think, our life will still be good.

Armin


I am not positive about the future.
In 2050 many of the plants and animals will die.
People will build more and more houses and roads. Many parts of the rainforests will die because there will be less and less land.
There will be lots of robots that do the work for the people all over the world, so everyone will get fatter and fatter.
Robots will feed people and wash their clothes. They will even go to work for them.
One of our biggest problems will be air pollution. In future nearly every person will have a car.
So the ozone layer will get thinner and thinner and the earth will get warmer.
There won’t be water reserves anymore and people will do not have enough to drink.
We have to act quickly and effectively to protect our environment and everyone can do something about it. So let’s start now!

Alexandra


I think our life in 2050 will be really different from to our life now. There will be higher technology and all will be automatic.
It could well be that we live on another planet because we have destroyed the earth. We will live in space shuttles in the space.
There are a lot of places where we can live. The food, I think, will also be also really different from ours now.
There will be a lot of junk food and frozen frost food. Vegetables and fruit will come in tins only, and people will consume lots of soft drinks and burgers. Because of this unhealthy lifestyle, most people will be overweight and even obese.

But who knows?
It could well be that everything is totally different and people will live happily and in harmony with nature.

Monika



We don’t know how our future will look like. We only can try to imagine it.

I think it won’t be much different from today. The rich will not be happy because they want to have more and more money.
But I think that we will have a much better technology than today, such as new computers that are more effective than the ones nowadays.
This could probably cause big problems because everyone would sit in front of the computer the whole day long.
It could well be that we don’t have normal cars anymore. Cars could look and function in a totally different way. We might be able to fly in them or also use them for travelling on water.
Everything will be very different because of the global warming.
We won’t be able to leave our houses for outdoor activities, such as skiing, cycling, etc.
All in all we can’t influence what will happen in our future but still, everyone can try to do their best and protect our nature.

Franzi


When I think of the future I feel really scared. There are so many questions. What will the future bring?
Will the climate get hotter and hotter? Will there be enough oxygen in a few years? Will there be enough food and water for humans and animals ? Will computers do all our work? I am sure things and people will be different.
Maybe in a few years all students will learn at home in a virtual cyber-school with virtual cyber-teachers. There could be only robots instead of workers and shop assistants.
I think in 2050 technology will be more improved than today. There could be flying cars and motorbikes in every town.
Science will also make a big advance. We will definitely be able to heal all diseases. Trips to Mars or the moon will be easy and inexpensive.
But I think a really big problem will be the environment. How will life change when there are too much carbon dioxide and toxic gas?
Will we find a way to live with all that? The most important task for us will be to pay more attention to protecting the environment.

Stefanie


When I think about the future, I feel good.
We might fly to other planets and maybe our cars can also fly. But when I think of the facts I am not really optimistic. I think the future will not be as good as the present. I think there will be lots of wars and conflicts on our planet. There will be a lack of fresh and clean water reserves and nations might be fighting for it.
In the future cars will be powered by solar energy. And this will be good for the environment.
Also more technical equipment will be invented. In 2050, we will see robots everywhere in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and home.
All in all I think that in the future not all will be positive but it won’t be as bad as some people think.

Samuel


Nobody is able to know how our future will be like. But we can think about it and try to imagine it.
When I think of the future, I feel a little scared because of the pollution of the environment. It is already far advanced and in 2050 it will be even more advanced. I don’t know how much more has to happen until the governments and each of us realize the serious problems. Our next step should be trying to find a solution for these problems. The governments should create strict environmental laws and conditions and should not care about the consequences for the commercial companies.
There will be much more cars powered by solar energy and electricity. Our daily life routines will be easier to manage because we will use computers everywhere. So one of the biggest problems will be that the population gets lazier and become even fatter. Nevertheless we should try to look optimistically into the future because life is hard enough.

