English

THE INFINITIVVE – ING FORM – PARTICIPLES

Exercise 1. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the infinitive or the “-ing” form. Mind the tenses.
1. The police made the bank robbers (give)___________ themselves up.
2. He is not likely (return) ___________before five o’clock.
3. The criminals were forced (surrender) ___________.
4. They might not (complain) ___________about the meal if the service hadn’t been so dreadful.
5. Man is said (invent) ___________the wheel about ten thousand years ago.
6. You must (starve) ___________to have eaten such a big dinner last night.
7. She’d better (have) ___________a good excuse for being so late.
8. They hope (make) ___________a lot of money in their new business.
9. The wind tends (increase) ___________just before sunset.
10. He should (tell) ___________his parents the truth when they asked him.
11. Imagine (live) ___________in a big house like that!
12. I’d rather not (visit) ___________my parents this weekend.
13. She’s too tired (concentrate) ___________on her work today.
14. You should (see) ___________his face when she told him the news.
15. It was such a shock (hear) ___________from her after all these years.
16. Ann would love (lie) ___________on a beach now, instead of typing reports.
17. The doctor worked for fifteen hours without (take) ___________a break.
18. John’s father let him (borrow) ___________his car for the weekend.
19. There’s no point (get) ___________there early, because the gates don’t open till 10 a.m.
20. Jim doesn’t have enough patience (be) ___________a teacher.
Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the infinitive or “-ing” form.
Whatever else Christmas may (1.stand for)____________, one thing it still means is (2. eat)
____________. Christmas has traditionally been a time of the year when people have tried (3. cheer)
____________themselves up during the cold months of winter. Last year more than 10 million turkeys were
bought in Britain alone during the festive season (4.satisy) ____________the nation’s appetite. Health
experts may continue (5. complain) ____________about all this self-indulgence, but they fail (6. realize)
____________that there is nothing new about celebratory feasting, particularly at this time of year. The
Roman Saturnalia, which was supposedly a festival (7. honor) ____________the god of agriculture, started
on 19th December. Among other things, the Saturnalia involved (8. light) ____________candles and (9.
give) ____________gifts. People who had spent the whole year (10. save) ____________money suddenly
became extravagant. In addition to (11. exchange) ____________gifts, this time of year was also an
occasion for masters and slaves alike (12. eat) ____________excessively. At one Saturnalia feast an
emperor is reported (13. spend) ____________the equivalent of $600,000 on a dinner for twelve guests
which consisted of twenty courses and lasted all day. So, when mealtime comes round on 25 December,
there’s no point in (14. have) ____________a guilty conscience. In fact the occasional seasonal feast may
promote good health and stop year-round (15. overeat) ____________.
Exercise 3. Put the verbs in brackets into the “ing” form or the infinitive with or without “to”
When Gilbert decided (1. give up)______________ his job and (2. sell) ______________all his
possessions, everyone thought he was mad. But, as it turned out, he was just the first of many of my friends
(3.do) ______________this. In fact, escaping the pressures of everyday working life has become a priority
for many people these days. They can’t stand the idea of (4. work) ______________until they are 65, only
(5. retire) ______________to some boring country village and (6. waste) ______________their time (7. dig)
______________the garden or (8. gossip) ______________with the neighbors. They would rather (9. live)
______________life to the full now, before they are too old (10. enjoy) ______________ it. (11. buy)
______________a motorcycle and (12. tour) ______________the world is a popular option. Other, less
adventurous types might prefer (13.buy) ______________a small farmhouse and live off the land.
Personally, I fancy (14. sail) ______________around the world in a yacht. As for Gilbert, he bought a house
in a little country village and spends his time (15. walk) ______________around the village and (16.
talk)______________with the neighbors.
