Intermediate infinitives and gerunds. 45 questions on verbs that change meaning, gerunds after prepositions, and gerunds as subjects.
What this test covers
- Verbs With Meaning Change
- Gerunds After Prepositions
- Gerunds as Subjects & Objects
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1Please remember ___ the lights before you leave the office tonight.
Answer: B. to turn off
The verb 'remember' followed by a to-infinitive refers to a task or duty that must be performed in the future. The context clue 'before you leave' shows the action hasn't happened yet. Using the gerund 'turning off' would imply remembering a past event that already took place.
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Q2I clearly remember ___ this movie in the cinema when I was a teenager.
Answer: A. seeing
When 'remember' is followed by a gerund, it refers to a memory of a past experience. The phrase 'when I was a teenager' is a clear context clue pointing to the past. Using the infinitive 'to see' would incorrectly suggest a future duty rather than a memory.
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Q3I forgot ___ the email, so the client never received the document.
Answer: C. to send
The verb 'forget' followed by a to-infinitive means that you did not perform a required task. The context 'the client never received the document' confirms the action didn't happen. The gerund 'sending' would mean you have no memory of the action, regardless of whether you actually did it.
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Q4I'll never forget ___ my first car; it was such an exciting day.
Answer: A. buying
The verb 'forget' followed by a gerund refers to the memory of a past event. It is often used with 'never' to emphasize a vivid memory. The infinitive 'to buy' would mean failing to perform the task of buying, which doesn't fit the nostalgic context of 'exciting day'.
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Q5We were walking to the park, but we stopped ___ a coffee at the cafe.
Answer: A. to buy
The verb 'stop' followed by a to-infinitive indicates purpose (meaning 'in order to'). It means you paused one activity to start another. Using the gerund 'buying' would mean they quit the habit of purchasing coffee entirely, which contradicts the context of being on a walk.
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Q6The doctor told him to stop ___ because it is damaging his lungs.
Answer: B. smoking
When 'stop' is followed by a gerund, it means to cease or end an ongoing activity or habit. Here, the doctor wants the patient to quit smoking entirely. The infinitive 'to smoke' would mean stopping some other activity specifically to have a cigarette.
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Q7I tried ___ the heavy box, but it was too heavy for me to lift.
Answer: C. to move
The verb 'try' followed by a to-infinitive means to make a physical or mental effort to do something difficult. The context clue 'too heavy' shows an attempt was made. Using the gerund 'moving' would suggest experimenting with moving the box as a solution to another problem.
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Q8If you can't sleep, try ___ a warm glass of milk before bed.
Answer: D. drinking
When 'try' is followed by a gerund, it means to experiment with an action to see if it solves a problem. Here, milk is a suggested remedy for insomnia. The infinitive 'to drink' would focus on the physical effort of drinking, which is not the intended meaning.
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Q9We regret ___ that your application has been unsuccessful.
Answer: A. to inform
The verb 'regret' followed by a to-infinitive is a formal way to deliver bad news. It is usually used with verbs of communication like 'inform' or 'say'. The gerund 'informing' would express remorse about a past action (feeling sorry after telling someone).
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Q10She regrets ___ all her savings on a car she rarely uses.
Answer: D. spending
The verb 'regret' followed by a gerund expresses remorse or sadness about a past action. She already spent the money and now wishes she hadn't. The infinitive 'to spend' is only used for formal announcements of bad news, which doesn't fit this context of personal regret.
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Q11I didn't mean ___ you; it was a complete accident.
Answer: D. to upset
When 'mean' is followed by a to-infinitive, it expresses intention or purpose. The speaker is saying they did not intend to cause hurt. The gerund 'upsetting' would mean 'to involve' or 'to result in,' which is used for consequences rather than personal intentions.
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Q12This new job will mean ___ away from home for several months.
Answer: C. working
The verb 'mean' followed by a gerund indicates that something results in or involves a certain consequence. The job involves the reality of working away. Using the infinitive 'to work' would incorrectly imply the job has its own personal intention, which is not possible.
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Q13After the break, the lecturer went on ___ the next chapter of the book.
Answer: D. to explain
The phrase 'go on' followed by a to-infinitive means to finish one action and move to a new, different task. The lecturer finished the break and moved on to the chapter. The gerund 'explaining' would mean the lecturer continued an explanation that had already started.
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Q14Despite the interruption, the speaker went on ___ about the climate crisis.
