My dear friends! As I told you I have saved the best expression for my Halloween story because it is a true horror! Ready? LOL!

Here is the sentence I read:

“I have a shoe in one leg and another leg is bare.”

Doesn’t it make you feel creepy all over? First of all, this creature has more than two legs and I can easily imagine some giant centipede, such a monster crawling along the street limping because of wearing only one shoe (nobody knows where) and very strange tights that leave one of her legs bare! Oh, man! And what has she done with the shoe? How did she manage to put it IN her leg? Did she have it implanted into her thigh, but why? Who is able to sleep after reading it? But for you to sleep well, I will explain the mistakes.

1. We put shoes on our feet. We have them on our feet. A foot is the lower extremity of a leg below the ankle. A leg is a limb from a hip to toes.
2. People have only two legs and two feet. So, speaking about two things/people and having said something about one of them, we should say “the other” mentioning the second.

So, our author should have said:

“I am having a shoe on one foot while the other is bare.”

Of course, you realize that I couldn’t help writing my Halloween story based on this great expression. So, here you are!

I was freezing. I was freezing badly! All my limbs felt numb except one. I tried to think but it was hopeless. My brain seemed to be frozen, too. I rolled myself up into a ball to warm up and wondered how easy it was to do! My body was so flexible that my legs were able to cover my head! My brain finally started functioning and the first thing to think about was “Why do I feel only one foot? What has happened with the other? Have I lost it, got it frostbitten or what?” I dared to open my eyes. I found myself lying in the deep snow right in the back yard. I started examining my body but it was not my body at all! It looked like a body of a giant caterpillar with many legs! I started counting them but I was lost! There were too many! However, I saw a shoe on one foot and one more shoe lying in the snow.

“Well, well,” I thought, “now I do know what has happened! My wife couldn’t stand my spending so much money on my footwear! She threw me out of the house together with one of my shoes for me to know the reason. What to say?” I thought, “She is right! Who will live with a man who buys 20 pairs of shoes instead of one? Should I think about plastic surgery?”

However, I was freezing and started crawling back home scaring people around. Seeing me, they rushed away with the screams of horror. Having no keys, I got in through the window crashing everything on my way with my clumsy body as I hadn’t got used to having so many legs, yet. Being horrified to death, my cats dashed away under the couch. My poor dumbfounded dog stood still in front of me paralyzed with terror. But suddenly I recalled having a parrot!  “Oh, man!” I thought, “I am caught!” feeling him lend on my head. I felt his beak dipping into my brain and…. woke up in a cold sweat hearing the voice of my wife:

“Danny, it is time to wake up and to get ready for the Halloween party.” she said smiling while stroking my hair and kissing me on the chick. I saw a smiling Halloween pumpkin sitting on my bedside table and my wife dressed like a witch. I immediately counted her legs. There were only two! I felt great relief. “At least, she needs to buy only one pair of shoes at a time! I don’t have to work one more job!” I thought kissing her back.

“Just give me a moment, darling! “ I said rolling out of the bed trying to find all my shoes and to tell the left ones from the right as I didn’t want to rub my feet that night. It took me about an hour and I promised myself, “I will be more organized in the future not to be late for work, but not tonight! It is Halloween!” I saw my wife ready to saddle me and I thought, “What trick-or-treat it will be! When we get to the witch’s Sabbath, they all will become green with envy seeing my wife riding a giant caterpillar carrying a 20 feet container with sweets on his back!” I let my wife saddle me, helped her on, took her broom into my teeth and we started out into the night…

Hahahaha!

Happy Halloween, my friends!

Well, my friends! I promised you the happy end and here you are! However, before reading the story, you are expected to read my usual introduction presenting and explaining your mistakes. Hope you will find a few minutes to look through them.

1. “She always gives me wise decisions.” As a matter of fact, people are used to saying words of advice rarely followed. We usually listen to advice, analyze it and make up our mind.
2. A thief wanted to take away a lady’s locket but when he saw her wearing only one shoe he got astonished and asked “Where is your another pair?” Sure, the author meant “the other shoe” but it sounds like the thief wanted to steal all her footwear!
3. “Poor you are, did not your police hero buy her another pair of shoes?” Hahaha! Why should I feel pity on me in this case? We do say “Poor you!” or “Poor me!” feeling/showing our sympathy to others or taking pity on ourselves.
4. “Could not she manage new shoes without rubbing?” I have to admit that “rubbing” is OK speaking about footwear. But ladies try to break new shoes in, especially high-heeled before wearing them all day long . Besides, the negative question, together with “manage” makes my mind blow up!  Dear Bet, she couldn’t break in one shoe for sure!

So, here is the happy end whether you like it or not!      

Well, our poor girl was taken into custody and brought to the police department. She was locked in a small cell all alone and fell down on the bed being utterly exhausted. Her left foot was chafed badly as she hadn’t had enough time to break a new shoe in, not to say it was almost impossible to do wearing only one of a pair. Her right foot was bleeding as she had stepped on the broken glass at the party. Both her legs hurt because of walking in unusual unnatural position for long. She couldn’t help crying bitterly thinking:

“Poor me! Poor me! What for did I decide to rob that store?! Couldn’t I come to the party wearing my favorite jeans and sneakers like others did?” Her inner voice replied immediately,

“Everything is so clear, Sweetheart!! You wanted to win the heart of the guy you loved who remained indifferent to your charm. Your desire can be justified. But now you see he doesn’t deserve your love. He betrayed you once again!”

She suddenly stopped crying, pulled herself together and started thinking.

“Well,” she thought, “we were wearing the gloves and there are no fingerprints either on a shoe or in the store. We broke all cameras. How can they prove it was me?” Her grey cells got some food! She was a smart girl and started thinking up the way out at once. She recalled her right of one call and requested a cell. She called her playfellow and told him what had happened. She dropped a hint about presenting the police another shoe that could have been the other of that pair.

Poor guy! He was head over heels in love although the girl had never paid any attention to his feelings. He was poor, too, but he was in love and knew what to do! He sold his old car. However, the money he got was enough to buy only one shoe. But we all know we should buy a pair! So, he sold his small apartment. At last he could buy a pair! He was happy! He came to the police department with a right shoe of the same size, color and fashion. He told the girl’s classmate,

“Look here, this is the other shoe of that pair. You have arrested a wrong person!”

The policeman exclaimed, “How come? I doubt that any other woman in our town can wear the same small size!” But he couldn’t prove anything and had to let the girl go free.

