GERUNDS & INFINITIVES

The TO-INFINITIVE is used:

1) After certain verbs

afford, agree, ask, attempt, can’t wait, decide, deserve, expect, fail, hope, learn, manage, need, offer, plan, pretend,
promise, refuse, seem, want, wish, would like

I can’t afford to buy a house. Simon was in a difficult situation, so I agreed to help him.

Karen asked to see the doctor. He attempted to escape through a window.

I can't wait to tell Gloria the good news. It was late, so we decided to take a taxi home.

They certainly deserved to win that match. He didn’t expect to see me.

I waved to Karen but failed to attract her attention. I hope to see you again soon.

How old were you when you learnt to drive? She managed to finish her work early.

I need to have your opinion. My father's offered to take us to the airport.

I’m planning to have a party. He pretends not to understand.

I promised not to be late. I absolutely refuse to take part in anything illegal.

They seem to have plenty of money. I want to tell you something.

She wishes to come with us. Would you like to go to London?

2) After an object

advise, allow, ask, encourage, expect, force, invite, need, permit, persuade, remind, teach, tell, want, warn,
would like

Ted advised her to leave London. My father allowed me to use his car.

I didn’t ask you to pay for the meal. My parents encouraged me to go back to college.

I didn’t expect him to stay so long. They forced him to tell the truth.

Her family invited me to stay with them for a few weeks. I need you to help me with the cooking.

The security system will not permit you to enter without the correct password.

I persuaded him to come for a visit. Can you remind me to phone Kelly tomorrow?

Who taught you to drive? The doctor told me to take these pills.

I want you to be happy. Tim said the switch was dangerous and warned me

not to touch it.

Would you like me to go now?

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* help + object + to-infinitive or help + object + simple form

Can you help me to move this table? Can you help me move this table?

** advise / allow / encourage / forbid / permit + object + to-infinitive but

advise / allow / enrourage / forbid / permit + -ing

I strongly advise you to sell your old car. I advise selling your old car.

They don’t allow us to eat in class. They don’t allow eating in class.

I encourage my students to speak freely in the class. I encourage speaking freely in the class.

The headmistress has forbidden children to sing in the corridors.

The headmistress has forbidden singing in the corridors.

They don’t permit us to smoke here. They don’t permit smoking here.

*** cost + money / take + time + to-infinitive

It costs a lot of money to build a hospital. How much did it cost him to build a hospital?

It takes many days to ride from L.A. to San Francisco.

John was a poor immigrant, but it didn’t take him long to become rich.

3) After certain adjectives

afraid*, glad, happy, likely, lucky, prepared, proud*, ready, sad, shocked, surprised

I’m not afraid to tell her the truth. Jane was eager to read me the poem that she had written.

I’m glad to be back home. John will be so happy to see you.

Young drivers are far more likely to have accidents than older drivers.

I’m lucky to be in Istanbul. People are not really prepared to talk about these kinds of personal

problems.

Ann is proud to be a college graduate. Are you ready to leave?

He was reluctant to talk about his private life.

He was relieved to see Jeannie reach the other side of the river safely.

I was very sad to hear that he had died. I was shocked to see how ill he was.
John was surprised to get Adam’s letter.

* afraid & proud can be followed by a gerund too:

I’m not afraid of telling her the truth. Ann is proud of being a graduate student.

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4) After certain nouns

It’s time to go. It’s a good idea to ask for help.

I didn’t agree with the decision to close down the factory. There’s no need to ask for permission.

It’s a mistake to think that violence can bring a solution to our problems.

5) After certain expressions with it

It + be + adjective + to-infinitive

dangerous, difficult, easy, expensive, fun, good, great, hard, important, impossible, necessary, possible, sad,
wrong

It is dangerous to take more than the recommended dose of tablets.

It will be very difficult to prove that they are guilty. It is easy to see why he's so popular.

It is expensive to live in Istanbul. It is fun to ride a horse.

It is so good to see you after all this time! It is great to be home.

It is hard to say which of them is lying. It is important to arrive on time.

It was impossible to sleep because of the noise. It’s not necessary to wear a tie.

Is it possible to buy tickets in advance? It was sad to see them arguing.

