GRAMMAR REVIEW III: GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES

1  Complete the sentences with the infinitive form of the verbs below.

buy ¿ arrive ¿ make ¿ teach ¿ get

    1.   There was a lot of traffic. We were lucky …………………… on time.

    2.   Erin promised …………………… me how to make that delicious roast lamb.

    3.   Did you agree …………………… dinner tonight?

    4.   You will need …………………… sugar, milk, eggs, flour and chocolate to make that dessert.

    5.   I missed my bus and it took me two hours …………………… home.

2  Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use a gerund.

    1.   It’s not a good idea to eat too much salt.

          It’s better to avoid .......................................................  .

    2.   Could you make pancakes for breakfast?

          Would you mind ......................................................... ?

    3.   I’m sorry I was late for dinner.

          He apologised for ........................................................ .

    4.   It’s not a good idea to call us at dinner time.

          ................................................................... a good idea.

    5.   Have you already made dinner?

          Have you finished ......................................................  ?

    6.   I might study Italian cooking.

          I’m thinking about ....................................................... .

3. Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets. Use gerunds or infinitives.
There may be more than one correct answer.

    1.   I have to go home. I forgot …………………… (turn off) the oven!

    2.   I don’t remember …………………… (try) this fish before. This is my first time!

    3.   I’m tired. I must stop …………………… (rest).

    4.   I must stop …………………… (eat) so much ice cream. It’s not good for me.

4. Complete the text with the verbs in brackets. Use gerunds or infinitives.
There may be more than one correct answer.

Americans enjoy ^1. …………………… (eat) bananas more than any other fruit. However, most Americans would be surprised ^2. …………………… (learn) that there were no bananas in the US until the late 1800s. The first people to start
^3. …………………… (grow) bananas probably lived in East Asia as early as the
6th century BC. People in Africa learned ^4. …………………… (cultivate) this delicious yellow fruit long before Europeans even thought of ^5. …………………… (plant) them. In the 15th century, Portuguese sailors travelled to West Africa and found a fruit called “banema” by the local people. In English, people decided
^6. …………………… (call) the fruit “banana”. The sailors took banana plants
with them. Bananas eventually reached the USA in the late 1800s, but
^7. …………………… (convince) Americans to taste them was hard. In the
1900s, supermarkets tried ^8. …………………… (get) people to buy bananas by
^9. …………………… (sell) the fruit with special coupons for cornflakes. They suggested ^10. …………………… (slice) bananas into a bowl and adding cornflakes and milk. With a few simple suggestions like this, the banana quickly succeeded in ^11. …………………… (become) very popular!

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