Einstein's Early Education

EXERCISE 7
Read the following text. Underline all direct object infinitives, and circle all direct object
gerunds. (Not every sentence may have one.)
Then, make a list of the verb + infinitive or gerund combinations that you find.
Example: Verb + Infinitive Verb + Gerund

learn to speak prefer saying
Einstein’s Early Education

(1) Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1879. (2) Because he
learned to speak at a late age, his parents feared that he was retarded.
(3) Modern observers prefer saying that he was a daydreamer.
(4) When he was 5 years old, Einstein began to attend a Catholic school.
(5) One instructor was especially critical of his abilities and told his
parents that it did not matter what field young Albert chose because he
would not succeed in it. (6) In 1889, Einstein transferred to a very strict
German school called the Luitpold Gymnasium. (7) The rigid structure
forced Einstein to distrust authority and become skeptical.
(8) At age 12, Einstein picked up a mathematics textbook and began teaching himself geometry.
(9) By 1894, Einstein’s father’s business had failed to prosper, and the family moved to Italy.
(10) Einstein, however, remained behind and began feeling lonely and unhappy. (11) Consequently, he
paid less attention to his studies and was finally asked by one of the teachers to leave. (12) He joined
his family in Italy but was not able to matriculate at a university because he did not have a diploma.
(13) When he heard that a diploma was not necessary to enter at the Swiss Polytechnique Institute in
Zurich, he decided to apply.
(14) Einstein traveled to Switzerland but did not pass the entrance examination. (15) He was not
prepared well enough in biology and languages, so he enrolled in the Gymnasium at Aarau to prepare
himself in his weaker subjects. (16) Albert enjoyed studying in Aarau more than at the Luitpold
Gymnasium because the teachers wanted to teach students how to think. (17) He took the exam again
and was finally permitted to matriculate into a four-year program. (18) Einstein did not excel during
these years at the Institute. (19) In fact, he rarely attended the lectures. (20) He read his books at home
and borrowed his classmates’ notes to pass tests.
(21) When Einstein graduated in 1900, he failed to obtain a position at the Institute. (22) His professors
did not intend to reward Einstein’s lackadaisical attitude toward classes with a position. (23) Because he did
not get an academic appointment, he worked at the Swiss Patent Office. (24) He worked there for several
years until he was offered an appointment as Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Zurich.
(25) It was there that Einstein’s revolutionary theories of space-time began to take hold and threatened
to destroy the reputations of other colleagues who had built their careers on Newton’s ideas of a
clockwork universe.
What meaning does the “to-verb” structure have in sentences 15 and 20?
GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES 341

EXERCISE 8
Complete the following sentences based on the passage in Exercise 7. Use an infinitive or
gerund. The first one has been done for you.
Example: As a baby, Einstein appeared to be retarded.
1. As a young child, he failed to impres his teachers.

2. At age twelve, Einstein decided to teach himself geometry.
3. Einstein neglected to do his homework.
4. When Einstein’s family left for Italy, he quit paying attention .
5. Because of this, one teacher advised him to leave school.
6. Without his family, he couldn’t help feeling lonely.
7. He didn’t mind joining his family in Italy.
8. Unfortunately, he couldn’t begin attending class at a university without a
diploma.
9. He tried to enter the Swiss Polytechnique but could not pass the
entrance exam.
10. He regretted failing the entrance exam the first time.
11. Professors at the Polytechnique declined to reward Einstein a position
because of his lackadaisical academic performance.
12. As a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office, he continued learning about
physics.
13. The University of Zurich invited Einstein to be a faculty member.
14. Many professors couldn’t help enjoying Einstein’s unusual ideas.
15. Soon he began to be well-established professors with his revolutionary
theories.
EXERCISE 9
Look back at the notes you made for the Opening Task on page 331 and additional
information you learned in Exercise 6. Assume that only five of the applicants can be
chosen for the three-month project at Altacreat.
STEP 1 In pairs, rank order the applicants from 1 (= most desirable) to 10 (= least desirable). Consider
what might be the appropriate mix of males and females, whether married couples or singles are preferable,
what skills and abilities are most essential for global exchange, what compatibility factors should be
considered, etc.
342 UNIT 18

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EXERCISE 7

Example: Verb + Infinitive Verb + Gerund

Einstein’s Early Education

GERUNDS AND INFINITIVES 341

1. As a young child, he failed to impres his teachers.

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