Answer: A. talking
The phrase 'go on' followed by a gerund means to continue doing the same action. The clue 'despite the interruption' shows the speaker persisted with the talking. The infinitive 'to talk' would suggest they finished another task and then started talking as a new stage.
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Q15The grass is too long; it needs ___ immediately.
Answer: B. cutting
When 'need' is followed by a gerund, it has a passive meaning, similar to 'needs to be done.' 'The grass needs cutting' means the same as 'The grass needs to be cut.' The active infinitive 'to cut' is incorrect because the grass cannot perform the action of cutting itself.
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Q16She is very interested in ___ how to play the guitar.
Answer: A. learning
In English, verbs following a preposition (like 'in', 'at', 'of', or 'for') must be in the gerund (-ing) form. The infinitive 'to learn' or the base form 'learn' cannot follow a preposition directly. Therefore, 'learning' is the correct choice.
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Q17He is really good at ___ complex puzzles in record time.
Answer: D. solving
The adjective 'good' is paired with the preposition 'at'. Any verb following a preposition must be a gerund. 'Solving' functions as the object of the preposition. Neither the base form 'solve' nor the infinitive 'to solve' is grammatically correct here.
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Q18I am tired of ___ the same excuses every single day.
Answer: A. hearing
After the preposition 'of', you must use a gerund. The gerund 'hearing' acts as the object of the prepositional phrase. Options like 'to hear' (infinitive) or 'heard' (past participle) do not follow the rule that prepositions take the -ing form.
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Q19Before ___ the house, she checked that all the windows were locked.
Answer: B. leaving
When 'before' or 'after' are followed immediately by an action without a new subject, that action must be a gerund. 'Leaving' is the correct form. Using the past tense 'left' or the infinitive 'to leave' does not follow the standard rule for prepositional usage.
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Q20Instead of ___ for the bus, we decided to walk home.
Answer: B. waiting
The phrase 'instead of' ends with the preposition 'of'. Therefore, any following verb must be a gerund. 'Waiting' is the only correct choice. The infinitive 'to wait' is a common error, but prepositions never take the to-infinitive in this structure.
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Q21He left the room without ___ a single word to anyone.
Answer: D. saying
The word 'without' functions as a preposition here. Verbs following prepositions must be in the gerund form ('saying'). The base form 'say', the past form 'said', and the infinitive 'to say' are all grammatically incorrect in this position.
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Q22She passed the exam by ___ very hard all summer.
Answer: C. studying
The preposition 'by' is used to show the method or means of doing something and must be followed by a gerund. 'Studying' explains how she passed. You cannot use the base form 'study' or the past tense 'studied' immediately after 'by' in this context.
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Q23After ___ his dinner, he went straight to bed.
Answer: D. finishing
When 'after' is used to link two actions performed by the same person, the verb following it must be a gerund. 'Finishing' is the correct form. The past tense 'finished' would only be correct if a subject were present (e.g., 'After he finished...').
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Q24He is responsible for ___ the company's marketing budget.
Answer: C. managing
The adjective 'responsible' is followed by the preposition 'for'. All prepositions require the gerund form of a verb. 'Managing' is the only grammatically correct option. Choices like 'to manage' or the base form 'manage' cannot be used after 'for'.
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Q25I am used to ___ in the city, so the noise doesn't bother me.
Answer: B. living
In the phrase 'be used to' (meaning 'to be accustomed to'), 'to' is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. Like all prepositions, it must be followed by a gerund ('living'). This is different from the past habit structure 'used to + base form'.
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Q26Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. He is afraid of flying in small airplanes.
The adjective 'afraid' is followed by the preposition 'of', which requires a gerund ('flying'). While 'afraid to fly' (infinitive) is also possible in English, 'afraid of to fly' and 'afraid to flying' are grammatically incorrect combinations.
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Q27Which sentence is correct?
Answer: C. She is keen on dancing at the festival.
The expression 'keen on' uses the preposition 'on', which must be followed by a gerund. This makes 'keen on dancing' the only correct grammatical structure. Other options like 'keen on dance' or 'keen to dancing' do not follow standard verb patterns.
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Q28Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. He is tired of hearing excuses.
The preposition 'of' must be followed by the gerund form of the verb. 'Tired of hearing' is the correct structure. Using the infinitive 'to hear' or the base form 'hear' after a preposition is a common grammatical error.
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Q29Which sentence is correct?
Answer: D. I am interested in learning Italian.
The fixed expression 'interested in' requires a gerund because 'in' is a preposition. Therefore, 'learning' is the correct form. Using 'to learn', 'learn', or 'learned' after 'interested in' is incorrect.