Michael

I think our life in 2050 will be very technical. There will be a lot of robots and computers and machines that handle our work.
It will be a dirty and harmful world which is polluted of exhausts and other toxins. There will be many more cars than today and if we by then do not drive only electrically powered cars we are going kill ourselves.
There should be no plastic and instead of this we should take glass or bags from home.
Maybe we have no drinking water in 2050. And everyone should have enough money. If we won’t give some money the poor there will be riots and wars.
Another dramatic problem will be the global warming. Lots of glaciers will disappear, the sea levels will rise and there will be more natural catastrophes because of this reason.
I don’t except people will build a lot of shopping centres and big cities. One of the biggest problem is that there will be more and more immigrants from poorer countries in the rich ones.

All in all I think, life in 2050 will be different from now and more difficult.

Teresa



I don’t know how our future will look like. I only can try to imagine it.
I think in the future many electric cars will be on our streets and motorways. There won’t be nuclear power plants on oure
Earth anymore.
In forty years it will not be allowed to drive more than fifty kilometres per day with your car.
You will get your driving licence at the age of twenty-four. This will reduce air pollution.
More than seventy per cent of the population will live in cities. Skyscrapers will be built all over the world. In the future all work will be done by computers.
I am sure that in 2050 the first people will land on Mars and even start living there.
Although, when I think of the future, I am positive about it and I am sure we will have a good life.

Bernhard


We don’t know how our future will look like in 2050. We can only try to imagine it.

One of the biggest problems in 2050 will be that the air condition will get even worse than it is already now. Just think of cars. On the one hand, everybody knows we can’t have more and more of them. But on the other hand, people don’t want to walk or ride their bikes. So we will have to protect the environment.
I am sure more technical equipment will be invented. For example robots that will do the housework for us.
In 2050, we will see robots everywhere; in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.
In the end I can say that people and things in 2050 will be totally different.

Philipp


Nobody can know how or future look will be like. We can just try to imagine it.
I think that in the future there will be more than one computer in every home. I even think that the students will take laptops to school instead of books . There will be cars powered by water power. We will even be able to travel to other planets. Scientists will find solutions for incurable diseases, such as cancer.
There will be robots doing the housework. I believe that life will be easier. There will be pills that will help us to study more effectively. When we eat them, we will know everything about mathematics, for example.
On one hand people will have more time to spend with their children, but on the other hand people will all be overweight because they spend too much time on the computer.

All in all, I think, life will still be good in 2050.

Mihriban



When I think of the future, I feel good. Nowadays I don´t think often about the future. We don´t know how our future will look like.
In 2050 we will use computers almost every day. In school we will all learn via computers.
We will drive with electrical cars and everything else will function with electricity. For work we can stay at home and do our work with the computer.
The highest skyscraper will be 5000 ft high and in this skyscraper there will live one million people.
Scientists will find a way to heal dangerous diseases such as cancer or AIDS. Aeroplanes will fly with the help of a robot and with space shuttles everyone can travel to the moon.
We will also have discovered a new universe.

All in all I am sure that we will have a good life in the future.

Niki


I think our life in 2050 will be very different.

There will be solar cars or hybrid bikes. The traffic on the streets will be chaotic. The woods and fields will be destroyed.
It could well be that we live on another planet, maybe on Mars or Jupiter or on a star. Animals and flowers will be extinct.
There will also be wars all over the world.
We will do our shopping per E-mail or television. I think that electronics will be more advanced than today and so will air force.
In seven billion years the earth will be a fire ball. There will no life be possible anymore.

I hope that the earth will be a good place to live on as long as I live here.

Sebastian




Answers to video: Global warming

What’s driving the Earth’s temperature up?
Human activity
How do we call this process?
Global warming
Name the two fossil fuels that factories, power plants and cars have burnt since the Industrial Revolution?
Oil and coal
When was the warmest year in measured history?
1998
Which US organisation has been studying the Arctic Sea?
The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
What could rising temperatures mean for our planet? (Name 3 examples)
Flooding coastal areas across the world, more hurricanes, severe droughts (schwere Dürren)
What can consumers do to reduce the effect of global warming?
Saving energy around the house, using fluorescent light bulbs, driving less