CHOOSE THE MOST SUITABLE FORM OF THE VERB IN BRACKETS – TO-

INFINITIVE, BARE INFINITIVE OR –ING VERB

1 I was lonely at first,' the old man admitted, 'but after a time I got used to ______live______ (live).'
2 Before trains were invented people used ____to travel____ (travel) on horseback or in stage coaches. It
used ___to take_______ (take) a stage coach three days _____to go____ (go) from London to Bath.
3 Tom: I want ____to catch_________ (catch) the 7 a.m. train tomorrow.
Ann: But that means ___getting____ (get) up at 6.00; and you're not very good at __getting up_______
(get) up early, are you?
4 He accepted the cut in salary without complaint because he was afraid ___to complain______
(complain). He was afraid of ____losing_____ (lose) his job.
5 She remembers part of her childhood quite clearly. She remembers ____going____ (go) to school for
the first time and _____being_____ (be) frightened and ___putting______ (put) her finger in her
mouth. And she remembers her teacher __telling___ (tell) her ___to take__________ (take) it out.
6 Did you remember _____locking_____ (lock) the car?
No, I didn't. I'd better ____go______ (go) back and ____do________ (do) it now.
7 No, I didn't move the bomb. I was afraid ______to touch___ (touch) it; I was afraid of ___being______
(be) blown to pieces!
8 Next time we go ____house-hunting_______ (house-hunt), remember ____to ask___ (ask) the agent for
clear directions. I wasted hours ___looking_____ (look) for the last house.
9 Tom: Let's ____go_____ (go) for a swim.
Ann: I'm not particularly keen on ___swimming_____ (swim). What about ___going____ (go) for a
drive instead?
10 The hunters expected ____to be paid_____ (be paid) by the foot for the snakes they caught. This
meant ___taking____ (take) the snakes out of the sack and ___measuring_________ (measure) them.
They seemed ___to expect___ (expect) me __to do_______ (do) it; but I wasn't particularly anxious
__to be______ (be) the first ___to die_____ (die) of snakebite.
11 After ___spending____ (spend) two days __arguing_____ (argue) about where to go for their holiday
they decided __not to go____ (not go) anywhere.
12 We'd better __start___ (start) early. We don't want ___to risk______ (risk) __getting___ (get) caught
in a traffic jam.
13 He is talking about ____giving___ (give) up his job and __going____ (go) _to live__ (live) in the
country.
14 I was just about ___to leave___ (leave) the office when the phone rang. It was my wife; she wanted
me __to call____ (call) at the butcher's on my way home.

15 He said, 'I'm terribly sorry ___to keep____ (keep) you __waiting_____ (wait).'
I said, It doesn't matter at all,' but he went on ___apologizing__ (apologize) for nearly five minutes!
16 The lecturer began by __telling__ (tell) us where the island was, and went on __talking__ (talk) about