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Q30Which sentence is correct?
Answer: C. By working hard, she passed.
The preposition 'by' describes the method used to achieve a result and must be followed by a gerund. 'By working hard' is the correct phrase. The base form 'work' and the infinitive 'to work' cannot follow a preposition directly.
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Q31___ is a great way to stay fit and healthy.
Answer: C. Jogging
In English, we use the gerund form when an action is the subject of a sentence. 'Jogging' acts as a noun here. While the infinitive 'To jog' is possible in very formal English, the gerund is the standard choice at the B1/B2 level.
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Q32___ every day helps you improve your vocabulary quickly.
Answer: B. Reading
The gerund 'Reading' is used here as the subject of the sentence. To turn an action into a subject, the -ing form is required. Base forms like 'Read' or inflected forms like 'Reads' cannot function as the subject of a sentence.
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Q33I enjoy ___ to music while I am studying.
Answer: D. listening
The verb 'enjoy' belongs to a group of verbs that are followed by a gerund rather than an infinitive. Therefore, 'enjoy listening' is correct. Using the infinitive 'to listen' is a common mistake for intermediate learners.
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Q34Please avoid ___ during the exam.
Answer: C. talking
The verb 'avoid' must be followed by a gerund. You cannot use the to-infinitive 'to talk' after this specific verb. The gerund 'talking' functions as the object of 'avoid' in this sentence.
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Q35I suggest ___ a taxi to the airport instead of the bus.
Answer: C. taking
The verb 'suggest' is followed by a gerund when another verb follows it directly. You cannot say 'suggest to take'. While 'suggest that we take' is also correct, in this multiple-choice context, the gerund 'taking' is the only valid option.
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Q36Would you mind ___ the window? It's cold in here.
Answer: B. closing
The verb 'mind' (used to make polite requests or ask for permission) is always followed by a gerund. 'Closing' is the correct form. Using the infinitive 'to close' after 'mind' is a common grammatical error.
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Q37Have you finished ___ your homework yet?
Answer: A. doing
The verb 'finish' is followed by a gerund object. Therefore, 'finished doing' is the only correct construction. Using the infinitive 'to do' or the base form 'do' is incorrect following the verb 'finish'.
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Q38You should keep ___ even if it seems difficult.
Answer: A. trying
The verb 'keep' (meaning to continue) must be followed by a gerund. 'Trying' is the correct form. The base form 'try' and the infinitive 'to try' are grammatically incorrect after 'keep'.
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Q39I really miss ___ with my friends back home.
Answer: A. playing
The verb 'miss' is followed by a gerund when describing an activity that you no longer do but feel sad about. 'Playing' is the correct object. You cannot use the infinitive 'to play' or the base form 'play' after this verb.
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Q40We are considering ___ to a new apartment next month.
Answer: D. moving
The verb 'consider' (meaning to think about a future possibility) is followed by a gerund. 'Moving' is the correct form. Even though the sentence refers to a future plan, the to-infinitive 'to move' is not used with 'consider'.
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Q41Which sentence is correct?
Answer: A. I suggest going to the cinema tonight.
The verb 'suggest' must be followed by a gerund ('going'). Using the to-infinitive 'to go' is a very common error for English learners, but it is always grammatically incorrect with this verb.
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Q42Which sentence is correct?
Answer: C. She avoids eating sugar because of her diet.
The verb 'avoid' requires the gerund form of the following verb. Therefore, 'avoids eating' is correct. The forms 'eat' (base), 'eaten' (past participle), and 'to eat' (infinitive) do not fit the required pattern.
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Q43Which sentence is correct?
Answer: B. Reading books improves vocabulary.
In this sentence, the subject of the verb 'improves' is the entire activity of reading. To use an activity as a subject, we use the gerund form 'Reading'. Base forms like 'Read' cannot act as sentence subjects. Note that 'Readed' is not a real English word — the past tense of 'read' is 'read' (pronounced /rɛd/).
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Q44Which sentence is correct?
Answer: A. She enjoys dancing in the rain.
The verb 'enjoy' is always followed by a gerund. Therefore, 'dancing' is the only correct choice. Verbs that express liking or disliking often take gerunds, and 'enjoy' strictly requires the -ing form.
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Q45Which sentence is correct?
Answer: B. We finished cleaning the house.
The verb 'finish' is followed by a gerund object. Therefore, 'finished cleaning' is the correct structure. The infinitive 'to clean' and the base form 'clean' are common mistakes when used after this verb.
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