However, it is not the end of the story. When the girl was released, she decided to take a revenge on her classmate and to help her true friend. At last, she realized who truly loved her. They started living together in her small uncomfortable apartment but they were happy. And she immediately filed 10 million dollar defamation suit against the police and won it! She became quite wealthy in the twinkling of an eye. She could only wonder why no one had given her such wise advice leading to such a great decision. She started feeling confident and decided to study to feel successful as well. She entered Law School, graduated and became an outstanding lawyer who defends such girls like her till now.

Let me say I still have one great expression for my Halloween story!

Enjoy!

I hope you like my funny stories based on your mistakes. This time it will be another story. Let’s say it is a modern version of Cinderella as it is all about shoes!

So, here are the expressions that inspired my imagination.

1. “I bought a new shoe.” Sure, we all know we can’t buy only one shoe.  If people are disable and have only one foot/leg, they have to buy a pair of shoes or shoes anyway.
2. “I was in a hurry so I just could wear my left shoe.” Hahaha!  We wear footwear all day long. Some people may forget to PUT both shoes ON and it will be really funny to see them walk on the streets wearing only one!
3. “Grab your shoes under the bed and wear them!” How to react to this command? You will know if you read my story. If we put something under the bed, we take it from under it later.

My friends, it is just the beginning of the story. Even my weird imagination can’t help me use all the great expressions in one story.

So, let’s start from here.

One young pretty but a very poor girl had been invited to the reunion party where she expected to see all her classmates and the guy she had liked while studying at school. She thought they all must have become very successful and didn’t want to lose her face.  Unfortunately, our girl didn’t have a fairy aunt who could have presented her a great evening gown, high-heeled shoes and a limo for her to look like a princess. So, the girl decided to take the matter into her own hands. She thought everything over. She had been working hard for long but had no money to buy at least a pair of evening shoes! So, she decided to take for free what she deserved. She was not very brave and she asked her friend to help her rob a luxurious store. I have to say, her friend was a male, her childhood friend and he surely agreed. So, they both put on the masks and rushed out.

It was the deep night and everything was going on right at the beginning. The girl picked out a nice dress, tried it on and packed it. She tried on the shoes, took them off and was about to pack them into a box when the alarm system went off! Poor guys! They had to escape as quickly as they could! The young man shouted,

“Grab everything you have picket out and go, NOW!”

The girl grabbed a bag with the dress, a shoe box and rushed out and away. However, being in a hurry, she was not able to hold the stuff firmly and one of the shoes fell out of the box. Sure, she didn’t notice it. She got home, put the bag and a shoe box under her bed and went to sleep.

The next day getting herself ready for the reunion party, she took the shoe box from under her bed and realized there was only one shoe. But what a shoe it was! It was of her favorite color, it was so stylish and desirable! It was sparkling and captivating! She couldn’t stand putting on at least one of a pair.

When she arrived at the reunion party wearing an exclusive evening gown and an exclusive shoe she realized that many of her classmates hadn’t made good careers and were wearing their casual clothes. She started feeling uneasy but when she saw the guy she had been in love with at school, she relaxed. He came up and invited her for a dance. But you know how hard it is to dance having only one high-heeled shoe on! Of course, the guy noticed her limping and asked what the matter was.  Her face turned red and she involuntarily looked at her feet. He looked at them, too and saw her wearing only one shoe. The expression of his face didn’t change and he said with a charming smile,

“Dear Cinderella, I have found you at last!” and took the other shoe out of his pocket together with a police badge and handcuffs. “Your limo is waiting for you” he said cuffing her tender hands...

To be continued….

Hi, my friends! You know every time I read your masterpieces before going to bed, I always see some weird nightmares. This time one of the expressions threw me back to the age of slavery. I don’t mind feeling a slave just for a change. So, here are the expressions that made my fantasy go so far.

1. “My brother tried to eat us out.” Why not if you did something wrong although brothers are usually quite merciful to their sisters. To eat somebody out means to scold, to reprimand, to call down. In fact, the author tried to say that her brother wanted to take her and her family to the restaurant for dinner but it was raining heavily and the roads were flooded. So, the correct sentence is “My brother tried to take us out for dinner.”
2. “I think I passed the date of September.” First, let me ask the author what “the date of September” means. The date is some day. September is a month and I believe I haven’t told you anything new. I know she meant some particular date, September 30, that was the deadline for asking questions in that discussion and the correct sentence is “I think I didn’t meet September 30 deadline.” As to the verb TO PASS, it gives a lot of food to my imagination. I may think whatever I like. I’d like to think the month of September just slipped my mind.
3. “I munched the wafers brought by my hubby.” This sentence is grammatically correct. Americans say “waffles” but it is just AmE. However, I’d like you to know that TO MUNCH means to eat noisily first of all. Well, we all know we should eat noiseless if we want not to eat alone till the end of our days.
4. “A good jobholder.” This noun phrase is correct. It defines a good employee as opposite to a bad employee (unprofessional, lazy, irresponsible). But if we want to define a leader, we should say “a person who holds high post/executive position/top position.” I know, the author meant the director of some company.
5. “Comfortable work pressure.” My dear learners! Any work pressure is stressful, it can’t be comfortable. It may be easy, low,  etc.
6. “I am happy to be shopped.” It is one of my favorite! Sure, you all know when we shop for something we visit stores in order to find some particular stuff. If we go shopping, we go to the store(s) and buy what we need. So, if you use the passive voice (we never do it!) like “I am shopped” my fantasy generates a lot of different ideas. I am a slave who was bought at the slave market, I am a famous store often visited by many nice ladies or… I will refrain from telling more. LOL! As the author told me she had bought some nice wear that day, she should have said, “I am happy to have shopped today. ”I’d like to add I read this great expression right after seeing a terrific ballet “Spartacus”…

So, here is my nightmare.

I woke up but couldn’t open my eyes. My face was swollen and all my body hurt. I tried to move but I turned out to have been put into irons! I heard the chains clanging and felt the pressure of the cuffs on my wrists and ankles. Well, it was not comfortable at all! I tried to recall the previous days but it was hopeless. They seemed to have slipped my mind.  I didn’t remember anything.  The last thing I remembered was my being a boss of the company. I was sitting at the desk reading EC comments in my nice tidy office. So, what had happened to me? Despite holding a high post, I had been a good boss and my subordinates could hardly shackle me and beat me up so badly. I had always tried to relieve the work pressure in the office for them to feel comfortable!