Exercise 4. Put the verbs in brackets into the “ing” form of the infinitive without “to”
1. I watched her (get up)____________ and walk slowly out of the room.
2. I heard the phone (ring) ____________twice and then stop.
3. Tim saw Jill (stand) ____________outside the butcher’s as he was driving to work.
High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 1
 English
4. Listen to the wind (blow) ____________through the trees.
5. We heard the workmen (drill) ____________in the road as we were eating breakfast.
6. The witness saw the burglar (break into) ____________the house and steal the television
7. Listen to her (sing) ____________the song and then tell us what you think of it.
Exercise 5. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.
1. We weren’t advised to book in advance. (advise)
→They ________________________ book in advance.
2. You really need to renew your passport before you go on holiday. (needs)
→Your passport ________________________before you go on holiday.
3. They require hotel guests to vacate their rooms by twelve noon. (are)
→Hotel guests ________________________their rooms by twelve noon.
4. The dietician advised us not to eat between meals. (eating)
→The dietician ________________________between meals.
5. They need to consider the proposals more carefully. (considered)
→The proposals ________________________more carefully.
Exercise 6. Put the verbs in brackets into the “ing” form or the infinitive

1. A: Oh, Mum, this programme’s nearly finished. Can’t I go on (watch)___________ TV for a while?
B: No, I want you to do your maths homework and then go on (write) ____________ your English
essay. You haven’t even started it yet and it’s due in tomorrow.
2. A: Your dress is filthy. It wants (wash) ____________.
B: I know. I wanted (take) ____________it to the cleaner’s yesterday, but they were closed.
3. A: Don’t you hate (not/know) ____________anyone here?
High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 2
 English
B: Yes, I get very lonely, but I hate (worry) ____________my parents so I tell them I’ve made lots
of friends.
4. A: I’ll never forget (visit) ____________Thailand for the first time.
B: Yes, it s such a wonderful holiday. If only I hadn’t forgotten (take) ____________my camera.
5. A: Why don’t we stop (get) ____________something to eat on the way home?
B: Ok, but we should really stop (spend) ____________money on junk food.
6. A: I’m sorry for (spoil) ____________your plans last weekend.
B: That’s Ok. I was sorry (hear) ____________you weren’t feeling very well.
7. A: Jane doesn’t know how to work the computer but she’s afraid (ask) ____________for help.
B: But isn’t she afraid of (get) ____________into trouble if she breaks it?
8. A: Did you remember tell)______________ Tim about the party?
B: I don’t remember (tell) ______________him, but I’m sure I did.
9. A: Do you regret (offer) ______________him the job?
B: Yes, I regret (say) ______________he’s not a reliable employee.
10. A: I think I’d prefer (go) ______________on holiday to Greece this year and spend some time
visiting ancient sites.
B: Yes, I prefer (do) ______________something interesting warn rather than (stay)
______________in England.
11. A: Did you mean (park) ______________so far away?
B: Yes. Otherwise, it would mean (pay) ______________to get into a car park.
12. A: I’ve been trying (contact) ______________Mr Isaacs all morning.
B: Why don’t you try (phone) ______________his club?
Exercise 7. Underline the correct participle.

1. He was encouraging/encouraged towards his children.

2. They found the film very excited/exciting.
3. He was exhausting/exhausted after the marathon.
4. They were worrying/worried that they would be late.
5. Her behavior is extremely annoying/annoyed.
6. We were shocking/shocked by his behavior.
7. She told us a very entertaining/entertained story.
8. They were all surprising/surprised when he turned up at the party.
9. That book is really interested/interesting.
10. They were fascinated/fascinating by the view.
Exercise 8. Put the verbs in brackets into the infinitive or “ing” form.
