5.

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES

GERUNDS
 We use the gerund after prepositions.
after adjective + preposition

afraid of They are afraid of losing the match.

angry about/at Pat is angry about walking in the rain.
bad/good at John is good at working in the garden.
clever at He is clever at skateboarding.
crazy about The girl is crazy about playing tennis.
disappointed about/at He is disappointed about seeing such a bad report.
excited about We are excited about making our own film.
famous for Sandy is famous for singing songs.
fed up with I'm fed up with being treated as a child.
fond of Hannah is fond of going to parties.
glad about She is glad about getting married again.
happy about/at The children are not happy about seeing a doctor.
interested in Are you interested in writing poems?
keen on Joe is keen on drawing.
proud of She is proud of riding a snowboard.
sick of We're sick of sitting around like this.
sorry about/for He's sorry for eating in the lesson.
tired of I'm tired of waiting you.
used to She is used to smoking.
worried about I'm worried about making mistakes.

to be busy He is busy reading the paper.

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after noun + preposition

advantage of What is the advantage of farming over hunting?

chance of There's a chance of catching a cold these days.
choice between There's a choice between flying to London Heathrow or Stansted.
danger of Peggy is in danger of making a mistake.
difficulty in He has difficulty in texting.
doubt about He is in doubt about buying the correct software for his computer.
hope of There's little hope of catching Schumacher's Ferrari.
idea of I like the idea of setting up a new email account.
interest in There's no interest in writing letters.
method of This is a simple method of finding solutions.
opportunity of There's some opportunity of bringing her parents together again.
possibility of These new wheels offer the possibility of riding tubeless.
problem of He has the problem of swimming too slow.
reason for There's a real reason for winning the contest.
risk of There's a risk of digging too deep.
trouble in He was in trouble for stealing.
way of This is a new way of building a wall.

after prepositions

after After having a shower, I waited for Steven.

before The tablet must not be taken before getting up in the morning.
by I manage it by working much longer than 40-hour weeks.
in spite of In spite of studying a lot he didn't pass the exams.
on She intended on calling her sister.
without He told the joke without laughing.

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after verb + preposition

accuse of They were accused of breaking into a shop.

agree with I agree with playing darts.
apologize for They apologize for being late.
believe in She doesn't believe in getting lost in the wood.
blame for The reporter is blamed for writing bad stories.
complain about She complains about bullying.
concentrate on Do you concentrate on reading or writing?
congratulate sb. on I wanted to congratulate you on making such a good speech.
cope with He is not sure how to cope with getting older.
decide against They decided against stealing the car.
depend on Success may depend on becoming more patient.
dream about/of Sue dreams of being a pop star.
get used to You must get used to working long hours.
insist on The girls insisted on going out with Mark.
look forward to I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
prevent sb. from sth. How can I prevent Kate from working in this shop?
rely on sth. He doesn't rely on winning in the casino.
succeed in How can I succeed in learning chemistry?
specialize in The firm specialized in designing websites.
stop sb. from I stopped Andrew from smoking.
talk about/of They often talk about traveling to New Zealand.
think of Frank thinks of playing chess.
warn sb. against We warned them against using this computer.
worry about The patient worries about having the check-up.

 We use the gerund after the following verbs:

admit He admitted having driven too fast.
avoid They avoid going on holiday on Saturdays.
carry on If we carry on sleeping so badly, we may need help.
consider Ralph is considering buying a new house.
delay I delayed telling Max the news.

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deny She denies reading the book.
dislike We dislike reading poems.
can't help He couldn't help falling in love with her.
enjoy I enjoy playing chess.
finish They finished working in the garden.
feel like We feel like having a cup of tea.
give up Susan gives up playing ice-hockey.
imagine He imagined driving a new car.
include Your responsibility includes taking reservations on the phone.
involve The project will involve growing plants.
justify I cannot justify paying $100 for this ticket.
keep (on) They keep on running.
mention Did Alex ever mention playing baseball?
don't mind I don't mind telling them my opinion.
miss They miss playing with their friends.
practice She practiced playing hockey.
regret Do you regret having mentioned it?
risk You risk catching a cold.
suggest She suggested flying to Cairo.