Despite unbearable pain, I managed to open my eyes at last. I found myself in the damp, dark dungeon lighted by the torch. I had some strange clothes on. They reminded me of the Roman Empire, gladiators and centurions. “Well,“ I thought with relief, “I am dreaming! I am sure of living in the 21^st century.” But suddenly I saw three centurions walking toward me rattling the sabre. One of them walking ahead seemed to be a commander. Two others were carrying the plates with some food and a jug. “Wow, it is Italy after all. There may be good wine in the jug!” I thought feeling so thirsty and hungry. When the centurions neared and I looked straight at the senior officer’s face I immediately recognized my cousin brother. “What the hell?” I thought, “He has always been a loser! How come he was promoted to such a rank?” But I asked,

“Buddy, what am I doing here? Where are we? What’s going on?” He smiled maliciously and said,

“What a pleasure to see you crushed and humiliated! At last! I have been waiting for it all my life! I have always envied you, your appearance, your talent, your achievements, everything! I have hated you since our childhood and always wanted to do away with you. But your social status made you out of reach for such a loser like me.”

The soldiers put the plates and the jug before me and I started eating and drinking hurriedly and noisily listening to my cousin with half an ear. He went on without paying attention to what was going on around.

“However, to my great satisfaction and delight, you managed to crush your life yourself. First you wrecked the company you were in charge of by imposing your “humane” rules like a flexible schedule, high salary, casual dress code, friendly relationship. Your director General ate you out but you didn’t stop and wrecked the century-old traditions and culture of the country that had kindly allowed you to live and work there. The whirl of your activities threw that country back to the 1^st century AD. So, here we are, in the age of slavery! As you had destroyed the whole country, you were dismissed from your high post and sold at the slave market. Fortunately, in this century brutal force means more than fine intellect! Thanks for making my career at last! Hahaha! Your rebellious nature helped me become rich and powerful. I bought you at the slave market. Now, you are my slave and I am your master! I haven’t even dreamed about such revenge! Hahaha!”

Suddenly he stopped and harkened. His face changed. It expressed disgust and indignation.

“Stick him on the lances! Now!” he ordered the soldiers. I was still chewing the last bit of meat washing it down with great Italian wine.

“Why?” I exclaimed being about to choke. “What have I done again?”  My cousin gave me his last scornful smile,

“Well, I was not ready to kill you when I found out you dated my girl, I was not ready to kill you when you entered Harvard, I was not ready to kill you when you got your doctorate, I didn’t want to kill you when I bought you at the slave market because it is such a pleasure for me to humiliate and torture you! But now, I will sacrifice my pleasure to watch your miserable state to my pleasure not to hear your munching any longer.” And he ordered his soldiers to execute his order. I felt cold iron and….. woke up in a cold sweat.

“Well, well!” I thought. “I will never read EC comments, my personal correspondence or watch any ballets before going to bed!”

Hahaha!

Here is the link for those who want to see Spartacus ballet performed by the Bolshoy Theater dancers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzJuC4Gj9ME

My dear friends! You know, since I joined EC, I have never slept well and I have seen a lot of different nightmares. This time my nightmare was mostly provoked by your typos. You know that English spelling is not a piece of cake. Only one wrong vowel may change the meaning of a word and a whole sentence. So, here are the words and expressions that made me see one more nightmare.

1. “A battle palm/leaves”.  What should I imagine reading it? I do imagine a very aggressive plant trying to put off with the humanity! Sure, the author meant a betel palm and its leaves/nuts.
2. “People are eaten leaves.” What a nightmare! Poor people! It makes me think that all the trees on our planet decided to take a revenge on us! Yes, they are right, we do deserve it! But I am sure that the author meant some people chew the leaves and nuts of the betel palm. Be aware of the passive voice!
3. “I am eating a branch.” NO, no! I don’t want to imagine an educated well-dressed lady eating a branch of a tree at business lunch! The meal we have between breakfast and lunch time is brunch.
4. “I am having a launch.” Sure, she meant “lunch” but I see a lady being put on orbit or launching me there!
5. “Don’t put off your shoes walking on the wet ground.” I am really thankful for care but I don’t know what I shouldn’t do with my shoes. For you to realize the humor, TO PUT OFF may mean: a) to postpone; b) to get rid of; c) to turn off (electricity); d) to spurn, to antagonize. Sure, she wanted to tell me not to take off my shoes walking on my flooded lot.
6. “I suffer from heal pain.” Let me say I don’t feel like making fun of that but…. First of all, TO HEAL is a verb and we can’t use it as an attribute. Besides, if a wound heals it doesn’t hurt any longer. I guess she wanted to say her heels hurt when she walks too long.

I hope the author will forgive my posting this blog. She has a very good sense of humor and if we all reacted to our mistakes like her, the world would be much better and much saver.

Now relax and enjoy my other nightmare!

As usual, I woke up at the sunrise. I looked up and around and immediately closed my eyes. I thought I was still dreaming. I carefully opened one eye, looked up and didn’t see either the ceiling or the sky. I opened the other and looked around. To my dismay I saw myself surrounded by the wall of palm trunks. I shook my head trying to come to but there was no result. The dense tropical forest was still there and looked very warlike and threatening. I tried to examine and to see my body. Yes, I still had all my limbs and the military uniform on but no boots. I sighed with relief, “”My war nightmares are back! No problem!” I thought, “I will wake up soon.” But it was far from that. I suddenly felt unbearable pain in my left shoulder. I knew the wound had healed after the injury but it hurt so badly that I couldn’t think. I decided to look for the pain-reliever in my pockets and found my cell. I tried to call 911, my wife, my friends but there was no connection and I realized I was doomed to die in that jungle! I decided to relax and to think why I was barefooted and what to do. I saw a lot of dead fish all around! There were so many fish bones that it was impossible to walk bare! I started recalling the previous day and the wise advice of my friend who had told me not to put off my boots. But it was really interesting to know what I had done with them. Had I decided to put them on later or refused from wearing them once and forever? Had they bothered me so badly? Suddenly, I heard the voice: ”Get up, you do know how to survive in the jungle, just do something!” It was the voice of my deceased commander and I followed the order. I knew I had to eat something first of all as I was starving. Again, I recalled my friend who said the leaves were eatable and I thought “Thank you, dear! Your advices may save my life!” I broke off a branch of the palm hoping to eat some leaves and nuts but the leaves became very aggressive and attacked me. They were about to have me for lunch! I threw the branch away, took a few nuts and ate them up……

WOW! A few minutes later I felt as if being launched to the orbit! It was so great! I saw everything beneath. I saw my former university students getting their doctorates.  I saw all EC members speaking fluent English. I saw my green planet without borders where people live in peace and understanding trying to help each other forgetting about the cultural differences and mutual hostility. I saw all people be like one.

But it was just a dream. When I woke up at last, I thought I had eaten too many betel nuts! And I thought I would have them more often!