Scotland was the perfect place (1. grow up)______________ .My parents had spent years (2. save
up) ______________because they wanted (3. buy) ______________a small farmhouse in the Scottish
Highlands. Shortly after I was born their dream came true and our new life in the country began. To begin
with, I was probably too young (4. appreciate) ______________the fresh air and breathtaking views, but as I
grew up I began (5. enjoy) ______________exploring the unspoilt countryside. I soon got used to (6. have)
______________to walk miles to the shops, and since it was too far (7. travel) ______________to the
nearest primary school. My parents did their best (8.educate) ______________me at home. However, I
never felt lonely and was usually too busy (9. help) ______________my father on the land to worry about
(10. not/have) ______________any friends. My brothers and sisters were also starting (11. grow up)
______________fast and we had no difficulty (12. amuse) ______________ourselves for hours on end.
When I reached the age of eleven, my parents decided it was time (13.send) ______________me to
secondary school as they didn’t feel they were capable of (14. provide ) ______________me with the range
of skills I would need for my future life. This would involve (15. travel) ______________twenty miles to
the nearest town and twenty miles back. I was sorry (16. say) ______________goodbye to my old way of

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 3

 English
life, but at the same time I looked forward (17. mix) ______________with new people. After (18. finish)
______________school I was forced (19. move) ______________to Edinburgh to look for work and I have
now made the city my home. Although I love the cosmopolitan lifestyle, I sometimes can’t help (20. wish)
______________I was back in the Highlands.
Exercise 9. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.
1. He arrived too late to catch the 9.30 train. (arrive)
→ He ____________________________________to catch the 9.30 train.
2. Preparing the meal took her three hours. (prepare)
→She ____________________________________the meal.
3. These trousers are too small for me. (enough)
→ These trousers ____________________________________for me.
4. Politicians found the results of the local election surprising. (were)
→ Politicians ____________________________________of the local election.
5. Could you pass me the cheese, please? (mind)
→ Would ____________________________________the cheese?
6. They made her pay $2,000 tax. (too)
→She____________________________________$2,000 tax.
7. She was allowed to stay at her friend’s house. (her)
→ They ____________________________________at her friend’s house.
8. He wasn’t all enough to become a policeman. (short)
→ He ____________________________________a policeman.
9. He had difficulty seeing in the dark room. (hardly)
→ He ____________________________________in the dark room.
10. It took her six months to learn how to drive. (took)
→She ____________________________________how to drive.
11. I prefer going out to staying at home. (than)
→ I prefer to ____________________________________at home.
12. Would you mind keeping quiet while she’s talking? (keep)
→ Could ____________________________________she’s talking?
13. The runner could hardly keep up with the others. (had)
→ The runner ____________________________________up with the others.
14. I think it’s interesting to visit other countries. (visiting)
→ I think ____________________________________interesting.
15. She prefers taking the train to travelling by coach. (take)
→ She prefers ____________________________________than travel by coach.
16. Could you run through the details once more? (mind)
→Would ____________________________________the details once more?
17. They took ages to reach a decision. (them)
→It ____________________________________a decision.
18. The police let the suspect make one phone call. (was)
→The suspect ____________________________________one phone call.
19. The tourists found the carnival fascinating. (were)
→The tourists ____________________________________the carnival.
20. It was difficult for the jury to reach a verdict. (difficulty)
→The jury ____________________________________a verdict.
21. The 17-year-olds weren’t old enough to get into the club. (too)
→ The 17-year-old ____________________________________into the club.
22. She prefers speaking French to writing it. (than)
→ She prefers ____________________________________write it.
23. Learning about other cultures is important. (learn)
→ It ____________________________________about other cultures.
24. They made him work overtime. (was)
→He ____________________________________overtime.
25. During the rush hour it takes me over an hour to get to work. (getting)
→During the rush hour, ____________________________________over an hour.
High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 4
 English
26. The instructions were so complicated that I couldn’t follow them. (too)
→ The instructions were ____________________________________follow.
27. It was difficult for me to hear what he was saying. (hardly)
→I ____________________________________what he was saying.
28. Could you keep the noise down? (mind)
→Would ____________________________________the noise down?
29. They made the passengers wait at the airport for hours. (were)
→The passengers ____________________________________at the airport for hours.
30. I have difficulty in understanding his accent. (find)
→I ____________________________________his accent.
Exercise 10. Find the word which should not be in the sentence.