 We use the gerund after the following expressions:

how about How about walking home instead of taking the car?
it's (no) good It's no good talking to this girl.
it's no use It's no use talking to the headmaster.
spend one's time They spend their time reading.
there's no There's no cheating anymore.
there's no point There's no point in complaining further.
what about What about going to the zoo?
worth The book is worth reading.

NOTE:
Exception: to
Here we use the phrase: looking forward to + V ing
e.g. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

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INFINITIVES

 The Infinitive with to

the first Gagarin was the first to fly in a spaceship.

the last Peter was the last to watch the film.
the next He is the next to get his passport.
I'm happy to be here.
adjectives
It's better not to smoke.
after:
certain verbs
(agree, choose, forget, hope, learn, promise, I learn to drive a car.
regret, want, …)
I don't know what to say.
question words
Can you tell me how to get to the bus stop?
want/would like I want you to help me.
verb + object + to-infinitive I helped my dad to clean the car.

NOTE:

I want to help you. I want you to help me.

 The Infinitive without to

after auxiliaries/modals

can He can run very fast.

could As a boy he could run very fast.
may I may fly to Africa this summer.
might I might fly to Africa this summer.
must I must go now.
mustn't You mustn't smoke here.
needn't You needn't go.
shall We shall sing a song.
should We should sing a song.
will She will cook a meal for his birthday.
would She would cook a meal for his birthday.

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after the following expressions

had better You had better clean up your room.

would rather Susan would rather study for her exam tomorrow.
would sooner I would sooner read a book than watch this film.
why not Why not ask your neighbor for help?
why should we Why should we go by car?
why should we not Why should we not go by car?

after verbs of perception + object (action has finished)

feel She feels the rain fall on her face.

hear I heard Peter sing a song.
notice Mandy noticed the boy climb the tree.
see They saw him climb up the roof.
watch He watched the thieves steal a car.

after let + object

Sandy let her child go out alone.

let
Mother let her daughter decide on her own.
let's Let's go for a walk through the park.

after make + object

make She made Peggy and Samantha clean the room.

GERUND AND INFINITIVE WITH NO DIFFERENCE IN MEANING

He began talking.
begin
He began to talk.
They continue smoking.
continue
They continue to smoke.
Do you hate working on Saturdays?
hate
Do you hate to work on Saturdays?
I like swimming.
like
I like to swim.
She loves painting.
love
She loves to paint.
Pat prefers walking home.
prefer
Pat prefers to walk home.
They start singing.
start
They start to sing.

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 We use the Gerund or the Infinitive after the following verbs. There are two possible
structures after these verbs.
Gerund: verb + -ing
Infinitive: verb + person + to-infinitive

They advise walking to town.

advise
They advise us to walk to town.
They do not allow smoking here.
allow
They do not allow us to smoke here.
They encourage doing the test.
encourage
They encourage us to do the test.
They do not permit smoking here.
permit
They do not permit us to smoke here.
They recommend walking to town.
recommend They recommend that we walk to town.

GERUND AND INFINITIVE WITH DIFFERENCE IN MEANING

Some verbs have different meaning when used with the gerund or the infinitive.

GERUND INFINITIVE

He'll never forget spending so much Don't forget to spend money on the
forget
money on his first computer. tickets.

GERUND INFINITIVE

go on Go on reading the text. Go on to read the text.

GERUND INFINITIVE

You have forgotten your homework

I meant to phone your mother, but
mean again. That means phoning your
my mobile didn't work.
mother.

GERUND INFINITIVE

I remember switching off the lights Remember to switch off the lights
remember
when I went on holiday. when you go on holiday.

GERUND INFINITIVE

stop Stop reading the text. Stop to read the text.