It is wrong to assume that technological advance brings higher quality of life.

It + be + adjective + of + (pro)noun + to-infinitive

It’s kind of you to help me. It was very rude of him to treat you like that.

It was careless of me to leave the key in the house. It was foolish of him to go fishing on the lake in thick fog.

It + be + noun + to-infinitive

time, a good / bad idea, mistake

It is time to go.

It’s not a good idea to drive for hours without a rest.

It is a mistake to think that violence can bring a solution to our problems.

It + be + adjective / noun + for somebody + to-infinitive

It is difficult for Europeans to learn Japanese. It is possible for some students to get financial aid.

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It is necessary for the manager to choose the best candidate for the job.

It isn’t easy for me to talk about myself. It was hard for her to leave her last job.

It is a good idea for us to travel in separate cars. It was a big mistake for them not to keep John as manager.

→ Compare:

It is important to arrive on time. Arriving on time is important.

It isn’t easy to to climb to the top of a mountain. Climbing to the top of a mountain isn’t easy.

It is fun to ride a horse. Riding a horse is fun.

* There is no difference in meaning between an infinitive subject and a gerund subject.

5) To show purpose

You can use the Internet (in order) to find job information. I need a car (in order) to get to work.

I’m saving my money (in order) to buy a car. They came here (in order) to study English.

We went out silently in order not to disturb anyone.

* (in order) to is used to express purpose. It answers the question “Why?”

Be careful! They came here (in order) to study English. CORRECT

They came here for studying English. INCORRECT

* To express purpose, use (in order) to not for, with a verb.

* For is sometimes used to express purpose, but it is followed by a noun.

I went to the store to buy some bread. CORRECT

I went to the store for some bread. CORRECT

6) With too and enough

too + adjective / adverb + to-infinitive

I’m too tired to go out. My father is too old to work.

The food is too hot to eat. They arrived too late to get seats.

too much + uncountable noun + to-infinitive too many + plural countable noun + to-infinitive

I have too much work to do, so I have no time to help you.

There are too many problems in the world to solve in one day.

adjective/adverb + enough + to-infinitive

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 Is your English good enough to have a conversation? This knife isn’t sharp enough to cut the meat.

We played well but not well enough to win the game.

enough + noun + to-infinitive

I don’t have enough time to watch the news. John didn’t have enough money to build hospitals.

Be careful!

There is enough volunteer work for everyone to do. This problem is too difficult for me to solve.

That box is too heavy for Bob to lift.

7) After the first, the next, the last, the best, the only etc.

the first, the next, the last, the best, the only etc. + to-infinitive

Neil Amstrong is the first man to set foot on the moon. The next train to arrive was from London.

James was the last athlete to finish the race. Sandra is the best person to ask.

The pilot was the only person to survive the aircrash. The cheapest place to eat at is the cafeteria.

8) After question words

She can’t decide what to do. Can you tell me where to buy fresh fruit?

I don’t know whether to come with you or (to) stay home.

9) To replace modals

I have a lot of letters to write. There was nothing to eat.

We need a larger box to put these books in.

10) In expressions such as :

To be honest, I don’t like him. To tell you the truth, I have never heard of Orlando Bloom.

Well, to begin with, you must study harder.

11) After be

a. arranged future :

The manager is to go to London next week. ( = … will go to … )

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The conference is to be held in October. ( = … will be held … )

b. obligation:

You are to obey the captain’s orders. ( You must obey … )

c. prohibition:

These sandwiches are not to be eaten until they are ready. ( = … must not be eaten … )

CONTINUOUS INFINITIVE ( TO BE + -ING )

She must be studying for the exam now. He pretends to be sleeping.

PASSIVE INFINITIVE ( TO BE + V3 )

I didn’t expect to be invited to his party. Children have to be taught about giving, not just taking.

Everyone wants to be given a chance to succeed in life. John needs to be told the truth.

It is easy to be fooled by his lies.

PAST INFINITIVE ( TO HAVE + V3 )

I’m happy that I passed the exam. I’m happy to have passed the exam.

You are very fortunate that you studied abroad. You're very fortunate to have studied abroad.

It seems that you have passed the exam. You seem to have passed the exam.