Hi, my friends! In August we started playing The Wheel Of Fortune again and here are the words we guessed.

SQUEAMISH (adj) defines a person easily made to feel sick, faint, or disgusted, especially by unpleasant images or sensations.

Example: Lila is really squeamish about cats and she never visits my house just because I have one.  

Synonym:  FASTIDIOUS.

INDEFATIGABLE (adj) defines a person who never gives up even though he/she is tired of many failures.

Example: After several failures, misunderstanding and Danny's very harsh comments, Luci is still very indefatigable English student.

Synonym: UNREMITTING.

FREELANCER (noun) It defines a self-employed person who is hired to work for different companies on particular assignments.

Example: The article was written by a freelancer.

Synonym: A NON-STAFF MEMBER.

PRECONCEIVED (adj) defines an idea or opinion formed too early without having enough knowledge.

Example: The same set of facts can be tailored to fit any preconceived belief.

Synonym: BIASED

SUBTERFUGE (noun) means the way used in order to achieve one's goal by deceit.

Example: He had to use subterfuge and bluff on many occasions.

UNSCRUPULOUS (adj) means dishonest or unfair. I would add that an unscrupulous person is one without any moral principles, one who can easily run over others to reach his goals.

Example: Nowadays doctors are becoming unscrupulous and tend to make more money instead of treating patients honestly.

Synonyms: UNPRINCIPLED, DISHONEST.

INSURMOUNTABLE (adj) means too great to be overcome.

Example: I refuse to believe that any of the problems mentioned here today are insurmountable.

Synonym: INSUPERABLE.

CLAIRVOYANCE (noun).  it is ability of some people to predict or forecast some evens. According to the Oxford dictionary it is the supposed faculty of perceiving things or events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact.

Example: He is versed in occult science, in magic and in clairvoyance.

Synonym: PERSPICACITY.

A person who guessed a word had to explain it and to give an example. So, I saved your explanations and add/ correct some.

Now, I propose you to use these words in your short stories or poems if you feel like that. Sure, you can ask your questions if the meaning of some word is not clear enough.

Please, leave the links or post your stories here.

I also hope you will join our game!

My friends, your boring teacher is back whether you like it or not. Correcting your mistakes on Tanya’s last test I noticed you not know what to do with an adverb if it modifies the infinitive. I don’t remember telling you about that. So, let me correct my mistake.

Some of you may think that the position of an adverb in a sentence is unimportant and you will be understood anyway. So, let me try to dissuade you.  We understand what you say. Let’s consider the example:

1.   I have just returned to EC to teach you again.
2.   I have returned to EC just to teach you again.

Both sentences are correct and make sense, but the sense is different. The first sentence means that I returned to EC a few days ago after the long absence still having a desire to teach you. The second sentence means that the only one reason for my returning was my desire to teach you. I believe the difference is quite clear. So, here is an easy rule for you to remember. If an adverb modifies  the infinitive, there may be two cases:

1. An adverb is one of the adverbs of frequency like just, never, always, often, etc. In this case we place an adverb before the infinitive:

                He promised never to do it again.

                He seemed just to return.

I'd like to add that in modern English, especially in the spoken language people often split the infinitive like

                He promised to never do it.

However, I don't recommend you to do it especially in official writing.

      2. All other adverbs are positioned behind the infinitive:

                I like to drive fast.

                He wanted to sleep peacefully.

I hope, everything is clear now and you will be able to correct No9 on Tanya’s test. Sure, you may ask me your questions as usual. I would also like you to write a few sentences using adverbs correctly.

Hi, my friends! You always make my day! No sooner had I returned to EC than you immediately enriched my great collection of your mistakes with a few fantastic expressions! Thank you very much! So, my nightmares are back! Hahaha! I have to admit borrowing some phrases and information from my personal correspondence with EC members. Many things I learned are not funny at all but they helped me think up the plot. As usual, I will not tell you the authors’ names but I believe they will recognize their masterpieces. So, here is what I learned from you:

1. “A language is wide.” My dear learners, a language is not a street or a river. It can’t be wide. It can be rich, complicated, widely-used, etc.
2. “I won’t force my hands to open the notes.” Sure, the author wanted to say “I won’t tire my hands..” Well, we can say “force my hands” but it means different (read my story).
3. “I need to rest my brain.” Of, boy! What a strange desire! The author obviously wanted to say that her brain needed some rest but in fact, she said she had to bury her brain somewhere.
4. “Forget me in the present test.” Sorry, I don’t know how to do it! But in my next test I will surely mention some of the great expressions I learned yesterday.
5. “Was it your daytime nightmare?” We may see nightmares in the nighttime only, when we sleep. But sometimes the reality looks like a nightmare. In this case, it is a daymare.
6. “People can’t walk on the road sides if they are somewhere”. I don’t remember this sentence word for word but the author wanted to say there are no sidewalks for pedestrians on many streets in her city and if there is a sidewalk, it is impossible to walk there because it is blocked up or encumbered or very dirty. So, for those who still have some doubts I will explain. In the city/town are streets. Each street has a roadway for vehicles and a sidewalk/pavement for pedestrians. A road side on the street is a curb, a border between a roadway and a sidewalk. Sure, people can’t walk there as it is too narrow. Outside a city are roads or highways. Speaking about them, a road side means a shoulder of a road and people can walk there if they feel like walking on the dusty ground.

So, here is my nightmare.

I felt dangling somewhere between the earth and the heaven. I was holding on something but I couldn’t force my hands any longer. I knew, I was about to fall off and I looked down to see where I was going to land. I realized there was a city beneath but it was a strange city. There were no sidewalks and the roads seemed not to have sides, they were boundless. The buildings seemed to be unreal like the cloud castles hovering over the streets flooded with the rainwater. There was so much water that I decided I could survive. I let go of the thing I was holding on and started falling. I had enough time to recall one lady’s asking me “Forget me in the present test”. But I thought if I survived I would surely post one more test mentioning her name! Well, I landed but the water was so dirty and stinky that it was impossible to breathe. There were other people in the water and I tried to ask the direction, but my tongue seemed to be too wide and long for my mouth. I couldn’t speak a word and started gasping. Honestly, I was not ready to rest my body in that swamp. I just recalled my being a perfect swimmer and a scientist. I opened my mouth wide, stuck out my enormously big tongue and started breathing like a dog after a long run. I looked at the sun, located my position and wanted to swim free-style as usual but I turned out to be a dog and could swim only like it! When I got home, I felt tired out and thought I would never make my dog swim that far. I was a man again and my tongue didn’t bother me at all. I took a shower and went to sleep so that my body and brain could get some rest.

