Part 6: Identifying Grammar Errors

Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives

The present participle of a verb is sometimes used as an adjective, and often as a kind of noun. In some cases, this is may be as a verbal noun, while often it is a gerund.

present participle	talking
as an adjective	a talking doll
as a verbal noun	talking during a test is not permitted
as a gerund	by talking during the test, the student failed the class

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Also, infinitives look like verbs but act as adjectives, adverbs or nouns:

I like to write home pages.

Some important points to remember for the TOEIC are:

• 1) Some verbs take gerunds and some take infinitives:
  • consider
  • Wrong: I am considering to open a camp ground.
  • Right: I am considering opening a camp ground.
  • expect
  • Wrong: We are expecting delivering any time now.
  • Right: We are expecting to deliver any time now.

• 2) Generally speaking, in a sentence we do not find an ³-ing² following a to², with few exceptions:
  • Wrong:
  • I am going to fishing.
  • He is going to speaking in front of the entire company.
  • Some exceptions:
  • I am going to swimming class. (swimming is used as an adjective modifying class)
  • He was headed to Reading. (Reading is a place name)
  • To netsurfing! (in this drinking toast, netsurfing is a verbal noun)

• 3) Avoid splitting the infinite.
  • Wrong: I like to artistically write home pages.
  • Right: I like to write home pages artistically.

See notes for information on navigating, links, copyright (my own as well as any possible inadvertant infringement on my part) and photo usage, etc.

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