He claims that he worked here. I’m sorry to have woken you up.

PAST – PASSIVE INFINITIVE ( TO HAVE BEEN + V3 )

Jane is fortunate that she was given a scholarship. Jane is fortunate to have been given a scholarship.

He claims that he has been discriminated against. He claims to have been discriminated against.

I’m glad that I have been selected. I’m glad to have been selected.

The SIMPLE FORM is used:

1) After modal verbs

You must keep it a secret.
Air travel may / might be cheaper in the future.
We can see the lake from our bedroom window.
We had a lovely room in the hotel. We could see the lake.

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2) After would rather and would sooner
He would sooner [=would rather] lose everything than admit that he was wrong.

3) After let, let’s , make and have

let / make / have + object + infinitive without to let’s + infinitive without to

The teacher lets us eat in class. They made him pay for the damage.

I let my friend borrow my bicycle. The robbers made us lie on the floor.

My parents always make me do my homework before I go out.

The teacher had the class write a 300-word essay. Let’s have a break.

Be careful!

Active: They let us eat in class. Passive : We were allowed to eat in class.

* let is not usually used in passive.

Active: They made him pay for the damage. Passive : He was made to pay for the damage.

The GERUND is used:

1) After certain verbs

admit, avoid, can’t help,consider, deny, dislike, enjoy, fancy, feel like, finish, keep, mind, miss, practise, suggest

Tim admitted stealing the money. Sue avoided answering my question.

I can’t help worrying about it. He seriously considered changing careers.

Ted denied committing the crime. I dislike driving long distances.

Do you fancy going for a cup of coffee? Do you feel like going for a cup of coffee?

We enjoyed visiting them. They finished studying at about ten.

The teacher asked them to be quiet, but they just kept talking.

Would you mind helping me with this? I miss being with my family.

She had to practice flying in various weather conditions before she could get her pilot's license.

Mary suggested asking her father for his opinion.

2) As the subject of a sentence

Living in a big city is exciting. Smoking is detrimental to your health.

Mary’s / Her laughing at my accent is getting on my nerves. Not finishing school can affect your whole life.

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His not wanting to come with us suprised us all.

3) After prepositions

adjective / verb / noun + preposition + -ing

I’m good at running. He was successful at raising money for charity.

I’m interested in reading short stories. I’m used to sleeping with the window open.

I'm not accustomed to giving personal information about myself to strangers.

Ted is keen on travelling. I’m tired of waiting for the bus to come. Let’s take a taxi.

I’m fond of skiing. She must be fed up with studying.

We’re thinking of living abroad. We look forward to having dinner with you.

She finally succeeded in persuading me to go. They object to changing their plans at this late date.

We talked about not going to the meeting, but finally decided we should go.

You are in danger of losing all your money. She has a great interest in learning about other cultures.

In exchange for borrowing this book from you, I can lend you one of mine.

They were on the point of leaving the office when it started to rain heavily.

before / after / by / without + -ing

Before going out, I phoned Sarah. What did you do after leaving school?

We decided who should get the last piece of pie by flipping a coin. ( to say how something happens )

We ran ten kilometres without stopping

4) After go

go + Ving

go bowling, go camping, go dancing, go fishing, go hiking, go hunting, go jogging, go shopping, go sightseeing,

go skiing, go swimming, etc.

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5) In special expressions

We had a good time singing and dancing. We had fun playing card games.

She had great difficulty (in) finding a job. I had a hard time persuading him to accept the offer.

I had a difficult time finding his house. I've been having trouble checking my e-mail.

Sam spends most of his time studying. I waste a lot of time watching TV.

It’s a waste of time trying to do all this work by yourself. It’s a waste of money buying more things than you need.

It’s no use talking to her. She never listens. It’s no good trying to persuade my father. He won’t

allow me to come with you.

