Unit 5 · Health & Wellbeing · Lesson 22
Worth the Effort
Decide, manage, avoid, keep, remember, stop — each one demands a different form. Learn the patterns, the meaning shifts and the prepositions that always take -ing.
Warm-up · §1
5 minGet talking
What habit have you given up — or tried to give up — in the last two years?
What do you manage to do every week, even when you don't feel like it?
Name one healthy change that turned out to be worth doing. And one that wasn't.
Grammar focus · §2
8–10 minGerund or infinitive — the verb decides
Quick rule
The FIRST verb chooses. Learn verbs together with their pattern: 'decide TO', 'avoid -ING'. After a preposition, always -ING.
When to use it
- Talking about habits, plans and decisions — the core of health and lifestyle language.
- Writing about change: 'I've given up…', 'I've decided to…'.
- Sounding accurate in exams, where verb patterns are tested constantly.
Pattern builder
verb + -ing
enjoy / avoid / keep / give up / consider + -ing
e.g. I avoid eating late.
verb + to
decide / manage / promise / refuse + to + verb
e.g. I managed to sleep eight hours.
preposition + -ing
about / on / in / without + -ing
e.g. She insisted on paying.
verb + object + to
advise / persuade / want + object + to + verb
e.g. The doctor advised me to rest.
meaning change
stop / remember / forget / try + -ing OR to
e.g. I stopped smoking. / I stopped to smoke.
Compare
| -ing means… | to + infinitive means… | Example pair |
|---|---|---|
| stop -ing = end the activity | stop to = pause in order to do | I stopped eating sugar. / I stopped to eat. |
| remember -ing = a memory | remember to = don't forget the task | I remember taking it. / Remember to take it. |
| try -ing = experiment | try to = make an effort | Try drinking more water. / Try to drink more water. |
Examples
- →
I've given up drinking coffee after four.
- →
She decided to see a doctor the same week.
- →
I can't stand queuing at the pharmacy.
- →
He managed to run five kilometres without stopping.
- →
I'm thinking about joining a swimming club.
- →
I stopped to breathe. / I stopped breathing for a second.
Common mistakes
I enjoy to run.
✓ I enjoy running.
'Enjoy' always takes the -ing form.
I'm thinking about to join a gym.
✓ I'm thinking about joining a gym.
After a preposition, use -ing.
He managed running 10k.
✓ He managed to run 10k.
'Manage' takes to + infinitive.
Natural English
Store verbs as two-word chunks in your notebook: 'avoid -ing', 'refuse to'. Never write the verb alone — the pattern is half the word.
Deep dive (full explanation)
When one verb follows another, the first verb decides the form of the second. Some verbs take the -ing form: enjoy, avoid, keep, give up, consider, can't stand, suggest, mind. Some take to + infinitive: decide, manage, promise, refuse, offer, hope, agree, afford, seem. After every preposition — about, on, in, of, at, without — you always use -ing: 'I'm thinking about joining a gym.' A small group takes both with almost no change in meaning: start, begin, continue, like, love, hate. And a very useful group changes meaning completely: remember, forget, stop, try, regret.
Step 1 · Notice the pattern— build the sentence before you analyse it
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Step 2 · Test the rule
Quick check 1.'I can't stand ___ in queues.'
Quick check 2.'We agreed ___ earlier next week.'
Step 3 · Use it in context— longer, less supported items
Question 1.'I've given up ___ coffee after four.'
Question 2.'She decided ___ a doctor.'
Question 3.'I'm thinking about ___ a gym.'
Question 4.'He managed ___ five kilometres.'
Question 5.Which means 'don't forget the task'?
Vocabulary · §3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
to give something up
to stop doing something permanently.
to cut down on
to reduce the amount of something.
to stick to
to continue with a plan without stopping.
willpower
the strength to resist what you want.
a setback
a problem that delays your progress.
sustainable
able to be continued long-term.
moderation
doing something in sensible amounts.
to build up
to increase gradually.
a trigger
something that starts an unwanted habit.
worth it
good enough to justify the effort.
Step 1 · Sort first— what belongs with what?
Step 2 · Pin the meaning
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Step 3 · Produce— now say it about you
Activate it now
Answer with a full verb pattern each time.
- Make it yours#1
Name something you've decided to cut down on this year, and why.
to cut down on - Your view#2
Is willpower real, or is it just good planning? Use 'avoid -ing' and 'manage to'.
willpowersustainable - Complete#3
Finish: 'I keep ___ , even though I've promised to ___ .'
to stick to - Rank#4
Rank the hardest to give up: sugar, screens, late nights, coffee. Explain each choice.
to give something upa trigger - Discuss#5
Describe a setback that turned out to be worth it.
a setbackworth it
Pronunciation · §4
3–4 minWeak 'to' before an infinitive
In natural speech, the 'to' of an infinitive is almost never said as 'too'. It weakens to /tə/ and joins the verb before it: 'decided-tə-see', 'managed-tə-run', 'promised-tə-call'. Saying a strong TO makes the sentence sound slow and read-aloud.
- I decided tə see a doctor.
- I managed tə run five k.
- She promised tə call.
- I've agreed tə try.
Reading · §5
8–10 minThe Year I Stopped Trying to Be Perfect
Listen to the passage
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
In January I decided to change everything at once. I gave up sugar, promised to run four times a week, and agreed to a 6 a.m. alarm that I still resent. By February I had failed at all three. That, apparently, is the normal pattern: people who try to change five things tend to keep none of them. So I started again with one. I chose walking, because I couldn't imagine hating it. Twenty minutes, most days, no target pace. What surprised me was how much the small version survived. I kept walking through a fortnight of rain, through two work crises and through the week I forgot to charge my watch and stopped counting steps altogether. Nobody was measuring me, so there was nothing to fail at. By summer I had built up to an hour without noticing, and I'd stopped thinking of it as exercise at all. I still avoid the 6 a.m. alarm. I've decided to accept that some things are simply not worth doing badly for a lifetime. One sustainable habit beat five ambitious ones, and it wasn't close.
