A2 — Lesson 11

Fashion & Trends

Gerunds · Verb + -ing · Preposition Rule · Verbs of Preference · Look Forward To · Gerund vs Infinitive · Tense Writing
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Vocabulary: Fashion & Clothes

Describing the quality and condition of clothes — British English. Listen and repeat each word.

Texture & Condition — Материал и състояние

Itchy/ˈɪtʃ.i/Боцкащ / Сърбящ (uncomfortable wool)
Creased/kriːst/Изчкан / Набръчкан (needs ironing)
Scruffy/ˈskrʌf.i/Опърпан / Небрежен (untidy)
Waterproof/ˈwɔː.tə.pruːf/Водоустойчив
Second-hand/ˌsek.əndˈhænd/Втора употреба
Brand-new/ˌbrændˈnjuː/Чисто нов
Trendy/ˈtren.di/Модерен (in fashion)
Old-fashioned/ˌəʊldˈfæʃ.ənd/Старомоден

Style Verbs — Глаголи за стил

To match/mætʃ/Отива си (colour A matches colour B)
To go with/ɡəʊ wɪð/Отива на (this tie goes with this shirt)
To shrink/ʃrɪŋk/Свивам се (after washing)
To iron/ˈaɪ.ən/Гладя
To stand out/stænd aʊt/Изпъквам (be very visible)
To blend in/blend ɪn/Сливам се (look like everyone else)
To suit/suːt/Отива ми (looks good on you)
To fit/fɪt/Става ми (correct size)

Parts of Clothes — Части на дрехата

Sleeve/sliːv/Ръкав
Collar/ˈkɒl.ər/Яка
Button/ˈbʌt.ən/Копче
Zip/zɪp/Цип
Pocket/ˈpɒk.ɪt/Джоб
Wardrobe/ˈwɔː.drəʊb/Гардероб
Outfit/ˈaʊt.fɪt/Тоалет (set of clothes)
Fabric/ˈfæb.rɪk/Плат / Материя
📝 Exercise A: Choose the correct word.
1. This jumper makes my skin ___ — I hate wearing it.
2. The shirt needs ironing — it is very ___.
3. That jacket ___ with your jeans perfectly.
4. Be careful — this jumper might ___ in hot water.
5. She bought it at a charity shop — it is ___.
🎯 Exercise B: Fit or suit? Write the correct verb in the correct form.
1. This dress is too small — it doesn't ___.
2. That colour looks great on you — it really ___ you.
3. The trousers are the wrong size — they don't ___.
4. Short hair doesn't ___ him — he looks better with long hair.
5. I need to try it on to see if it ___.

Grammar Lab

The Gerund — a verb used as a noun. Complete A2 reference with exercises.

Part 1 — What is a Gerund?

A gerund is a verb with -ing that acts as a noun. It is NOT the Present Continuous. The Present Continuous describes an action happening now. The gerund names an activity — it is a thing.

UseExampleExplanation
As subjectIroning is boring.The activity of ironing = subject of the sentence.
As objectI hate ironing.The thing I hate = object.
Spelling: CVCrun → runningConsonant-Vowel-Consonant = double final consonant.
Spelling: drop -emake → makingSilent -e is dropped before -ing.
Gerund vs Present Continuous: "She is wearing a red dress." = Present Continuous (happening now). "She loves wearing red." = Gerund (an activity she loves).
📝 Easy: Is the -ing word a gerund (G) or present continuous (PC)?
1. She is ironing her shirt right now.
2. I hate ironing.
3. Shopping is my favourite hobby.
4. He is wearing a creased shirt.
5. Wearing second-hand clothes is good for the planet.
🎯 Harder: Write the correct gerund form of each verb.
1. shop → ___
2. make → ___
3. run → ___
4. dance → ___
5. put → ___

Part 2 — Verbs of Preference: Love / Like / Hate / Enjoy

Use the gerund after these verbs to talk about general habits, likes, and dislikes. These verbs describe how you feel about an activity.

Always + Gerund

  • enjoy: I enjoy finding bargains.
  • don't mind: I don't mind waiting.
  • miss: I miss wearing that dress.

+ Gerund (general habits)

  • love: She loves shopping.
  • like: I like ironing.
  • hate: He hates wearing ties.
  • prefer: They prefer paying by card.
📝 Easy: Choose the correct gerund form.
1. I enjoy ___ at vintage markets.
2. She hates ___ itchy jumpers.
3. I don't mind ___ for the right size.
4. He loves ___ bold colours.
5. They prefer ___ by card.
🎯 Harder: Complete the sentence using the gerund form of the verb in brackets.
1. She enjoys ___ (find) bargains at the market.
2. I don't mind ___ (stand) in a queue.
3. He hates ___ (iron) his shirts.
4. We love ___ (look) at old clothes.
5. Do you miss ___ (wear) your old school uniform?