GERUND INFINITIVE

Why don't you try running after the I tried to run after the dog, but I was
try
dog? too slow.

I regret lending him some money. He I regret to tell you that you failed the
regret
never paid me back. lest.

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 passive gerunds and infinitives

passive infinitives: to be done

I didn’t expect to be invited to his party.
It is easy to be fooled by his lies.
The walls need to be painted.

passive gerunds : being done

I don’t enjoy being laughed by other people.
I appreciated being informed about the meeting.
I don’t remember being invited to your party.

EXERCISE 1: Complete the sentences with the correct form(s) of the verbs in parentheses.

1. I like (go) ______________ to the zoo.

2. The play wasn't very good. The audience started (leave) __________ before it was over.
3. After a brief interruption, the professor continued _______________(lecture).
4. The children love _________________ (swim).
5. I hate _______________ (see) any living being suffer. I can't bear it.
6. I'm afraid of flying. When a plane begins (a) _____________ (move) down the runway, my heart
starts (b)_____________(race). The plane is beginning (c) ________ (move) and my heart is starting
(race) (d) ———————.
7. When I travel, I prefer ___________ (drive) to ________________(take) a plane.
8. I prefer ______________ (drive) rather than _______________ (take) a plane.
9. I always remember _______________ (turn off) the gas before I leave my house.
10. I can remember ____________ (be) very proud and happy when I graduated.
11. Did you remember ______________ (give) Jake my message?
12. I remember ____________ (play) with dolls when I was a child.
13. What do you remember _________________ (do) when you were a child?
14. What do you remember _____________ (do) before class every day?
15. What did you forget _______________ (do) this morning?
16. I'll never forget _________________ (carry) my wife over the threshold when we moved into our
first home.
17. I can't ever forget _______________ (watch) our team score the winning goal in the last seconds
of the game to capture the national championship.
18. Don't forget ____________ (do) your homework tonight!
19. I regret ______________ (inform) you that your project has not been approved.
20. I regret ________________ (listen, not) to you when you warned me against the risk of investing
money in the new construction site.
21. When a student asks a question, the teacher always tries (explain) _______________ the problem
as clearly as possible.
22. I tried everything, but the baby still wouldn't stop crying. I tried (a) ____________ (hold) him. I
tried (feed) (b) ____________ him. I tried (c) __________ (burp) him. I tried (d) _________ (change)
his diapers. Nothing worked.

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EXERCISE 2: Complete the sentences with the correct form(s) of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Mary reminded me (be, not) _________________ late for the meeting.

2. We went for a walk after we finished (clean) ____________ up the kitchen.
3. I forgot (take) ____________ a book back to the library, so I had to pay a fine.
4. When do you expect (leave) ____________?
5. The baby started (talk) ____________ when she was about eighteen months old.
6. I don't mind (wait) ________ for you. Go ahead and finish (do) —————— your work.
7. I've decided (stay) ____________ here over vacation and (paint) ___________ my room.
8. We discussed (quit) _____________our jobs and (open) ______________ our own business.
9. I'm getting tired. I need (take) ______________a break.
10. Sometimes students avoid (look) _____________ at the teacher if they don't want (answer)
___________ a question.
11. The club members discussed (postpone) _____________the next meeting until March.
12. Most children prefer (watch) _____________ television to (listen) _______ to the radio.
13. My grandfather prefers (read) ___________.
14. Did Carol agree (go) ____________ camping with you?
15. As the storm approached, the birds quit (sing)___________.
16. The taxi driver refused (take) _______the passenger not wanting (pay) ___________in cash.
17. The soldiers were ordered (stand) _______________.
18. The travel agent advised us (wait, not) __________until August.

EXERCISE 3: Choose the best option..