1. She went to the market for to do her weekly shopping.
2. I hope that to see you again some day.
3. Tim is not so experienced enough to take on such responsibilities.
4. Would you be so kind as that to help me carry those bags?
5. Drawing it is a relaxing hobby.
6. The Burtons enjoy to traveling abroad whenever they get the chance.
7. My sister made me to promise that I would never tell anyone her secret.
8. I don’t mind that being asked to lend a hand.
9. We had quite an adventure when we went for climbing in the Swiss Alps.
10. Could you let me to use your dictionary, please?
11. I’ll never forget about travelling by plane for the first time.
12. I heard John to tell her that he was leaving that Saturday.
13. You had better not to tell him that you have been fired again.
14. She went on to talking about her holidays until everyone was bored.
15. The sofa was too heavy for me to move it.
16. He suggested we waiting until Roger got back.
17. Children would love being told bedtime stories.
18. To entering the premises without permission is not allowed.
19. As well as he studying to become a doctor, Tom works part-time as a waiter.
20. The car needs being servicing.
Exercise 11. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.
1. I’m sure he didn’t steal the money. (stolen)
→ He _____________________________ the money.
2. It is likely that he will travel to Europe. (to)
→He _____________________________to Europe.
3. It’s a pity you didn’t come to the disco with us. (have)
→You _____________________________to the disco with us.
4. It’s too cold to go camping. (warm)
→It _____________________________to go camping.
5. The car was so expensive that we couldn’t buy it. (for)
→ The car _____________________________to buy.
6. Crying over spilt milk is useless. (use)
→ It _____________________________spilt milk.
7. She tends to get every excited at office parties. (carried)
→She _____________________________at office parties.
Exercise 12. Read the text and choose the best answer for each space.
THE LOST ART OF OLD MASTERS
The three blank spaces (0)_____ the wall of the Frankfurt Schirn Gallery are probably more
photographed than the old paintings which (1.) _____there until last Thursday. That was the day when
thieves (2.) _____two paintings by JMW Turner, which were (3.) _____loan from London’s Tate Gallery. In
fact, as theft increases, empty walls are (4.) _____an increasingly familiar (5.) _____in Europe’s galleries.
The thieves are usually (6.) _____of professional gangs who study the layout of their target in (7.)
_____beforehand. They are becoming better at overcoming the tightest security. The thieves of Frankfurt
waited (8.) _____the gallery closed at 10 p.m, overpowered the security guard before he could (9.) _____on
High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 5
 English
the alarm system and (10.) _____with the paintings to a waiting car. The pictures are (11.) _____at
$37.7million and, since they are (12.) _____famous to sell, police suspect that the thieves will hold them to
ransom. A $62,800 reward is being (13.) _____for information. Unfortunately European Union policy has
made it easier for thieves to (14.) _____borders and harder for police to follow them. To discourage thieves,
galleries may have to turn themselves (15.) _____high security fortresses.
1. A. in B. over C. on D. along
2. A. hung B. stayed C. held D. fixed
3. A. robbed B. stole C. burgled D. borrowed
4. A. for B. at C. in D. on
5. A. getting B. becoming C. having D. growing
6. A. sight B. scene C. site D. look
7. A. guests B. members C. partners D. owners
8. A. fact B. addition C. detail D. general
9. A. for B. while C. before D. until
10. A. turn B. go C. rely D. set
11. A. escaped B. parted C. got D. hid
12. A. measured B. charged C. valued D. appreciated
13. A. too B. enough C. very D. quite
14. A. stated B. offered C. held D. taken
15. A. swap B. alter C. change D. cross
16. A. for B. towards C. into D. over
Exercise 13. Give the correct form of the word in brackets.
Dangerous work
The (0. probable)___________of your being killed or injured at work determines how much life
(1.insure) ___________you have to pay. An (2. electric) ___________, for example, has a fairly high life
(3.exect) ___________- they are only at risk from the odd (4. fault) ___________cable- and are therefore in
a low risk (5.classify) ___________. Higher premiums are paid by people who have more (6.danger)
___________jobs such as (7. construct) ___________ workers. There were sixty-five deaths on building
sites last year alone. (8. fortunately) ___________most accidents and deaths are caused by a (9.tend)
___________to ignore (10. safe) ___________regulations, when simple precautions and good sense can
prevent fatalities.
