Gerunds vs Infinitives

Gerunds vs Infinitives

Here is a brief review of the differences between gerunds and infinitives:

	Gerunds are formed with ING:	walking, talking, thinking, listening
	Infinitives are formed with TO:	to walk, to talk, to think, to listen

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Gerunds and infinitives can do several jobs:

	Both gerunds and infinitives can be the subject of a sentence::
Writing in English is difficult. To write in English is difficult.
	Both gerunds and infinitives can be the object of a verb (but whether it is one or the other depends on the verb). In the case of the verb ‘like’ both are possible::
I like writing in English. I like to write in English.
But…
	Only gerunds can be the object of a preposition::
We are talking about writing in English.

It is often difficult to know when to use a gerund and when to use an infinitive. These guidelines may help you:

	Gerunds are often used when actions are real, concrete or completed::
I stopped smoking. (The smoking was real and happened until I stopped.)
	Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future::
I stopped to smoke. (I was doing something else, and I stopped; the smoking had not happened yet.)
List of Common Verbs Followed By Gerunds
admit	enjoy	regret
advise	finish	remember
anticipate	forget	resent
appreciate	keep	resist
avoid	mention	risk
complete	mind	stop
consider	miss	suggest
delay	postpone	tolerate
deny	practice	understand
discuss	quit
dislike	recommend

List of Common Verbs Followed By Infinitives
agree	prepare	appear
fail	forget	pretend
ask	hesitate	promise
beg	hope	refuse
care	learn	regret
claim	manage	remember
consent	mean	seem
decide	need	threaten
demand	offer	wait
deserve	plan	wish
expect	prepare	want

2

1. Helium is _____ all gases to liquefy and is impossible to solidify at normal air pressure.

(A) more than difficult

(B) the most difficult of

(C) more difficult of

(D) most difficult

 

2. Every year Canadian ______ about 75 percent of their exports to the United States.

(A) businesses that sell

(B) selling businesses

(C) businesses sell

(D) that sell to businesses

 

3. An innovator, ballerina Augusta Maywood was ___ a traveling company.

(A) to form the first

(B) the first to form

(C) who formed the first

(D) forming the first

  

4. When water freezes in the cracks of rocks, _____ expands, causing the rocks to break apart.

(A) it

(B) but

(C) then

(D) and

 

5. With x-ray microscopes scientists can see through live insects ___ even through solid pieces of metal.

(A) however

(B) nevertheless

(C) or

(D) yet

 

6. Dennis Chavez of New Mexico _____ to the House of Representatives in 1930 and to the Senate in 1938.

(A) when elected

(B) elected

(C) who was elected

(D) was elected

 

7. _______ are not leached out of soil, reclamation procedures are needed to restore the land’s productivity.

(A) For concentration of salt

(B) Salt concentrations that

(C) If salt concentrations

(D) With concentrations of salt

 

 8. ______ social crusade aroused Elizabeth Williams’ enthusiasm more than the expansion of educational facilities for immigrants to the United States.

(A) No

(B) Nothing

(C) Not

(D) None

 

9. ______ as 2500 B.C., the Egyptians used mirrors made of highly polished metal.

(A) In early

(B) As early

(C) Early

(D) Was as early

 

10. The quantum theory states ______, such as light, is given off and absorbed in tiny definite units called quanta or photons.

(A) energy that

(B) that it is energy

(C) it is energy

(D) that energy

 

11. Quails typically have short rounded wings that enable _______ spring into full flight instantly when disturbed in their hiding places.

(A) they

(B) to their

(C) its

(D) them to

 

12. Geysers are found near rivers and lakes, where water drains through the soil ______.

(A) surface below the deep

(B) deep below the surface

(C) the deep below surface

(D) the deep surface below

  

13. Algebra generalizes certain basic laws _____ the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of all numbers.

(A) govern

(B) that govern

(C) have governed

(D) which they govern

  

14. Even at low levels,______

(A) the nervous system has produced detrimental effects by lead

(B) lead’s detrimental effects are producing the nervous system

(C) lead produces detrimental effects on the nervous system

(D) the detrimental effects produced by lead on the nervous system

 

15. _____ a lonely and rugged life, far from home and family.

(A) However the early gold prospector often lived

(B) The early gold prospector often lived

(C) Not only did the early gold prospector often live

(D) The early gold prospector often living

 

"When do I use the past perfect"

1) the correct sentence in each pair.
1 a Sarah looked different because she had lost weight
   b Sarah looked different because she lost weight
2 a I'd worked for five years by the time I started college last year.
   b I’d worked for five years by the time I'd started college last year.

We use the past perfect when we talk about the past and we want to refer to something that happened before this:
By the time the fire brigade arrived, the building had burnt down.
The dog ran down the street. It had jumped out of the car.
* Notice how we often use the past perfect and the past simple together.

We often use the past perfect after a reporting verb in the past:
David asked me if Sarah had lost weight.