As always, the first sunrays woke me up. I got up, came up to the window and cautiously looked out. Fortunately, I saw a usual view. The city was noisy, fuzzy but it was real! Cars were running on the roadway, pedestrians were walking along the sidewalks, the curbs were in their places, the sun was in the sky and the water was in the river. I drew an easy breath: ”It was just a nightmare again. What for did I return to EC?” I thought. But, all of a sudden, I noticed my wet dirty fetid clothes and a dog collar lying on the floor. They made me ponder: “Was it a daymare?”

My friends, I hope you will help me solve this riddle!

Hi, my dear friends! You are right, I have been missing you so badly! Where else can I torture my students without being punished? Where else can I hear such sweet words? Where else can I have such a great Fan Club? Most of all I have been missing the possibility of laughing out at your mistakes although you have always enriched my collection. I was "spying" all the time.

Well, I can't say I am back as I will start working a new job soon and I have no idea if I will be able to enjoy your company as often as I did before. But I am back to tease you, to make fun of your mistakes, to share my nightmares and my dreams with you, to make you smile and learn.

As I am used to performing on the stage, I need the storm of applause now! Well, I AM BACK! Hahaha!

Well, it is my last blog. It is not so easy for me to say “Good-bye!” as you became part of my life, but I’d like you to learn at least something from my last lesson. Onee is right, a teacher will always remain a teacher. I’d like you to know the reasons of my decision and to make your conclusions not to repeat such mistakes. This time my nightmares will be based on real events although your mistakes helped me think up the plot. Here are a few words about the mistakes.

1. “To catch a nightmare”. We don’t catch our dreams, we just have them.
2. “You were a good teacher” will really sound good at my funeral, but I am still alive.
3. “I will see you in another life” would sound good if we had many lives. As a teacher, I will say it sounds OK if you believe in the reincarnation. But if you believe in life after death, it is THE OTHER life.

And now, let me tell you my last story and put the full stop. I hope, you will make some conclusions and understand my decision.

A few days ago I couldn’t go to sleep and was just lying still hoping to catch at least some dream. It was hopeless as they all were sneaking off. At last I felt like going to sleep but I heard someone’s piercing shriek:

“Your wife is a whore, an American rag! You are not her first husband! She is a black widow!”

I thought, “Get lost!” and went on chasing my dreams. But it was hopeless. I heard an importunate call: “Wake up, one of you friends offended you and you didn’t even pay any attention. You must reply, just go and do it!” I said, “What? My friend was just kidding and it is ok with me”. I thought that voice would vanish, but it became even more importunate and commanding: “You have offended a woman, just go and apologize!” I knew that woman was ready to go on discussing that matter and was not offended at all and I thought, “Get lost forever!” starting to doze. But it was hopeless!

I felt there was no air to breath and I knew I had died. It was so strange for me to realize what was going on around. My great physically fit body was lying just in the grave as my university decided not to spend a penny for my funeral and did not even buy a coffin after my “feeding” all that lazy staff with my grants for so long. I saw heaps of money disappearing in the pockets of my lazy subordinates who had never cared either about our students or about the development of science. I wanted to cry out, “If your indifference killed me, just think about our students!”  but I was dead and was not expected to be heard. They were all happy to get rid of me at last. They were celebrating!

But I suddenly saw a few ladies leaning over my grave. I had never seen them in my live but I knew I loved them. One of them whispered, “You were such a great teacher I will never forget!” And another added, “I will see you in another life!” and I thought I might have been immortal! But there was the other, who threw a heavy tombstone on my chest and let me rest in peace at last.

But it was not the end. I went on chasing my nightmares. I saw my deceased friend and asked him how things are out of our reality. I asked him why he left me while I needed him so badly. I told him, “Pete, I can’t sing or compose anything! Your death is a black hole! When we try singing we always recall you and we can’t help crying! Why did you leave me? I feel so alone!” My friend smiled at me and said, “I had to die as I don’t deserve living. My son grew up knowing me only by pictures and TV programs. I am so ashamed of not attending his first baseball game he had invited me to and he was so sad! Don’t repeat my mistakes! You have enough time to correct them as there is nothing after death, just darkness!”

I’d like to believe you have got the main idea of my last story. There is no need to leave your comments as I am leaving. I may return one day but I am not sure. I wish nothing but the best for you all!

Any person is allowed to express his mind even before the execution.  Nobody has abrogated freedom of speech, yet. So, let me say a few words. I joined EC as I felt like teaching you good English. But instead of learning, you turned this site into a regular social network. I don't like it and I am leaving. If you feel like saving some of my explanatory blogs, it is time for you to do it. I am posting this blog for you not to start any discussions like "Evangelina, where are you?" I do know, what people will say after my passing away and I am happy they will tell the truth at last. I hate hypocrictes I have always been surrouded by in my true life. I dislike "sweet" comments. You post them if you even disagree. I wish you would be confident and proud of yourselves! Just be yourselves and never apologize if you are sure in your rightness. Don't give up facing any problems. Just fight them and fight your own uncertainty.

I wish you would find a better teacher than me and please, stop all wars here. Contrary to most of you, I took part in a real war and I tell you, any victory tastes bitter if you kill someone in real.

I am not young and I have written my last will long ago. My ashes shall be scattered over the places where I made love to those I liked. I think there will not be enough ashes to cover all that territory. But if I decide to change my will and have my ashes scattered on EC, there will be too much ashes for two I really like and always feel pleasure to commmunicate with althogh I have never seen them in person!

I hope you will find a better teacher who will spend all his spare time with you instead of enjoying his wife's company. I do hope, he will teach you better things. 

I wash my hands!

Well, I should not have told about my feelings here, but I can't stand! Yestreday was my 30th graduation ceremony and it might have been the last. I am not that old to retire but I'd like to change something in my life. Getting older we start undersanding and reappraising old values. After a few recent events in my life I realized at last we are not immortal and it is time for me to live. That is why this last graduation was so inordinary for me. Any graduation is a greatest event in a teacher's life. It is always pride in our students, in their achievements. It is happiness to let them start their own careers. But it is always so sad to realize that we will not see them again! During 4-6 years they become parts of our lives. Sure, I couldn't give into emotions at the ceremony, but I can do it now and I am really sorry bothering you with my sobbing.

Well, you all know my wife is Ukrainian. There is one interesting saying in her language: "If a man built a house, planted a tree and gave birth to a child, he didn't live his life in vain." I didn't do anything of that as I am not a constuction worker nor a gardener and all my life was dedicated to science and teaching. I didn't even think about having kids as I knew they would bother my work and I wouldn't be able to pay necessary attention to thier upbreeding. So, have I lived my life in vain?