1. The office staff decided _____________ a retirement party for Dolores.

a. having had b. to have had c. to have d. having

2. I don’t blame you for not _______________ outside in this awful weather.
a. wanting to go b. wanting go c. want to go d. to want go

3. When Alan was questioned by the police, he admitted knowing about the embezzlement of funds
from his company, but denied ____________ in any way.
a. to be involved b. involving c. having involved d. being involved

4. I think I hear someone ________________ the back window. Do you hear it, too?
a. trying open b. trying to open c. try opening d. try to open

5. We considered __________________ after work.

a. to go shop b. going shopping c. going to shop d. to go to shop

6. Jack offered ______________ care of my garden while I was out of town.

a. take b. taking c. to have taken d. to take

7. Could you please come over? I need you _______________ the refrigerator.
a. help me moving c. to help me move
b. helping me to move d. help me to move

8. I just heard that there has been a major accident that has all of the traffic tied up. ıf we want to get to
the play on time, we’d better avoid _________ the highway.
a. having taken b. take c. to take d. taking

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9. The painting was beautiful. I stood there _____________ it for a long time.
a. for admiring b. being admired c. admire d. admiring

10. Jim should have asked for help instead ____________ to do it himself.
a. of trying b. to try c. try d. from trying

11. A plane with an engine on fire approached the runway. _________________ was frightening.
There could have been a terrible accident.
a. Watch it land c. To watch it to land
b. Watching it land d. Watching it to land

12. The customs officer opened the suitcase ______________ if anything illegal was being brought
into the country.
a. seeing b. for seeing c. see d. to see

13. Sometimes very young children have trouble ________________ fact from fiction and may
believe that dragons actually exist.
a. to separate b. separating c. to be separated d. for separating

14. Do you have an excuse ____________ late to class two days in a row?
a. for to be b. for being c. to be d. being

15. Jack made me ________________ him next week.

a. to promise to call c. promise to call
b. to promise calling d. promise calling

16. I got Barbara ________________ her car for the weekend.

a. to let me to borrow c. to let me borrow
b. let me borrow d. let me to borrow

17. I’ll never forget _____________ that race. What a thrill!

a. to win b. win c. being won d. winning

18. No one has better qualifications. Carol is certain _______________ for the job.
a. to choose b. having chosen c. to be chosen d. being chosen

19. I was enjoying my book, but I stopped ______________ a program on TV.

a. reading to watch c. to read for watching
b. to read to watch d. reading for to watch

20. Who is the woman talking to Mr. Quinn? I don’t recall ______________ her before.
a. to have seen b. seeing c. to see d. being seen

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EXERCISE 4:

1. Roger proved that the accident wasn’t his fault by ___________ two witnesses who testified in his
favor.
a. produce b. produced c. to produce d. producing

2. The front door is warped from the humidity. We have a difficult time __________ it.
a. open b. to open c. having opened d. opening

3. Did you finish __________ the office for that new client of yours?
a. to design b. designing c. designed d. having designed

4. It’s a beautiful day, and I have my brother’s boat. Would you like to go ___________?
a. to sail b. sailing c. to sailing d. for sailing

5. He didn't deserve ___________ responsible for the failure in the presentation.

a. to hold b. holding c. being held d. to be held

6. I’m angry because you didn’t tell me the truth. I don’t like _______________.
a. deceiving b. to deceive c. being deceived d. having deceived

7. A good teacher makes her students ___________ the world from new perspectives.
a. to view b. viewing c. view d. to be viewed

8. Please remember _________ your hand during the test if you have a question.
a. raising b. to raise c. having raised d. to have raised

9. It is a lovely drawing, but I think it needs ....... to look its best.

a. to frame b. to be framed c. to have framed d. being framed

10. _______________ in restaurants as often as they do is very expensive.

a. Being eaten b. Having eaten c. Eating d. Having been eating

11. I expect Mary ____________ here early tonight. She should arrive in the next half hour.
a. to come b. coming c. having come d. to have come