We often use the past perfect when we talk about past events out of sequence. To talk about events in the same order as they happened, we use the past simple:
The dog jumped out of the car. It ran down the street. (after jumping out of the car)

Answer key:
1. a
2. a
2) Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs.

She asked me if I .......... had seen .......... (see) her cat.
 When Paul started university he .................... (never live) away from home before.
 There's no point in going now! We .................... (miss) the start of the film.
 We arrived at the party at midnight, but most people .................... (leave) by then.
 I was held up at work, so by the time I .................... (arrive), they .................... (stop) serving hot food.
 Typical! Just as I got into the bath the telephone .................... (ring)!
 When she got home she .................... (realise) she .................... (forget) her keys.
 Why didn't you tell me you .................... (change) your telephone number?

4

1 .Hanya Holm is a doctor, choreographer, and ---.
（A）dance that she teaches
（B）her teaching of dance
（C）to teach dancing
（D）dance teacher

2. During an eclipse of the Sun, --- in the shadow of the Moon.
（A）the Earth lies
（B）the Earth when lying
（C）that the Earth lies
（D）the lying Earth

3. Under the influence of Ezra Pound, Hilda Doolittle became associated with the Imagists and --- into one of the most original poets of the group.
（A）developed
（B）to be developed
（C）who developing
（D）developing it

4. --- all rainwater falling from a cloud reaches the ground; some of it is lost through evaporation.
（A）Nowhere
（B）Not
（C）No
（D）None

5. In an area first explored by Samuel de Champlain, --- .
（A）establishment of the city of Halifax in 1749
（B）in 1749 the city of Halifax established
（C）in 1749,establishing the city of Halifax
（D）the city of Halifax was established in 1749

6. A nation’s merchant marine is made up of its commercial ships and the people --- them.
（A）they operate
（B）who operate
（C）they operate of
（D）do they operate

77 -- Nat Turner who led a revolt against slavery in Virginia in 1831.
（A）Where was
（B）It was
（C）He was
（D）That he was

8. The most elaborate of all bird nests ---,domed communal structure built by
social weaverbirds.
（A）larger
（B）largely is
（C）the large
（D）is the large

9. William Walker’s mural, “ Wall of Respect”, --- an outdoor wall in Chicago, deals
with social issues.
（A）covers
（B）covers it
（C）which covers
（D）which it covers

10. Studies of the gravity field of the Earth indicate --- yield when unusual weight is
placed on them.
（A）although its crust and mantle
（B）its crust and mantle to
（C）that its crust and mantle
（D）for its crust and mantle to

11. The columbine flower, --- to nearly all of the United States, can be raised from seed
in almost any garden.
（A）native
（B）how native is
（C）how native is it
（D）is native

12. The photoperiodic response of algae actually depends on the duration of darkness, --- .
（A）the light is not on
（B）and not on light
（C）but is not on the light
（D）is not on light

13. ---, the first Black denomination in the United States.
(A) Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church
(B) Richard Allen, who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church
(C) The African Methodist Episcopal Church founded by Richard Allen
(D) The foundation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church by Richard Allen

14. The annual worth of Utah’s manufacturing is greater than --- .
(A) that of its mining and farming combined
(B) mining and farming combination
(C) that mining and farming combined
(D) of its combination mining and farming

15. The wallflower --- because its weak stems often grow on walls and along stony cliffs for support.
(A) so called is
(B) so is called
(C) is so called
(D) called is so

grammar test 1

1. Sand is formed by the weathering and decomposition of all types of rock, _________ most abundant mineral constituent being quartz.

A. and its

B. since its

C. its

D. it is

 

2. _________ in the daytime for most of the year, the groundhog hibernates in a burrow during winter.

A. Is active

B. That it is active

C. Active

D. While is active

 

 

3. The wood of elm trees is used in shipbuilding and in _________ barrels, furniture, flooring, and sporting goods.

A. to make

B. as made

C. making

D. to have made

 

4. In 1867 Russia sold Alaska to the United States, and in 1958 _________ the forty-ninth state.

A. Alaska’s becoming

B. Alaska became

C. when Alaska became

D. Alaska to become

 

5. Almost _________ countries use the decimal system.

A. all

B. all of

C. all of which

D. of all

 

 

6. _______ allows the skin and thus the body to be cooled.

A. Sweat evaporates

B. When sweat evaporates

C. Sweat, the evaporation of which

D. The evaporation of sweat

 

7. Activities such as writing down notes will generally lead to faster learning _________just listening to or reading facts.

A. than

B. than is

C. whereas

D. in that

 

8. The Dallas Civic Opera has earned _________ since its initial production debuted in 1957.

A. an international reputation and

B. an international reputation was

C. what an international reputation

D. an international reputation

 

9. Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1846, Henry Eugene Abbey became the ________ of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City in 1883.

A. first manager was

B. first manager

C. manager who first

D. manager was the first

 

10. A covered bridge is built of wooden timbers _________ supporting trusses and a floor and are protected from weather by a roof.

A. when form

B. so form

C. form

D. that form

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