It is for you to decide!

Well, as it was me who proposed this time travel, it is time to add my story. Thanks to Estanis we have already visited Spain in 1492 trying to prevent the expulsion of non-Christians. Thanks to Luci we have also visited Austria and consulted Dr. Sigmund Freud. We even proposed him to invent some new therapy for some EC members! LOL! As to me, I will take you to Germany in 1876.

If I could travel in time, I would visit many places and meet many people as I have a lot of questions. But to avoid WWIII on EC, I decided to travel to Germany to meet with Nicolaus Otto.  For those who may not know, Nicolaus August Otto was a German engineer who invented an effective gas motor engine in 1876. Mr. Otto built the first practical four-stroke internal combustion engine called the "Otto Cycle Engine" and as soon as he had completed his engine, he built it into a motorcycle. Otto's contribution in engineering was very significant. His four-stroke engine universally adopted for all liquid-fueled automobiles started the era of many world problems we are facing now. If such an engine hadn’t been invented, we wouldn’t be moving so fast to the razor edge. In fact, we are already balancing on that edge. So, if I could meet Mr. Otto, I would ask him not to turn his bicycle into a motorbike. I would explain him that riding a bicycle is much safer and healthier for him, for others and for the environment. I would tell him what grave consequences of his invention we face living in the present. I am sure that either Mr. Nicolaus Otto or Mr. Gottlieb Daimler or others who were at the beginning had no idea where their inventions might lead us.

Of course, I don’t mean we have to refuse from our cars or motorbikes but I’d like us to analyze the consequences of the internal combustion engine invention. I would say they are dramatic and tragic: air pollution, fatal diseases, oil wars, obesity, high mortality and much more.

However, if I even met Mr. Otto, I am sure he wouldn’t listen to me and would invent his engine anyway! I think he was too lazy to bike and laziness has always been an engine of the technical progress.

My friends, your writing inspire me so much that I can’t help sharing my new nightmares with you! Hahaha! Are you ready? Well, first of all, I will explain the mistakes that made me roll on the floor laughing.

1. “She was wearing a blue shirt and white pant.” The word "pant" (singular) means short breath when a person breathes with short, quick breaths, typically from exertion or excitement. With the attribute "white" it may mean slight pant from excitement. Hahaha!
2. “To be in blue” means to wear blue clothing, but it may also mean people wearing blue uniform and first of all, the police.
3. “To be blue” may mean “to be depressed” or to be blue from cold, fear, etc.
4. “Sip a cip of coffee”. Sure, the author meant a cup of coffee. But let me tell you, we can’t sip a cup. We can sip only liquid.
5. The abbreviation CIP may mean either “a channel interface processor” (the idea I used in my story) or some term used in trade and shipment.
6. The last paragraph of my story is based on the blogs read by me these days. Unfortunately (hahah!), there were no mistakes to make fun of and both blogs are great and worth reading. Thank you, guys! Hope, you are not going to kill me right away. But if you are feeling like that just wait for me to come to Europe so that you will not spend much money for my execution. I will arrive there in about two weeks! ROLF!

So, here is my last nightmare.

The day was just breaking but I was woken up by the annoying cell buzz. Who dared to call me that early? It turned out to be one of my female graduate students. Of course I asked what the matter was and whether I could help. She said I would help her if I immediately came to our university park (60 miles away from my home!) Sure, I asked why she wanted to meet in the park and she replied that our university building might have been wired (bugged) and she wanted to talk to me tete-a-tete. She said she would be in blue (or blue? I didn't catch, I was half asleep). I thought that color suited her. But I started suspecting something wrong. However, I got into my car and started driving to the place of our meeting. I luckily got there without any problems but I couldn’t even expect the problems I might face! I saw my student blue with cold shivering on the bench. She was wearing a blue shirt but nothing more! I couldn’t help asking, “Dear, what does it mean? Why are you almost naked here, in the park?”

She looked at me like a winded horse: “Sir, since you showed up in the classroom I have always been panting thinking about chemistry. When I woke up this morning, I got such “white” pant that I forgot to put something on. I want to be with you and chemistry or …..Will you, please, show me how to melt a cup for me to sip it and to do away with my life once and forever?”

I couldn’t stand it: ”Dear, if you feel like that, let me share this drink with you as I don’t deserve living. Teachers are to teach how to live but not how to die!”

Tears, sobbing and… blackout.

I got home at last. I forgot the keys in the car so I knocked on the door hopping my wife to be in and up. She opened the door but I was so shocked by my student’s behavior that I had nothing to say but, “Why are you still up?” She looked at me as though she had seen a stranger: “Why to ask if you killed your best student? The coffin with her body is in our living room and the guys in blue are waiting for you. She was one of them. You have managed to kill an FBI agent under the cover!” Oh, boy, did I tell her how to do it? I couldn’t think, I took my magic pills (cyanide) out of the safe, swallowed them and my last thought was “I will never teach them chemistry again! I’d better teach them English. At least, their language mistakes are not that lethal!”

One more blackout…

“Darling, I have always known about your being Casanova but why do you call her CIP in your dreams? Is she an IT engineer or you are dreaming about being a part of a computer again? You had better read something from Sigmund Freud as you already sound like a psycho.” It was my wife. Well, I started talking in sleep and I thought, “It is time for me to take a vacation and to travel back in time to stop this disaster! Who knows, the butterfly effect may turn out to be positive this time!”

Well, I decided to go on explaining the sentence patterns although, to my great surprise and disappointment, almost nobody seems to be interested. OK, let it be EC heritage!

Today I will tell you about a few other patterns. I will start with “It is for you..” as one of the learners tried to use it in her reply and did it incorrectly. So, here is the pattern:

• It is + for + indirect object + infinitive +……..

This pattern may be followed by the direct object or the clause. Such a sentence means that a person (indirect object) has to/should/will do something himself. Here are a few examples:

It is for you to decide what to eat (you should decide yourself).

It is for me to correct your mistakes (nobody else but I will correct your mistakes).

It is for us to take care of our planet (it is our duty as nobody else will do if for us).

Of course, we can use the interrogative and negative forms of this sentence:

Is it for me to be responsible for everything? (I ask if I am the only one who is responsible for everything)

It is not for you to tell me what to do! (In fact, I say it is none of your business. I, myself, know what to do)

Now, we can express the same idea using two other patterns.

If we mean that something depends on someone’s decision (my first example), we can use the following construction:

• It is up to + indirect object + clause

It is up to you what to eat.

It is up to us whether to learn or to be ignoramuses.