12. I advised my niece not ___________ at an early age.

a. marrying b. to marry c. being married d. to have been married

13. Shh! I hear someone ____________ in the distance. Do you hear it, too?
a. shout b. shouted c. to shout d. shouting

14. Last night, I saw a meteor_______________ through the sky.

a. streaked b. to streak c. streak d. to have streaked

15. I don’t like _______________ while I am speaking.

a. interrupting c. to be interrupted
b. being interrupted d. to interrupt

16. Children should be encouraged _____________ their individual interests.

a. develop b. to be developed c. to develop d. developing

17. This room is too dark. We need ___________ a lighter shade.

a. to have it painted c. painting it
b. to be painted d. to have it paint

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18. I’m sorry I never graduated. I’ve always regretted not ___________ college.
a. to finish b. finish c. finished d. having finished

19. Don't you think the assistant deserves ___________ a day off after working so hard at the
exhibition?
a. to give b. giving c. to be given d. gave

20. It is important _____________ care of your health.

a. to take b. to be taken c. take d. taken

21. My parents wouldn’t let me ___________ up late when I was a child.

a. to be stay b. staying c. to stay d. stay

22. Innocent people deserve ___________ from the gunmen and thieves in the area.
a. to be protected c. to protect
b. to have protected d. protecting

23. I called a plumber _____________ the kitchen sink.

a. for repairing b. for to repair c. to repair d. to be repaired

24. He has such an unfortunate manner that I don't know how she puts up with _____________ around
by him all day.
a. to be ordered b. ordering c. being ordered d. to order

25. She has denied _____________ the secret documents.

a. to be given b. being given c. giving d. to give

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RESTATEMENTS

GERUNDS & INFINITIVES

1. What a shame that your cake fell off the table before we had a chance to taste it!
A. It was a waste to attempt to taste the cake after it fell off the table.
B. We were able to taste the delicious cake before it fell on the floor.
C. It was unfortunate that we couldn't taste the cake before it fell off the table.
D. The cake shamefully fell off the table after we tasted it.

2. It was a recommendation from a friend that made us change our minds at the last minute and
go to the Italian restaurant instead of the Chinese one.
A. Our friend thinks the Italian restaurant is not very good, so he suggested at the last minute that we
should go to the Chinese one instead.
B. If our friend hadn't suggested going to the Italian restaurant at the last minute, we would have taken
him to the Chinese one.
C. Taking our friend's suggestion into account, we decided, just before we went, not to go to the
Chinese restaurant, but to go to the Italian one.
D. There were two restaurants, one Italian and the other Chinese, either of which we were considering
going to, but a friend recommended the latter.

3. The shop refused to refund my money because I hadn't got my receipt with me.
A. If I hadn't got my receipt with me, the shop wouldn't have refunded my money.
B. I shouldn't have thrown away my receipt, then I might have got a refund.
C. I couldn't prove that the shop had overcharged me because they hadn't given me a receipt.
D. I didn’t have my receipt with me, so I couldn’t get my money back.

4. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, the company had printed the seminar paper both in
English and in Turkish.
A. There were a few misunderstandings even though the seminar paper had been printed in English as
well as in Turkish.
B. The seminar paper was printed both in English and in Turkish by the company so that
misinterpretations could be prevented.
C. Because of previous misunderstandings, the company decided to print the seminar paper not only in
English but also in Turkish.
D. The company printed the seminar paper in English and Turkish, but they'd made several mistakes,
which caused misinterpretations.

5. Sometimes there are many unknown words in a reading passage, so it is better to use a
dictionary than to wait until the teachers tell them.
A. There are so many unknown words in reading passages that it is easier to use a dictionary instead of
asking the teacher.
B. The words in a reading passage can sometimes be so unfamiliar that one can ask for help from the
teacher rather than looking up in a dictionary.
C. If there are so many unfamiliar words in a reading passage, using a dictionary might be a good idea
until the teacher tells the meaning of them.
D. When there are unfamiliar words in a reading passage, the only thing to do is looking up a
dictionary until the teacher tells them.

