Complete the following sentences using an appropriate non-finite verb form.
1. I would like …………………….. you something. (to tell / telling / either could be used here)
2. I don’t like to get up on Sundays. I prefer ……………………….. in bed. (staying / to stay / either could be used here.)
3. ‘Would you like to watch a movie?’ ‘No thanks. I would prefer …………………. (to read / reading / either could be used here)
4. I am not accustomed to …………………….. under pressure. (work / working / either could be used here)
5. He doesn’t drive fast because he is afraid ……………………… (of crashing / to crash / either could be used here)
6. He is afraid …………………….. (of telling / to tell) her what he really thinks about her.
Answers
1. I would like to tell you something. (After would like, would hate, would prefer and would love, we use infinitives, not gerunds.)
2. I prefer staying / to stay in bed. (After prefer, both infinitives and gerunds (-ing forms) can be used with the same meaning.)
3. I would prefer to read. (After would prefer, we use infinitives.)
4. I am not accustomed to working / work under pressure. (Accustomed to can be followed by an –ing form or an infinitive.)
5. He doesn’t drive fast because he is afraid of crashing. (Afraid of is followed by an –ing form when we are talking about the fear of something happening by accident. In other cases, both infinitives and –ing forms are possible after afraid of.)
6 He is afraid of telling / to tell her what he really thinks about her.