There's no point inviting her - she never comes to parties. This book is worth reading.
Rachel's busy studying for her exams.
When I walked into my office, I found Carol using my telephone.
When I walked into my office, I caught a thief looking through my desk drawers.

have difficulty ( in ) doing sth / have a hard time doing sth

have a difficult time doing sth / have trouble doing sth
spend time doing sth / waste time doing sth
a waste of time / money / energy doing sth / have fun doing sth
have a good time doing sth / have a problem doing sth
It’s no use doing sth / It’s no good doing sth
There’ no point (in) doing sth / be worth doing sth
be busy doing sth / find / catch + (pro)noun + doing something

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PASSIVE GERUND ( BEING + V3 )
I hate being interrupted while I’m speaking. Bill enjoys being admired like everybody else.
You must tell me the truth. I insist on being told the truth. You can’t go to a party without being invited.
For fear of being attacked, she avoids going out alone after dark.
I resented not being invited to the party. I can’t stand being told what to do.

PAST GERUND ( HAVING + V3 )

The thief admitted that he had stolen the car.
The thief admitted stealing / having stolen the car.
At the court, the headmaster denied that he had hit the child.
At the court, the headmaster denied hitting/ having hit the child.
I appreciated your helping / having helped me.

PAST – PASSIVE GERUND ( HAVING BEEN + V3 )

She is angry about not having been invited.
She went to the party without being invited / having been invited.
I don’t recall being told / having been told about this case before.
She doesn’t seem interested in being given/having been given a reward for her work.

GERUND OR INFINITIVE AFTER VERB

1) The following verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with almost no difference in meaning.

begin, can’t stand, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, start

He began working when he was twenty. / He began to work when he was twenty.

I can’t stand waiting in a long line. / I can’t stand to wait in a long line.

After a brief interruption, the professor continued lecturing. / ........., the professor continued to lecture.

Mary hates flying. / Mary hates to fly.

Do you like getting up early? / Do you like to get up early?

I love meeting people. / I love to meet people.

I don’t get up on Sundays. I prefer staying in bed / I prefer to stay in bed.

It has started raining. / It has started to rain.

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Be careful! It’s starting to rain. ( not It’s starting raining. )

* If the verb is in a continuous tense, we prefer the infinitive.

* prefer doing something to doing something else prefer to do something rather than do something else

I prefer driving to travelling by train. I prefer to drive rather than travel by train.

* would like / would love / would prefer + to-infinitive

I wouldn’t like to go on holiday alone. I’d love to meet your family.

Would you prefer to have dinner now or later?

2) need + to be + v3 or need + - ing

The house needs to be painted. or The house needs painting.

The front gate needs / wants mending. The attic needs / wants tidying.

*In certain situations , a gerund may follow need and want. In this case the gerund carries a passive meaning.

Usually the situations involve fixing or improving something.

3) Certain verbs of perception can followed by a gerund or an infinitive.

see , hear, listen to, feel, observe, watch

I saw him enter the house. I saw him running down the street.

I once heard him give a talk on Japanese politics. As I walked past his room I heard him talking on the phone.

* There is often a difference of meaning. After these verbs, an infinitive suggests that we hear or see the whole of an
action or event; an -ing form suggests that we hear or see something in progress, going on.

Be careful !

Active : Someone saw the missing child walking along the river.

Passive : The missing child was seen walking along the river.

Active: Someone saw him enter the building.

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Passive: He was seen to enter the building.

4) The following verbs can be followed by a gerund or an infinitive with a difference in meaning.

remember, forget, stop, try, regret, mean, go on

I remembered to lock the door, but I forgot to shut the windows.

I must remember to buy my mother a birthday present.

I know I locked the door. I clearly remember locking it.

I remember seeing the Alps for the first time. The sight was impressive.

remember + to-infinitive

remember something, then do it

remember + gerund

do something and remember it later

I’m sorry, I forgot to lock the car.

The clothes are still dirty because I forgot to switch on the machine.

I’ll never forget visiting Paris.

I won’t forget going shopping with you for the first time.

forget + to-infinitive

forget about something, so you don’t do it

forget + gerund

do something and ( not ) forget it later

An old man walking along the road stopped to talk to us.

He stopped to watch the sun set.

There’s too much noise. Can you all stop talking please?

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Stop looking at me like that!

stop + to-infinitive

to stop so that you can do something

stop + gerund

to end an action, finish doing something

I’m trying to find my teacher’s phone number.

We tried to put out the fire, but it was impossible.

Why don’t you try ringing 118 18? They might have the number.