Part 3 — The Preposition Rule

If a verb follows a preposition (at, in, of, about, with, for, on), it must be in the gerund form. This is a golden rule — no exceptions.

PrepositionExpressionExample
atgood at / bad atShe is good at matching colours.
ininterested inI am interested in designing fashion.
ofafraid of / tired of / instead ofI am tired of spending so much money.
forfamous for / thank you forThank you for helping me.
aboutworried about / think aboutStop worrying about standing out.
📝 Easy: Choose the correct form after the preposition.
1. She is good at ___ colours.
2. I am interested in ___ fashion.
3. She is afraid of ___ the silk.
4. We are tired of ___ in queues.
5. Thank you for ___ me.
🎯 Harder: Fill in the gerund form of the verb in brackets.
1. He is famous for ___ (be) late to everything.
2. Instead of ___ (buy) new clothes, she visited the charity shop.
3. Are you interested in ___ (work) in fashion?
4. I am worried about ___ (ruin) this jacket in the wash.
5. She is not very good at ___ (match) colours.

Part 4 — Verbs That Always Take the Gerund

These verbs are always followed by the gerund — never the infinitive. You must memorise them.

Group A

  • finish: She finished ironing.
  • avoid: He avoids wearing ties.
  • suggest: I suggest trying that on.
  • keep: Keep looking for it.
  • stop: Stop complaining!

Group B

  • consider: Consider renting instead.
  • admit: She admitted ruining it.
  • deny: He denied shrinking it.
  • risk: Don't risk washing this.
  • imagine: Imagine wearing that!
📝 Easy: Choose the correct form after each verb.
1. Please stop ___ about the price.
2. She finished ___ her wardrobe at midnight.
3. He avoids ___ bright colours.
4. I suggest ___ it on first.
5. She admitted ___ the jumper in the wash.
🎯 Harder: Fill in the gerund form of the verb in brackets.
1. He denied ___ (take) the jacket from her wardrobe.
2. Have you considered ___ (rent) instead of buying?
3. Keep ___ (look) — the right size must be here somewhere.
4. Don't risk ___ (wash) this in the machine — it might shrink.
5. Can you imagine ___ (wear) that to a wedding?

Part 5 — Special Expressions: Look Forward To / Be Used To / Get Used To

In these expressions, to is a preposition — NOT part of an infinitive. This is one of the most common errors at A2 level. Because to is a preposition here, the next verb must always be a gerund.

ExpressionMeaningExample
look forward to + -ingFeel excited about something in the futureI look forward to seeing you at the party.
be used to + -ingBe accustomed to something (it is normal for you)I am used to ironing every day.
get used to + -ingBecome accustomed to something graduallyI will get used to wearing a uniform.
✅ I look forward to seeing you.
✅ She is used to wearing heels.
✅ He will get used to dressing smartly.
❌ I look forward to see you.
❌ She is used to wear heels.
❌ He will get used to dress smartly.
📝 Easy: Choose the correct form.
1. I look forward to ___ you at the fashion show.
2. She is used to ___ early — she starts at 7am.
3. We look forward to ___ the new collection.
4. He will get used to ___ a tie — it just takes time.
5. Are you used to ___ in that style?
🎯 Harder: Fill in the correct gerund form of the verb in brackets.
1. She looks forward to ___ (visit) the fashion exhibition next week.
2. I am not used to ___ (pay) this much for a jacket.
3. He will get used to ___ (dress) smartly for work.
4. We look forward to ___ (see) the new collection in January.
5. Are you used to ___ (iron) your own clothes?

Part 6 — Gerund vs To-Infinitive

Some verbs are always followed by the gerund. Others take the to-infinitive. A small group can take both. Learn these patterns carefully.

PatternVerbsExample
Verb + Gerund onlyfinish, enjoy, avoid, suggest, keep, stop, consider, admit, denyShe finished ironing the shirt.
Verb + Infinitive onlywant, need, plan, decide, promise, hope, would like, agreeShe wants to buy a new jacket.
Verb + Eitherlike, love, hate, prefer, begin, start, continueI like shopping / I like to shop. (Both correct.)
📝 Easy: Choose the correct form — gerund or infinitive.
1. I want ___ this jacket.
2. She enjoys ___ second-hand clothes.
3. He decided ___ a new wardrobe.
4. They finished ___ the fitting room.
5. She promised ___ the dress back by Friday.
🎯 Harder: Fill in the correct form — gerund or infinitive — of the verb in brackets.
1. She wants ___ (buy) the silver dress.
2. He avoided ___ (make) eye contact with the shop assistant.
3. I plan ___ (visit) the sale this weekend.
4. She keeps ___ (lose) her receipts.
5. He agreed ___ (return) the jacket.