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6. I'm not so awake as to start work in the morning until I've had my first cup of coffee.
A. The only work I'd like to do in the early morning is to make myself a cup of coffee.
B. A few cups of coffee in the morning just before I start work help me feel better and work more
efficiently.
C. It is only after I drink my first morning coffee that I feel sufficiently alert to start work.
D. I have to work without drinking a few cups of coffee; I find it really difficult to concentrate on
anything.

7. You have to tell him what happened in the end, and the longer you put off doing so, the
harder it’s going to be.
A. You can’t keep him uninformed about it forever, and telling him will get harder, the
longer you wait.
B. He’ll have to be notified about what happened, and the sooner the better.
C. You never can keep things secret for long, so the best is to tell him about it soon.
D. Surely it’s better to let him know now than to wait until he finds out for himself.

8. The asymmetric shape of the human heart enables the blood to be pumped more efficiently
around the body.
A. It is known that the asymmetric shape of the human heart prevents the blood being sent around the
body too quickly.
B. How efficiently the blood is sent around the body of an animal depends on the particular shape of
its heart.
C. The human heart's irregular shape facilitates more efficient sending of the blood around the body.
D. Some people have irregular-shaped hearts, which can have difficulty in sending the blood around
the body effectively.

9. I can’t help feeling he’s not experienced enough to be given a position of such responsibility.
A. With a little more experience I’m sure he will develop into a highly efficient manager.
B. It is inevitable that one should ask oneself whether he really is the right man for the job.
C. A job of that description requires someone with a great deal of experience.
D. It is a demanding position, and I’m not at all sure that he has the experience needed for it.

10. It is absolutely essential to do some research before you even think of putting a new product
on the market.
A. Many new products had been put on the market before a thorough market research was done.
B. Before you even consider introducing a new product, it is extremely necessary to do some market
research.
C. If you make a thorough research, you will have an idea whether to put a new product on the market
or not.
D. There are many products put on the market without making research.

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11. He was too proud to accept charity when he had difficulty providing for his family.
A. Accepting charity hurt his pride, but there was no point in refusing it as he was experiencing
problems covering his family's expenses.
B. He should have accepted the assistance of his friends to help support his family, but he wasn't
humble enough to do so.
C. As he thought taking charity was beneath him, he refused to do so even when his family wanted
him to.
D. At the time when he had trouble supporting his family, his pride prevented him from taking
charity.

12. He is going to abstain from eating chocolate and cakes till he is slim enough to fit in his jeans.
A. He is going to have trouble adjusting to not eating chocolate or cake, but the urge to be able to wear
his jeans is stronger.
B. Because his jeans don't fit him, he is going on a strict diet, but it's not easy for him to do without
chocolate and cakes.
C. Until he loses enough weight to be able to wear his jeans, he is excluding chocolate and cakes from
his diet.
D. He hopes to lose some weight by not eating chocolate and cakes, and then he is going to buy
himself a new pair of jeans.

13. He succeeded in giving a competent presentation even without rehearsing.

A. It was unnecessary for him to rehearse because he could present confidently.
B. Even though he hadn't rehearsed, he delivered his presentation proficiently.
C. His presentation would have been even more successful if he had rehearsed.
D. His incompetent presentation was a result of his not rehearsing in advance.

14. His determination to turn this old abandoned house into a beautiful home is, I believe,
admirable.
A. In my opinion, he is to be admired for having the resolution to transform this old deserted house
into a beautiful home.
B. He dreams of living in a beautiful home instead of this old empty house, which he believes is
haunted.
C. It is believed that he is convinced that he can change this old house into a beautiful home, but it
seems impossible.
D. He should be admired for his courage in believing he can build a beautiful home at his age.

15. His being discontent with the conditions in his present employment is common knowledge.
A. We know that he wants to leave his job because the work is not very satisfying.
B. It isn't known how he copes with working under such awful job conditions.
C. Everybody knows that he is dissatisfied with the conditions in his current job.
D. He knows that he has to tolerate working conditions in his job although, at times, they appear to be
unbearable.

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