We tried pouring on water, but it didn’t work.

try + to-infinitive ( refers to the goal, or what we want to achieve )

make an effort to do something difficult

try + gerund ( refers to the methods used to achieve the goal )

do something and see what happens

I regret to inform you that your contract will not be renewed.

I regret to tell you that your brother has had an accident.

I now regret leaving school so young.

He regrets not traveling more when he was younger.

regret+ to-infinitive ( to be sorry to / used mostly in announcements of bad news. )

regret + gerund (to feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it)

He says he never meant to hurt her.

I meant to post these letters, but I forgot.

Working harder means getting more money.

If we want to catch the 7.30 train, that will mean leaving the house at 6.00.

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mean + to-infinitive ( to intend)

mean + gerund (to involve or require something as a necessary part)

After finishing her B.A., she went on to get a master’s degree.

She stopped talking about that and went on to describe her other problems.

Sarah went on talking about her illness until we all went to sleep.

Tom went on working after everyone else had stopped.

go on + to-infinitive ( to finish doing something and start doing something else)

go on + gerund ( to continue )

Fill in the blanks using the verbs in brackets in infinitive or gerund form.

1. ____________ (be) tall is an advantage.

2. Try to work without ____________ (make) a noise.

3. I’m not interested in ____________ (garden).

4. Is there anything here worth ____________ (buy)?

5. It’s no use ____________ (try) ____________ (interrupt) him. You’ll have to wait till he stops ________ (talk.)

6. Don’t forget ____________ (lock) the door before ____________ (go) to bed.

7. Would you mind ____________ (show) me how ____________ (use) this machine?

8. He prefers ____________ (walk) to ____________ (run).

9. She apologised for ____________ (borrow) my dictionary without my permission and promised never

____________ (do) it again.

10. He has a theory that it is possible ____________ (tell) the time in daylight by ____________ (look) into

a cat’s eyes.

11. What kind of job do you want ____________ (find)?

12. I enjoy ____________ (cook), so I don’t mind ____________ (work) in a restaurant.

13. They let us __________ (park) motorcycles here but they won’t allow us __________ (park) cars.
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14. The inspector asked ____________ (see) my ticket and when I wasn’t able ____________ (find) it he made me

____________ (buy) another.

15. A: Would you children mind __________ (keep) quiet for a moment? I’m trying ________ (fill) in a form.

B: It’s no use ________ (ask) children _________ (keep) quiet. They can’t help ____________ (make) a noise.

16. A: Would you like me ____________ (turn) down the radio a bit?

B: No, it’s all right. I’m used to ____________ (work) with the radio on.

17. Let’s ____________ (go) ____________ (fish) today. There’s a nice wind. What about ____________ (come)

with us, Mark?

18. I’m thinking of ____________(go) to Oxford tomorrow on my motorbike. Would you like ________ (come)?

19. We went for a walk after we finished ____________ (clean) up the kitchen.

20. The baby started ____________ (talk) when she was about eighteen months old.

21. I’m getting tired. I need ____________ (take) a break.

22. Sometimes students avoid ____________ (look) at the teacher if they don’t want ____________ (answer)

a question.

23. Did Carol agree ____________ (go) ____________ (camp) with you?

24. The taxi driver refused ____________ (take) a check. He wanted the passenger ____________ (pay) cash.

25. Mary reminded me ____________ (not / be) late for the meeting.

26. After ____________ (spend) a week in the cottage, he decided that he didn’t really enjoy ________ (live)

in the country and began ____________ (think) of an excuse for ____________ (sell) the cottage and

______________ (return) to London.

27. The travel agent advised us ____________ (not / wait) until August.

28. Most children prefer ____________ (watch) television to ____________ (listen) to the radio.

29. I’ve decided ____________ (stay) here over vacation and ____________ (paint) my room.

30. I don’t mind ____________ (wait) for you. Go ahead and finish ____________ (do) your work.

31. Keep ____________ (talk). I’m listening to you.

32. The children promised ____________ (play) more quietly. They promised ____________ (not / make) so

much noise.