It is not up to me whether my wife will work.

However, in all other cases when we want to emphasize the importance of the indirect object, we can use the following construction:

• It is + indirect object + WHO/WHOM clause

It is me who will have to correct your mistakes.

It is us who have to take care of our planet.

It is not you who can judge them.

It was John whom I met there.

Meaning of such sentences is the same as in my first examples.

And now, it is for you to decide what pattern to use, but be sure to use it correctly.

As always, I propose you to practice a little and to write your sentences with the given patterns.

Have a great weekend, my friends!

My friends, today I have decided to tell you about a few sentence patterns as I saw such mistakes made by some upper-intermediate students and it is inadmissible because such sentences are commonly used.

The first pattern is

• It takes (+ indirect object) + time + infinitive

This sentence means a quantity of time usually required for anyone or a particular person to complete a task. We can use the verb in any simple or perfect tense as well as we can use this pattern with some modal auxiliaries. Here are some examples:

It usually takes me about an hour to get to work.

It may take you about 30 min to get there.

It had taken me about 5 min to say a single Russian word before I started practicing the language.

It takes a few seconds to reach the second floor.

The commonly used negative form of this sentence is

• It takes (+ indirect object) + not + time + infinitive

It means that we need less than indicated time to complete the action.

It took me not 5 minutes to go to sleep (I went to sleep after a few minutes).

It takes not 10 minutes to take a quick shower (it may take only 5 min).

We can ask two different questions with this pattern.  One of them is “How long..?”, the other is yes/no question:

How long does it usually take you to get to work?

How long may it take me to get to the airport?

Will/May it take (me) long to get there?

The next pattern I’d like to explain is

• It is time (for + indirect object) + infinitive

This expression means that the right time has come for something and we still can do it. Here are a few examples:

It is time for you to go to bed (a child is going to bed).

It is time for us to leave (and we are leaving).

Isn’t it time for you to go to bed? (a child obeys and goes to bed).

We can also use “It is time” with a verb in the simple past form. In this case, it means it is time to do something, but we don’t do it.  The pattern of a sentence is

• It is (about/high) time + indirect object + Simple Past

A few examples:

It is time we left (but we are still here).

It is about time you knew how to behave (but you don’t).

It is high time this road was fixed (but it is not).

Well, I wanted to tell you about other patterns, but I think it is enough for today. I will be happy if you practice a little and write your own sentences using these patterns. You will never learn if you don’t practice. Don’t be so lazy!

My friends, I think you are already missing some interesting writing challenge, aren’t you? After reading and replying Luci’s last blog about our ancestors, I got an idea of the challenge dedicated to the time travel. Let’s travel back in time! I hope it will be interesting, exciting or even thrilling. Honestly, I can’t understand people who think that knowing our history is useless for us living in the present. Mentality of the mankind and each nation is the result of the historic process. And it is very important for us to know our roots, our past, the achievements and the mistakes of the former generations to realize who we are and not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.

This challenge is not going to be humorous or funny. But you all are smart, thinking, well-educated people and I am sure you all have something to say in this connection.

So, I propose you to write your stories basing on my questions:

1. If you could travel back in time, when and where would you travel and why?
2. If you could meet a famous person or your ancestor there, whom would you meet and why?
3. If you could ask him your questions, what would you ask and why?

Of course, I don’t limit your fantasy. The questions are just to give you some ideas. But I do expect you to write something related to history.

Please, leave the links to your stories on this blog.

As usual, I will correct your stories and explain your mistakes.

I believe you will avoid provoking national enmity here and will follow all EC terms.

So, let’s get down to business!

Hi, my friends! This weekend I saw just a horrifying documentary on TV and I’d like to share this information with you.

Well, I have always known that obesity is one of the insuperable problems faced by our society as every day I see many overweight people all around. However, I didn’t know the scales of this tragedy. Now I know that 65% of our population is overweight or suffer from obesity! Can you imagine that? And obesity is not just extra weight. It causes a lot of diseases, early death and many problems in personal and social lives. Then, why do we manufacture special cars for full people instead of implementing some special programs for them to lose extra weight and to stop eating unhealthy fast food? That documentary was about grammar schools in the state of Virginia, but I am sure, the things are the same in Florida and in other states.

You should have seen what those kids eat at school! Pizzas for breakfast and hamburgers for lunch! And they are only 6-14 years old! It is our future generation! When they were proposed to choose between the fast food and the meals cooked by a chef, they all chose pizza and hamburgers again as they didn’t know the taste of the true meals! And such a menu is approved by the Ministry of Health and the Board of Education! Sure, it is not a surprise that most of those kids are overweight. Moreover, the kids under 10 turned out not to be allowed to eat with a fork and a knife and they don’t even know how to use them! I remember my childhood, I was taught to eat with a fork and a knife as soon as I was able to hold them!

Well, as a result of such nutrition, we are surrounded with such big people who can hardly walk and serve themselves, who need special cars or even carts to move around, who come to the beach, take off, dip only they legs into the water as if being afraid to cause a flood and stay there for hours drinking warm beer! As a result, we have cops who can hardly get into the cars or ride bikes not to say about chasing or fighting!

As a result, we have kids who are already sick and many of them are diabetic or need transplantation of different organs and first of all, hearts and livers. It is outrageous!

After watching that film, my wife stopped eating at all as she thinks she has to lose a few pounds! A few, not 50 or 100! Hahaha! She is not full at all! Well, it is her business. The worst thing is that since Saturday she hasn’t been allowing me to eat pizzas, potatoes, spaghetti and even sandwiches, not to say about beer and desert! And for you to know, I have never had any extra weight and if I go on keeping such a diet, I will not survive for sure!

To be serious, I do feel really bad about the problem of obesity in my country and would be glad to know how things are in your countries. Do your nations face this problem, do your governments do anything? And what is your personal attitude to the problem of obesity?

Hope to hear from you!

My friends, I decided to post this blog to explain how to use so called inclusives as the sentence with one of them causes a lot of problems on my current test. I came across such mistakes in many blogs and it is time to tell you about such constructions.

The expressions not only ... but also, both ... and, and as well as mean in addition to. Like entities must be used together (noun with noun, adjective with adjective, etc.). All forms must be parallel.

NOT ONLY... BUT ALSO

The correlative conjunctions not only ... but also must be used as a pair in joining like entities. The word also can be omitted, but it is preferable not to omit it.

• Subject + verb + not only + (1) + but also + (2)

where both (1) and (2) can be

-        Nouns

-        Adjectives

-        Adverbs

-        Prepositional phrases.