Reading: Emma's Fashion Diary

Five diary entries following Emma's week. Every page has a language focus question.
👗

Entry 1: The Big Sort

Monday, 11th December. Today, I started sorting my wardrobe. I found three old jumpers that are too itchy to wear. I also hate keeping creased clothes, so I spent two hours ironing everything. My friend suggested buying some second-hand outfits, which is cheaper and better for the planet. I am tired of spending so much on brand-new clothes. Tomorrow, I will try shopping at a vintage store.

Questions:

1. Why can't Emma wear the old jumpers?

2. What did her friend suggest?

3. "My friend suggested buying" — why is buying a gerund here? (Language focus)

4. What does Emma plan to do tomorrow? (Inference)

🛍️

Entry 2: The Hunt

Tuesday, 12th December. I went to the vintage shop today. I enjoy looking at old clothes because they have history. I tried on a leather jacket, but it didn't fit — it was too small. The assistant was good at matching colours and suggested a green scarf that goes with my eyes. I don't mind paying a bit more for quality. I finished shopping at 4pm and went home happy.

Questions:

1. Why didn't the leather jacket fit?

2. What did the assistant suggest?

3. "She was good at matching colours." — why is matching a gerund here? (Language focus)

4. How does Emma feel at the end of the day? (Inference)

🎉

Entry 3: Party Prep

Thursday, 14th December. Tomorrow is the office Christmas party! I am interested in standing out, so I am planning on wearing a bold silver dress. My sister said, "Stop worrying about what people think." She is right. I look forward to dancing all night. I spent the afternoon ironing the dress and polishing my shoes. I can't wait!

Questions:

1. What colour is Emma's party dress?

2. What did Emma's sister tell her to stop doing?

3. "I look forward to dancing." — why is dancing a gerund here? (Language focus)

4. What does "I can't wait!" tell us about Emma's feelings? (Inference)

💃

Entry 4: The Party

Friday, 15th December. The party was amazing! Everyone kept complimenting my silver dress. I admit I was afraid of standing out too much, but it turned out great. My colleague James avoided talking to me all night — he is shy! I finished dancing at midnight and took a taxi home. Wearing something bold is worth trying.

Questions:

1. What did people keep doing at the party?

2. Why didn't James talk to Emma?

3. "I was afraid of standing out." — why is standing a gerund here? (Language focus)

4. "Wearing something bold is worth trying." — what does Emma mean? (Inference)

🧺

Entry 5: The Cleanup

Sunday, 16th December. I am exhausted today. I spent the morning cleaning my silver dress. I was afraid of ruining the fabric, so I washed it by hand. Sadly, I accidentally shrank my favourite wool jumper in the machine. That is what happens when you stop paying attention! Next year, I plan on renting a dress instead of buying one. It is better for the environment and saves time on washing. Now, I look forward to sleeping all afternoon.

Questions:

1. How did Emma wash the silver dress?

2. What happened to the wool jumper?

3. "Instead of buying one" — why is buying a gerund here? (Language focus)

4. What does Emma's final sentence suggest about her week? (Inference)

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Cloze Text

Choose the correct word or phrase from each drop-down menu. Think about gerunds and vocabulary.

Jake is not interested in (1) fashion rules. He prefers (2) comfortable clothes. His wardrobe is full of old, (3) jumpers that are often (4).

His friend Sarah can't stop (5) about his outfits. She is good at (6) colours and enjoys (7) people look their best. She suggested (8) Jake a new shirt.

Jake agreed (9) something new. He looks forward to (10) something that (11) him. Sarah is excited. She says she will avoid (12) anything too trendy — she just wants Jake to stop (13) so (14)!

Exercises

15 exercises covering gerunds, vocabulary, spelling, and mixed grammar from this lesson.

Gerund vs Infinitive — Practice

Five exercises, 10 sentences each. The verb is given in brackets. Choose the correct form: gerund (-ing) or to-infinitive (to + verb).
Quick reminder: Use the gerund after: enjoy, finish, avoid, suggest, keep, stop, consider, admit, deny, miss, prepositions (at / of / in / for / about / instead of), and look forward to / be used to / get used to. Use the to-infinitive after: want, need, plan, decide, promise, hope, agree, would like, manage, afford, refuse, learn, forget, remember (future action), try (attempt).

Tense Writing Practice

Five exercises, 10 sentences each — all mixed tenses in every exercise. Tenses: Present Simple · Present Continuous · Past Simple · Present Perfect · Will · Be Going To
Read each sentence carefully and put the verb in brackets into the correct tense.