33. Jim told us ____________ (not / wait) for him.

34. Mr. Smith warned his daughter ____________ (not / play) with matches.

35. Kirk suggested ____________ (go) ____________ (ski) in the mountains this weekend.
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36. I prefer ____________ (drive) rather than ____________ (take) a plane.

37. After a brief interruption, the professor continued ____________ (lecture).

38. I considered ____________ (apply) for the job, but in the end I decided against it.

39. It’s not a good idea ____________ (travel) during the rush hour.

40. How old were you when your learnt ____________ (drive) ?

41. Kelly pretended ____________ (not / see) me when she passed me in the street.

42. They don’t have much money. They can’t afford ____________ (go) out very often.

43. I’m still looking for a job, but I hope ____________ (find) something soon.

44. The children love ____________ (swim) in the ocean.

45. I didn’t expect it ____________ (rain).

46. I’m afraid of flying. When a plane begins ____________ (move) down the runway, my heart

starts ____________ (race). Oh-oh! The plane is beginning ____________ (move), and my heart

is starting ____________ (race).

47. Who taught you ____________ (drive) ?

48. The play wasn’t very good. The audience started ____________ (leave) before it was over.

49. The film was very sad. It made me ____________ (cry).

50. It was a nice day, so we decided ____________ (go) for a walk.

51. Diane’s parents always encouraged her ____________ (study) hard school.

52. When I was a child, I hated ____________ (go) to bed early.

53. There’s no point in ____________ (have) a car if you never use it.

54. There was a lot of traffic, but we managed ____________ (get) to the airport in time.

55. I seem ____________ (know) more about him than anyone else.

56. Today we're going to practise ____________ (park).

57. Karen failed ____________ (make) a good impression at the job interview.

58. He misses ____________ (have) a room of his own.

59. A woman stopped and offered ____________ (help) us.

60. I’m good at ____________ (remember) jokes and funny stories.

61. I wish ____________ (speak) to the manager.

62. The company expects ____________ (complete) work in April.

63. Sarah may ____________ (not / go) out tonight. She isn’t feeling well.
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64. I don’t think you should ____________ (work) so hard.

65. I jog three times a week ____________ (stay) healthy.

66. I always remember ____________ (turn) off all the lights before I leave my house.

67. I can remember ____________ (be) very proud and happy when I graduated.

68. Did you remember ____________ (give) Jack my message?

69. I remember ____________ (play) with dolls when I was a child.

70. What do you remember ____________ (do) when you were a child?

71. What do you remember ____________ (do) before you leave for class every day?

72. I must remember ____________ (post) this letter today. It’s important.

73. I can’t remember ____________ (post) the letter. Perhaps it’s still in my coat pocket.

74. Please remember ____________ (call) us if you can’t finish work early today.

75. First we panicked thinking that we left the doors and windows open but later I remembered ________________

(lock) them.

76. I’ll always remember ____________ (dance) with the most handsome boy at the party. It was my first dance and

I was really excited.

77. I’ll never forget _________________ (carry) my wife over the threshold when we moved into our first home.

80. Don’t forget ____________ (do) your homework tonight!

81. I can’t ever forget ____________ (watch) our team score the winning goal in the last seconds of

the championship game.

82. I forgot ____________ (buy) a carton of milk the day before so I bought another carton this morning. Now

we’ve got two cartons of milk.

83. When you arrive in London, please don’t forget ____________ (call) us.

84. I’ll never forget ____________ (fly) over the Grand Canyon. It was wonderful.

85. You mustn’t forget ____________ (invite) Dave to your birthday party. He’s a good friend.

86. I forgot ____________ (take) a book back to the library, so I had to pay a fine.

87. George will never forget ____________ (talk) to Julia Roberts. He was just a kid then.

88. If you forget ____________ (call) your wife about the meeting, she’ll be very angry with you.

89. She often forgets ____________ (lock) the door.

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90. They stopped ____________ (talk) and went back to their tables.

91. Dave felt really tired and decided ____________ (stop) ____________ (have) a cup of coffee.

92. My father stopped ____________ (watch) TV ____________ (say) hello to the newcomers.

93. Stop ____________ (talk) and do your homework.

94. I was driving along when I saw that wonderful view from the mountains, so I stopped ___________________

(watch) the beautiful valley lying below.