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 its history.
17 My father thinks I am not capable of ___earning___ (earn) my own living, but I mean ___to
show_____ (show) him that he is wrong.
18 Tom: I can't get my car started on cold mornings.
Jack: Have you tried __to fill__ (fill) the radiator with hot water? That sometimes helps.
19 Did he manage _to carry__ (carry) the trunk upstairs? No, he didn't.
20 Jack: Don't forget __to take___ (take) a hacksaw with you.
Ann: What's a hacksaw? And why should I ___take___ (take) one with me?
Jack: It's a tool for ___cutting____ (cut) metal. You see, Tom is bound __to get___ (get) into trouble
for __taking____ (take) photographs of the wrong things, and you'll be arrested with him. With a
hacksaw you'll be able __to saw__ (saw) through the bars of your cell and ___to escape____ (escape).
21 Peter: Wouldn't it be better __to ask__ (ask) Tom __to leave___ (leave) his camera at home?
Jack: It would be no good __asking_____ (ask) Tom __to do_______ (do) that. It would be like
__asking__ (ask) a woman ___to travel___ (travel) without a handbag.
22 I've got the loaf; now I'm looking for a breadknife ___to cut____ (cut) it with.
23 We stopped once __to buy___ (buy) petrol and then we stopped again __to ask___ (ask) someone the
way.
24 When I caught them ___cheating___ (cheat) me, I stopped ___buying__ (buy) petrol there and started
__to deal___ (deal) with your garage instead.
25 Do you feel like __dining__ (dine) out or would you rather ___have____ (have) dinner at home? ~
I'd like ___to go__ (go) out. I always enjoy __having__ (have) dinner in a restaurant.
26 Your hair needs __cutting____ (cut). You'd better __have__ (have) it done tomorrow—unless you'd
like me __to have___ (have) a go at it for you.
27 I tried _to convince__ (convince) him that I was perfectly capable of ___managing___ (manage) on
my own, but he insisted on __helping___ (help) me.
28 Jack: I don't mind ___travelling___ (travel) by bus, but I hate __standing__ (stand) in queues.
Tom: I don't care for __queuing_ (queue) either; and you waste so much time __waiting__ (wait) for
buses.
29 In Animal Farm the old pig urged the animals __to rebel__ (rebel) against man but he warned them
_not to adopt___ (not adopt) man's habits.
30 There is no point in _____arriving______ (arrive) half an hour early. I don't mind __waiting_____
(wait). It's better ___to be____ (be) too early than too late.
31 I always try ____to come_____ (come) in quietly. It's impossible ___to climb___ (climb) an old
wooden staircase at night without ___making____ (make) a noise.
32 If you agree ___to work____ (work) for me I'll see about __getting___ (get) you a work permit.
33 Paul: Would you like __to come____ (come) to a lecture on Wagner tonight?
Ann: No, thanks. I like _listening____ (listen) to music but I don't like _listening____ (listen) to people
__talking____ (talk) about it.
34 If you want the milkman _to leave_ (leave) you milk in the morning, remember __to put___ (put) a
milk bottle outside your door.
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35 They let us park motorcycles here but they won't allow us __to park__ (park) cars.
36 They don't allow __to smoke___ (smoke) in the auditorium; they don't want __to risk__ (risk)
___setting___ (set) it on fire, but you can __smoke__ (smoke) in the foyer during the interval.
37 What about __buying__ (buy) double quantities of everything today? That will save __shopping____
(shop) again later in the week.
38 The inspector asked ___to see___ (see) my ticket and when I wasn't able __to find__ (find) it he made
me ___buy__ (buy) another. ~
He probably suspected you of __trying__ (try) __travelling__ (travel) without one.
39 Would you like me __to turn__ (turn) down the radio a bit? ~
No, it's all right. I'm used to __working__ (work) with the radio on.
40 One of the gang suggested __taking__ (take) the body out to sea, ___dropping__ (drop) it overboard
and _pretending__ (pretend) that it had been an accident.
41 I want the boy __to grow__ (grow) up hating violence but his father keeps __buying__ (buy) him guns
and swords.
42 Would you children mind __keeping__ (keep) quiet for a moment? I'm trying _to fill__ (fill) in a form.
It's no use __asking___ (ask) children __to keep__ (keep) quiet. They can't help __making__ (make) a
noise.
43 I'm thinking of __going__ (go) to Oxford tomorrow on my motorbike. Would you like __to come__
(come)? ~
No, thanks. I want _to go__ (go) Oxford, but I'd rather __go__ (go) by
train. I loathe __travelling___ (travel) by road.
44 Let's _go_ (go) _fishing_ (fish) today. There's a nice wind. What about _coming_ (come) with us,
Ann?
45 He resented __being___ (be) asked __to wait__ (wait). He expected the minister __to see__ (see) him
at once.
46 The police have put up a railing here __to prevent_ (prevent) people __rushing__ (rush) out of the
station and __dashing__ (dash) straight across the road.
47 I didn't mean __to eat__ (eat) anything but the cakes looked so good that I couldn't resist __trying____
(try) one.
48 Do you feel like _walking_ (walk) there or shall we __take___ (take) a bus? ~
I'd rather __go__ (go) by bus. Besides, it'll take ages __to get__ (get) there on foot.
49 All right. When would you like _to start__ (start)? In a few minutes? ~
Oh, let's wait till it stops __raining__ (rain)
50 Jack suggested __letting__ (let) one flat and __keeping__ (keep) the other for myself. But Tom
advised me __to sell__ (sell) the whole house.
51 He soon got __to know__ (know) most of them and even managed __to learn__ (learn) the greetings.
Then they began __to greet__ (greet) him too on their way to work and sometimes would stop
__talking__ (talk) to him on their way home.
52 He succeeded in __untying__ (untie) himself, __climbing___ (climb) out of the window and
__crawling__ (crawl) along a narrow ledge to the window of the next room.
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53 After __spending__ (spend) a week in the cottage, he decided that he didn't really enjoy __living__
(live) in the country and began __to think___ (think) of an excuse for __selling__ (sell) the cottage and
__returning___ (return) to London.
54 It's no use __arguing__ (argue) with him. You might as well __argue__ (argue) with a stone wall. He
is incapable of __seeing___ (see) anyone else's point of view.
55 I'm delighted __to hear___ (hear) that you can come on Saturday. We are all looking forward to
__seeing__ (see) you. Remember __to bring__ (bring) your rubber boots.
56 He has been charged with ___receiving___ (receive) and __selling___ (sell) stolen goods. He has
admitted __to receive___ (receive) but denies __selling___ (sell) them. The fact is that he hasn't had
time __to sell__ (sell) them yet.
57 What about __having__ (have) a picnic in Piccadilly Circus? ~
What an extraordinary place __to have__ (have) a picnic! Fancy __sitting__ (sit) there with the traffic
___swirling____ (swirl) round you and the pigeons __taking__ (take) bites out of your sandwiches!
58 Would you mind __writing__ (write) your address on the back of the cheque and __showing___
(show) us some proof of your identity?
59 Let's __swim__ (swim) across. ~ I'm not really dressed for _swimming__ (swim). What's wrong with
___going__ (go) round by the bridge?
60 Lou made me __get_ (get) up early in the morning even though I was really tired of __working___
(work).