eng8-u5-mistake-detector· UNIT 5. A PLACE CALLED HOME· ~13 min

Unit 5 Mistake Detector: Repair infinitive and gerund patterns

Use the verb or preposition before a form to choose an infinitive or gerund.

Check the word before the verb form. The Grammar Bank uses an infinitive after afford, agree, decide, fail, and want. It uses a gerund after suggest and after prepositions such as afraid of. To make an infinitive negative, put not before the infinitive: not to leave. This is the course pattern; it does not make every split infinitive ungrammatical.

Key terms

infinitive — the basic verb form that usually follows to
gerund — an -ing verb form used as a noun
💡Read the trigger

Before correcting the form, identify the verb or preposition that comes before it.

Rules

  1. 1Use to + base verb after afford, agree, fail, and want.
  2. 2Use -ing after suggest and after afraid of.
  3. 3Use not before an infinitive to make the course pattern negative: not to leave.
  4. 4Make a cause explicit when a sentence could otherwise give two meanings.
  5. 5After to, use the base verb: to rent, to keep, or to visit.
  6. 6In a future-time clause with when, the present simple can refer to the future: I want to become an astronaut when I grow up.

Practice

3 easy · 3 medium · 3 hard

Up to 10 random questions per test

EasyMediumHardMixed