95. Why did you stop ____________ (sing) ? It was a nice song.

96. Rob was digging his garden when a neighbour said hello. He stopped ____ (greet) his neighbour.

97. They were all eating their dinner when they heard the news on TV. They all stopped ___________ (eat) and

looked at each other in panic.

98. Martin stopped ____________ (go) to classes when he got sick.

99. Mrs. Green is a talkative woman. Once she starts, she never stops ____________ (talk).

100. I was very tired. I tried ____________ (keep) my eyes open, but I couldn’t.

101. I tried ____________ (learn) Japanese, but it was too difficult.

102. We tried ____________ (put) out the fire, but it was impossible.

103. I tried everything, but the baby still wouldn’t stop crying. I tried ____________ (hold) him, but

that didn’t help. I tried ____________ (feed) him, but he refused the food and continued to cry.

I tried ____________ (burp) him. I tried ____________ (change) his diapers. Nothing worked.

104. I tried ____________ (move) the table, but it was too heavy.

105. I didn’t like the way the furniture was arranged, so I tried ____________ (move) the table to

the other side of the room. But it still didn’t look right, so I moved it back again.

106. He spent hours ____________ (try) ____________ (repair) the clock.

107. A: The photocopier doesn’t seem to be working. B: Try ____________(press) the green button.

108. I regret ____________ (say) that your son had a traffic accident and was injured.

109. She regrets ____________ (hurt) her boyfriend, but she doesn’t know how to apologize.

110. I regret ____________ (listen, not) to my mother’s advice. She was right.

111. I regret ____________ (inform) you that your loan application has not been approved.

112. They regret ____________ (lend) him some money. He never paid them back.
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113. I’ll get the work done today even if it means ____________ (stay) late.

114. I didn’t mean ____________ (hurt) you. I’m sorry.

115. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean ____________ (embarrass) you in front of your friends.

116. My new job will mean ____________ (travel) all over the world.

117. The band went on ____________ (play) even after the lights had gone out.

118. After finishing her BA, she went on ____________ (get) a master’s degree.

119. He was promoted in 1990 and went on ____________ (become) a company director.

120. I went on ____________ (watch) TV after my father had arrived.

Answer Key:

1. Being 2. making 3. gardening 4. buying 5. trying / to interrupt / talking 6. to lock / going 7. showing / to use

8. walking / running 9. borrowing / to do 10. to tell / looking 11. to find 12. cooking / working 13. park / to park

14. to see / to find / buy 15. keeping / to fill / asking / to keep / making 16. to turn / working 17. go / fishing / coming

18. going / to come 19. cleaning 20. talking or to talk 21. to take 22. looking / to answer 23. to go / camping

24. to take / to pay 25. not to be 26. spending / living / to think / selling / returning 27. not to wait

28. watching / listening 29. to stay / paint 30. waiting / doing 31. talking 32. to play / not to make

33. not to wait 34. not to play 35. going / skiing 36. to drive / take 37. lecturing or to lecture 38. applying

39. to travel 40. to drive 41. not to see 42. to go 43. to find 44. swimming or to swim 45. to rain

46. moving or to move / racing or to race / to move / to race 47. to drive 48. leaving or to leave 49. cry 50. to go

51. to study 52. going or to go 53. having 54. to get 55. to know 56. parking 57. to make 58. having 59. to help

60. remembering 61. to speak 62. to complete 63. not go 64. work 65. to stay 66. to turn 67. being 68. to give

69. playing 70. doing 71. to do 72. to post 73. posting 74. to call 75. locking 76. dancing 77. carrying 80. to do

81. watching 82. buying 83. to call 84. flying 85. to invite 86. to take 87. talking 88. to call 89. to lock 90. talking

91. to stop / to have 92. watching / to say 93. talking 94. to watch 95. singing 96. to greet 97. eating 98. going

99. talking 100. to keep 101. to learn 102. to put 103. holding / feding / burping / changing 104. to move

105. moving 106. trying / to repair 107. pressing 108. to say 109. hurting 110. not listening 111. to inform

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112. lending 113. staying 114. to hurt 115. to embarrass 116. travelling 117. playing 118. to get 119. to become

120. watching

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