Step 1 · Scan for evidence— decide true or false, then underline your proof
Q1.All three January changes had failed by February.
Q2.She set a target pace for her walks.
Q3.She eventually walked for about an hour.
Step 2 · Read between the lines— inference and attitude
Question 1.What did the writer do in January?
Question 2.Why did she choose walking?
Question 3.Why did the habit survive?
Question 4.What is her conclusion?
Listening · §6
8–10 minA physiotherapist advising a patient about a new routine (about 1:30)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Physio:So, how's the knee? Have you managed to do the exercises?
Tomas:Some days. I keep forgetting to do the evening set.
Physio:That's very common. Try doing them straight after you brush your teeth — attach them to something you already do.
Tomas:I've been thinking about setting an alarm instead.
Physio:Alarms get ignored. Habits stick. I'd advise you to keep the set short — six minutes, not twenty.
Tomas:Honestly, I've been avoiding the stairs too. They hurt.
Physio:Don't avoid them completely. Build up gradually — one flight this week, two next.
Tomas:And running? I promised myself I'd run by June.
Physio:Wait. If you start running now, you risk undoing three months of work. In September, yes.
Tomas:Fine. Six minutes, after teeth, no running until September. I can stick to that.
Step 1 · First listening— tick only the phrases you hear
Step 2 · Second listening— now check the details
Question 1.What has Tomas been forgetting?
Question 2.What does the physio suggest?
Question 3.What does she say about the stairs?
Question 4.When can he run?
Exam skills · §7
5 minStrategy focus — Verb patterns in sentence transformation
Task
Transformation tasks love verb patterns: 'I'm sorry I shouted.' → REGRET → 'I regret ___ .' You must supply both the pattern and the form.
Strategy
Identify the key word's pattern before you write anything. Ask: does it take -ing, to, or object + to? Then check the tense and the word limit. Most lost marks come from the pattern, not the vocabulary.
Example
'It's a bad idea to eat late.' → AVOID → 'You should avoid eating late.' ('Avoid' takes -ing, never 'to eat'.)
Practice · §8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Step 1 · Retrieval— write the missing language from memory
Q1.'I'm thinking about ___ a gym.' (join)
Q2.'She managed ___ eight hours.' (sleep — two words)
Q3.'I can't stand ___ in queues.' (wait)
Step 2 · Check yourself— try it from memory, then reveal the options
Try each sentence from memory first — then reveal the options to check yourself.
Question 1.I've given up ___ late at night.
Question 2.She refused ___ the appointment.
Question 3.The doctor advised me ___ more water.
Question 4.I'm not very good at ___ to a plan.
Question 5.Remember ___ your tablets tonight.
Question 6.He stopped ___ two years ago and hasn't started again.
Writing · §9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 130–170 word forum reply to someone who says: 'I keep failing at every healthy habit I start.' Use at least FOUR verb + -ing patterns and FOUR verb + to patterns, and include one meaning-change pair (stop / remember / try).
Step 1 · Analyse the model— how does the writer open, link ideas and close?
Model answer
You're not failing — you're starting too many things at once. I spent three years promising to change five habits every January, and I managed to keep exactly none of them. What finally worked was choosing one thing so small I couldn't imagine giving it up: twenty minutes of walking, most days. My honest advice is this. Avoid measuring everything; the numbers turn a habit into a test. Try attaching the new habit to something you already do, rather than trying to find spare willpower at nine in the evening. And stop treating a bad week as proof that you can't do it — I stopped counting steps for a fortnight and the walking survived anyway. Remember to make it sustainable rather than impressive. Nobody ever regretted starting too gently, and plenty of us regret trying to do everything at once.
Step 2 · Rewrite in your own words— same purpose and register, your own content
Your answer
Self-edit before you finish
- • Is the register right for the reader?
- • Did you use this lesson's target grammar at least twice?
- • Any repeated words you could upgrade with today's vocabulary?
Speaking · §10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
ROLEPLAY — The Health Check. Partner A explains a habit they want to change. Partner B gives advice using 'I'd advise you to…', 'Try -ing…', 'Avoid -ing…', 'You might consider -ing…'. Speak for 90 seconds each, then swap.
How to run it: rank the phrases below — choose the three you will definitely use and cross out one you would never say. Then take opposite positions and negotiate to an agreement in three minutes.
Rank these — which three will you use?
- • I've decided to…
- • I've given up -ing…
- • I keep -ing, unfortunately.
- • I'd advise you to…
- • Have you considered -ing…?
- • Try -ing it for a week.
- • I'm thinking about -ing…
Step 1 · Warm up on script first— get the moves right, then improvise
- FriendYou said you'd start running in January.
- You_______________
- FriendSo what are you doing instead?
- You_______________
- FriendDoes it actually work?
- You_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Optional teacher-led activities. ~25 min total
Homework · §11
Take-homeTake it home
Write the 150-word forum reply above about a habit you've genuinely tried to change.
Make two columns — verb + -ing and verb + to — and fill each with ten verbs from this lesson, with one example sentence each.
Record 90 seconds of advice for someone starting a new routine, using at least six different verb patterns.
Write true sentences with: cut down on, stick to, setback, sustainable, trigger, worth it.
Recap · §12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- You can choose correctly between the -ing form and to + infinitive after common verbs.
- You know that every preposition is followed by -ing.
- You can use stop, remember, forget and try with the right meaning.
- You can talk about changing habits with accurate, natural verb patterns.
Grammar · Vocabulary · Speaking · Review
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