Welcome to your Unit 8 review. Over the past few lessons you have worked with three important areas of B2 English: gerunds and infinitives, modals of deduction, and the language of booking and reservations. In this final section, we will revisit the main points of each area before you complete a short writing task.

Some verbs in English are followed by the -ing form (the gerund), others by the infinitive (to + verb), and a small group can take either form, sometimes with a change in meaning. Verbs typically followed by a gerund include enjoy, avoid, mind, finish, suggest, consider, keep, deny, admit, miss, recommend. After prepositions, we almost always use the gerund: interested in learning, good at solving, without saying. Verbs typically followed by the infinitive include want, need, decide, hope, plan, promise, agree, refuse, learn, expect, offer. We also use the infinitive after too and enough (too cold to swim, old enough to drive) and after would like / would love / would hate. Several verbs can take both forms with a change in meaning: remember doing (recall what happened) vs remember to do (not forget), try doing (experiment) vs try to do (make an effort), and the same pattern with forget, stop, regret, go on.

Modals of deduction let us say how certain we are about a situation. For the present: must (almost certain), may / might / could (possible), can't (almost impossible). For the past, we use the modal + have + past participle: must have, may have, might have, could have, can't have, should have, shouldn't have. They must have left — the lights are off. She can't have arrived yet. You shouldn't have told him. Adverbs of probability add precision: perhaps, possibly, probably, certainly, definitely.

When booking a hotel, table, ticket or appointment, certain phrases are essential. To open: I'd like to book / reserve a table for two, Could I book a room, please? To ask: Is there a table available? What time? For how many people? How long will you stay? To confirm: Could I have your name, please? A double room for three nights, from the 5th of July. The booking is under the name Smith. To change or cancel: I'd like to change my reservation, I'm afraid I need to cancel, Is there a cancellation fee? Key vocabulary: reservation, booking, available, fully booked, double room, single room, check-in, check-out, deposit, confirm, cancel, rate, per night, in advance.

Using polite questions in writing: when writing a booking email, open politely (Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Mr Brown), state your request in the first paragraph, give all the necessary details (dates, number of people, time, your name) in the second paragraph, and close politely (I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully / sincerely). Use full sentences, capital letters, and a clear subject line such as Reservation enquiry — 14 July. In the next part of this lesson, you will practise these three areas with a range of activities. After the exercises, there is a short writing task: you will prepare, write, and review a booking email.

Quick reminder. After enjoy, avoid, mind, suggest, consider, finish, keep, miss, deny, risk, imagine, recommend — use the -ing form. After want, decide, hope, plan, agree, promise, refuse, offer, need, learn, expect, afford — use to + verb. After a preposition, always use the -ing form: interested in learning, good at solving, without saying.

Which option correctly completes the sentence? 'She really enjoys ___ to classical music in the evening.'

Look at the facts: 'Sarah studied medicine for six years. Now she works in a hospital.' What can you say about her job?

You are phoning a restaurant. Which sentence is the most natural opening?

Listen to this telephone conversation at a hotel. Notice the booking phrases.

Read the sentence aloud. Focus on polite intonation and clear pronunciation of 'I'd like' and 'half past seven'.

PREPARE. Before you write, gather your ideas. For a booking email you need to decide:

• What are you booking? (hotel room, restaurant table, theatre ticket, doctor's appointment) • Where and when? (place, date, time) • How many? (people, nights, tickets) • Your name and contact details • Any special requests (a quiet table, a room with a view, a non-smoking room)

Write four short notes covering these points. You will use them in the next step.

WRITE. Write a short booking email of about 80–120 words. Use this structure:

• Subject line: clear and specific (e.g. 'Reservation enquiry — 14 June') • Opening: 'Dear Sir or Madam' or 'Dear Mr/Ms [name]' • Paragraph 1: state your request ('I am writing to book...') • Paragraph 2: give the details (date, time, number of people, your name) • Paragraph 3: any special request or polite question • Closing: 'I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully / sincerely, [your name]'

REVIEW. Read your email again and check the following:

• ✓ Did I use a clear subject line? • ✓ Did I open and close politely? • ✓ Are all the necessary details included (what, when, where, how many, name)? • ✓ Did I use 'I would like to' or 'Could I' instead of 'I want'? • ✓ Are capital letters, punctuation and spelling correct? • ✓ Did I check the gerund / infinitive forms and the modal verbs?

If you can tick all the boxes, your email is ready to send.