OR

• Subject + not only + verb + but also + verb

 Robert is not only talented but also handsome.             

Tom plays not only the guitar but also the violin.                                                      

We writes not only correctly but also neatly.                    

Maria excels not only in mathematics but also in science.

Tom not only plays the piano but also composes music.

Make sure that the not only clause immediately precedes the phrase to which it refers.

Pay attention to the following examples.

Incorrect: He is not only famous in Italy but also in Switzerland.

Correct: He is famous not only in Italy but also in Switzerland.

I'd also like to show how to satr with NOT ONLY. In this case there must be the inversion. Look at this sentence:

Tom not only plays the piano but also composes music.

We can also say:

Not only does he play the piano, but he also composes music.

AS WELL AS

The general structure of the sentence is the following

• Subject + verb + (1) + as well as + (2)

where (1) and (2) are the same as for not only… but also

OR

• Subject + verb + as well as + verb ...

Robert is talented as well as handsome.

Tom plays the guitar as well as the violin.

He writes correctly as well as neatly.

Marta excels in mathematics as well as in science .

Tom plays the piano as well as composes music.

When using as well as to indicate a compound subject, the phrase should be set off by commas. The verb will agree with the principal subject, not with the noun closest to it.

The teacher, as well as her students, is going to the concert.

My cousins, as well as Tim, have a test tomorrow.

BOTH….AND…..

These correlative conjunctions appear as a pair in a sentence.

• Subject + verb + both + (1) + and + (2).

where (1) and (2) are the same as for not only… but also.

OR

• Subject + both + verb… + and + verb…

Robert is both talented and handsome.

Beth plays both the guitar and the violin.

He writes both correctly and neatly.

Marta excels both in mathematics and in science .

Tom both plays the piano and composes music.

• I have to add the following:These constructions are mutually exclusive. It means that we can use only one of them in a sentence.

         Incorrect: He is good both at math and at physics as well.

         Correct: He is good both at math and at physics

OR

                       He is good at math as well as at physics .

• In all constructions (1) and (2) must be parallel. Firstly, they must be the same parts of speech as I have said at the very beginning. Secondly, if there are articles, prepositions, etc., they must be the same in both parts.

         Incorrect: Beth plays both the guitar and violin.

         Correct: Beth plays both the guitar and the violin.

         Incorrect: I have been not only to Europe but also Asia.

          Correct: I have been not only to Europe but also to Asia.

And now, I will ask you to practice a little and to write some sentences using these constructions. And, of course, you can ask me any questions as usual.

Dear friends, I have been asked more than once to write a blog about the gerund and the infinitive. You know there are some verbs and adjectives followed by the gerund as well as the verbs and adjectives followed by the infinitive only. But the problem is that the lists from different sources are not exactly the same. So, I decided to choose the lists from the TOEFL Preparation Guide.

Some verbs can be followed either by the gerund or by the infinitive with no change in meaning:

to begin

can’t stand

to continue

to dread

to hate

to like

to love

to prefer

to start

However, in some cases the gerund or the infinitive after the verb changes meaning of the sentence. I have told you about TO TRY, TO BE SORRY followed by the gerund and the infinitive. Sure, it is impossible to tell about all such cases. But let me tell you the following and it is very important thing to realize. The gerund defines a progressive action while the infinitive defines a purpose.

Let’s consider a few examples.

1.I forgot calling her yesterday. It means that I called her yesterday but I have forgotten about it later.

I forgot to call her yesterday. It means that I didn’t call her yesterday.

2. He stopped looking around. It means the man was looking around all the time and at last stopped doing it.

He stopped to look around. It means he stopped walking (or doing something) in order to look around.

3. Remember to lock the door before leaving. This sentence sounds like a reminder. I am still at home only going to leave.

I don’t remember locking the door. It means I have already left and now I am not sure of having locked it.

Now, if you attentively read the lists of the verbs/adjectives followed by the gerund, you will see that most of them relate to either some past events (recall, forgive, confess, admit and many others) or to the events taking place at the moment or in the past (enjoy, avoid, etc.) But if you attentively read the list of the verbs followed by the infinitive, you will easily see that most of them mean the future or present events.

I'd also like to add that the verbs followed by the gerund can be also followed by the noun or a pronoun, but they are not followed by the clause. For example, we can say

I enjoyed traveling over the Europe (gerund).

I enjoyed my trip (noun).

But we can't say

I enjoyed that I traveled (clause).

So, here are the lists.

These verbs are directly followed by the gerund.

to admit

to appreciate

to avoid

can't help

to consider (in the active voice)

to deny        

to delay

to detest

to finish

to enjoy         

to mind

to need (thing as a subject)

to miss

to postpone   

to practice

to quit

to resent

to regret

to risk

to recall

to resume

to resist

to suggest

to want (thing as a subject)

The next list is the verbs followed by the preposition and the gerund.

to apologize for

to accuse of

to approve of

to count on

to complain of

to confess to  

to congratulate on

to dream of

to depend on 

to decide against

to excuse ( for)

to feel like     

to forgive (for)

to give up

to go on

to insist on

to keep on

to look forward to

to look like    

to object to

to put off

to prevent from

to rely on

to refrain from

to save from

to succeed in

to stop from

to suspect of

to thank for

to think about

to think of     

to warn against

to worry about

Here is one more list, the adjectives followed by the preposition and the gerund.

to be fond of

to be proud of

to be sure of  

to be experienced in 

to be tired of 

to be ashamed of      

to be afraid of           

to be good at 

to be bad at   

to be famous for

to be (get)  accustomed to

to be (get) used to

to be better off

to be intent on

to be capable of

to be successful in

Here are also some nouns followed by the preposition and the gerund.

choice of

excuse for

intention of

method for/of

possibility of

reason for

Now, here are the verbs followed only by the infinitive.

         to agree

         to appear

         to attempt

         to claim

         to decide

         to desire

         to demand

         to fail

         to intend

         to hesitate

         to hope         

         to learn (how)

         to need (with a living subject)

         to offer

         to plan

         to prepare

         to pretend

         to refuse

         to seem

         to strive

         to tend

         to want (with a living subject)

         to wish

        These adjectives are also followed by the infinitive.

           to be anxious

           to be eager

           to be pleased

           to be unusual

           to be boring

           to be easy

           to be prepared

           to be common

           to be dangerous

           to be ready

           to be difficult

           to be hard

           to be strange

           to be able

I know my explanations are not enough for you to feel the difference between the gerund and the infinitive. So, I propose you to write your sentences or some short stories using the verbs from all the lists. Of course, you can ask me your questions.

I hope this blog to be useful for all learners.

Thanks for your attention!