Exercise 14. Fill in the correct preposition.
1. She applied ______ the manager ______the post of editor of the magazine.
2. He is crazy ______all kinds of fast cars.
3. I wouldn’t bet ______it being warm tomorrow..
4. The manager of the bank had to account ______all the money that was missing.
5. I didn’t realize there would be a charge ______using this telephone.
6. The police announced that they were going to charge someone ______the murder of the priest.
7. Nobody seems to care ______what is happening in the world today.
8. Jame’s mother told him to take care ______himself during the journey.
9. Mark was very clever ______figuring out how machines worked.
10. It was very clever ______you to remember to bring an umbrella.
11. If you apply now, you’re assured ______getting a place on the course.
12. You can’t compare Elvis Pressley ______Michael Jackson, Elvis is the king.
13. Compared ______winters in Moscow, this isn’t really cold at all.
14. The Police Inspector wasn’t able to comment ______the case as they had no new evidence.
15. I’m going to have to stop eating chocolate. I think I’m addicted ______it.
16. Michael’s been asked to contribute ______this new science fiction magazine.
17. I couldn’t get into the museum because it was crowded ______tourists.
18. Scientists are still trying to find a cure ______AIDS.
19. You have to comply ______these rules or you will lose your job.
20. Brian’s been accused ______cheating in his exams.
21. Maria should go and see a doctor. She has been complaining ______back pains for weeks now.
22. I’m going to complain ______the manager ______this meal. It was terrible.
23. It upsets me when people are cruel ______their pets.
High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 6
 English
24. He doesn’t seem to be aware ______what’s going on around him.
25. This new book I’m reading is based ______the life of Jackie Onasis.
Exercise 15. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words.
1. When did George give up his job? (since)
→ How long ___________________________________ up his job?
2. The machine stopped working so we asked someone to check it. (down)
→ The machine ___________________________________asked someone to check it.
3. The soup is so hot that she can’t eat it. (hot)
→The soup ___________________________________to eat.
4. Could you water the flowers? (mind)
→Would ___________________________________the flowers?
5. The film was quite boring. (were)
→We ___________________________________the film.
6. She prefers watching TV to listening to music. (rather)
→She’d ___________________________________to music.
7. We left early to avoid the traffic. (out)
→We ___________________________________to avoid the traffic.
8. They made the children study for five hours a day. (were)
→ The ___________________________________for five hours a day.
9. He finds driving on the left difficult. (use)
→He ___________________________________on the left.
10. He thought she was his aunt. (for)
→He ___________________________________his aunt.
11. The tiles on their roof need replacing. (need)
→They ___________________________________the tiles on their roof.
12. He doesn’t want her to work as a waitress. (objects)
→He ___________________________________as a waitress.
13. We haven’t had any news from him for a month. (heard)
→ We ___________________________________for a month.
Exercise 16. Complete the sentences below with a suitable word from the list below.
a bell a fox a cucumber a lamb a picture a pancake a bee a peacock the grave a sheet
1. The bride looked as pretty as ______________ in her white silk wedding gown.
2. Mr Bayer looks a rather rough type but he is really as gentle as ______________.
3. Her voice rang out as clear as ______________.
4. When Jenny came top of the class she was as proud as ______________.
5. The land around town is as flat as ______________. There isn’t a hill in sight.
6. When Mr Jenkins heard the news he went as white as ______________.
7. Her mother has been as busy as ______________all day making all the last minute preparations for
the wedding.
8. John remained as silent as ______________as he listened to my plans for the future.
9. Mary stayed as cool as ______________and gave not even the slightest sign that she had met him
before.
10. You can be sure he has an ulterior motive for inviting us to dinner, he is as cunning as
______________

High School for Gifted Students - HNUE Page 7