Advanced grammar tests - English exam centre 2015

Gerunds & Infinitives/ Test-3

1. That’s strange. I saw him ... his bike along the river this morning and he didn’t mention anything about ... his job.

A) riding / changing

B) having ridden / change

C) to be riding / to change

D) ride / to have changed

E) to ride / having changed

2. I imagine Sally was about ... when I asked her ... a letter for me, as she looked rather reluctant.

A) leaving / to have typed

B) to be leaving / typing

C) to leave / to type

D) to have left / type

E) having left / typed

3. Don’t you think we should consider ... the chimney ... before the winter?

A) to be getting / to sweep

B) to have got / sweep

C) having got / sweeping

D) to get / being swept

E) getting / swept

4. In an emergency, even a child can save a life if he or she knows what ... .

A) to do

B) doing

C) being done

D) have done

E) having done

5. Knowledge of nutrition helps you ... proper eating habits ... a healthy life.

A) to develop / having maintained

B) developing / maintaining

C) developed / maintained

D) develop / to maintain

E) having developed / maintain

6. Mankind first used indestructible materials to erect large structures ... in but ... their gods from.

A) without living / being worshipped

B) to be living / having worshipped

C) having lived / to be worshipped

D) not to live / to worship

E) by not living / worshipped

7. I tried ... careful ... his feelings.

A) being / not hurting

B) to be / not to hurt

C) to have been / didn’t hurt

D) having been / didn’t hurt

E) be / not to have hurt

8. ... at the details of the famous sculptor Rodin’s works, we can see his ability ... feeling through facial expression and through hands.

A) To look / being conveyed

B) By looking / to convey

C) Having looked / convey

D) To be looking / conveying

E) Being looked / to be conveying

9. Ludlow is considered ... the most beautiful mediaeval street in England. Do you fancy ... there for sightseeing tonight?

A) having / to go

B) had / go

C) to have / going

D) have / to go

E) having / go

10. The singer Nick Hucknall has decided ... a two-year break, but he won’t have any money problems. He has already made enough money ... a lifetime.

A) to take / to last

B) taking / lasting

C) take / to be lasting

D) taken / to have lasted

E) having taken / lasted

11. Remember ... off the washing machine before you leave home, will you?

A) switching

B) to have switched

C) having switched

D) switch

E) to switch

12. Both sides seem ... on to their determination ... a peaceful solution, don’t they?

A) to be held / finding

B) to be holding / to find

C) holding / to be finding

D) having held / found

E) held / having found

13. It is sometimes difficult for parents ... whether ... their children for misbehaving.

A) to decide / to punish

B) deciding / to be punishing

C) being decided / punish

D) decided / having punished

E) having decided / punishing

14. A: Did you have difficulty ... our office?

B: No, it was quite easy ... here.

A) to find / to have got

B) having found / getting

C) finding / to get

D) to be finding / get

E) find / having got

15. I never seem ... enough time ... everything I want.

A) having / doing

B) to be having / done

C) have / to be doing

D) to have / to do

E) to have had / do

16. A talented actress like Tracy shouldn’t be wasting her talent ... in a soap opera.

A) acting

B) to act

C) act

D) acted

E) to be acted

17. Money motivates most people ... hard, even though it may cause them ... a lot of stress.

A) working / undergoing

B) to be working / undergo

C) to work / to undergo

D) work / to have undergone

E) worked / having undergone

18. She caught her son and his friend ... computer games when they were supposed ... an assignment for school.

A) to play / to be prepared

B) playing / to be preparing

C) play / having prepared

D) to be playing / preparing

E) played / to prepare

19. I was against my daughter ... to a late night party, but she got the permission in the end because she really knows how ... people.

A) to go / to be persuading

B) gone / persuading

C) go / to have persuaded

D) going / to persuade

E) to be going / persuade

20. The actor is believed ... the TV drama because of an illness.

A) to have left

B) leaving

C) to be left

D) leave

E) left

21. As trainees, we spent several days ... to presentations and lectures about how ... the product.

A) to listen / selling

B) listen / to be selling

C) listened / to have sold

D) listening / to sell

E) having listened / sell

22. Her lifelong wish ... the country of her parents came true when she visited the Ukraine last month.

A) having visited

B) visit

C) visited

D) to visit

E) visiting

23. Before offering you the position, we need ... if you are prepared ... evenings and weekends when it is necessary.

A) knowing / working

B) know / to have worked

C) to know / to work

D) having known / worked

E) to have known / work

24. We had arranged ... after work on Friday ... our holiday plans.

A) to meet / to discuss

B) meeting / discussing

C) to meet / discussing

D) meeting / to discuss

E) meet / having discussed

25. The florist was nervous about the wedding order ... account ... the customer being very hard to please.

A) on / of

B) with / on

C) about / for

D) in / with

E) for / to

26. If I were you, I would forget ... getting promoted there and look for more rewarding job somewhere else.

A) for

B) about

C) of

D) in

E) with

27. If you insist ... having all this paperwork completed, how do you expect your staff ... any time with customers?

A) of / spending

B) on / to spend

C) about / spent

D) for / spend

E) to / for spending

28. The manager wants us to concentrate ... gaining new business and says that the head office will take care ... looking after existing customers.

A) in / for

B) to / in

C) on / of

D) about / with

E) of / from

29. We’ve urged him ... for the promotion, but he won’t as he is afraid of ... .

A) to apply / being rejected

B) for applying / rejecting

C) applying / to be rejected

D) to have applied / rejected

E) from applying / to reject

30. The first woman ... as a foreign correspondent in the United States was Margaret Fuller, who was also a social reformer, critic and teacher whose words enriched the lives of many people.

A) be served

B) being served

C) has served

D) to serve

E) to be serving

31. The minister for defense thanked the soldiers ... carrying out their mission successfully.

A) with

B) of

C) in

D) on

E) for

32. If she hadn’t devoted herself ... teaching her autistic son, she probably would have been a scientist.

A) to

B) on

C) in

D) about

E) for

33. In the article, the environmentalists warned consumers ... purchasing genetically modified produce.

A) with

B) against

C) on

D) to

E)of

34. When I was a child, I would often ... of living in a motor home and traveling around the world.

A) feel

B) dream

C) imagine

D) plan

E) anticipate

35. I ... to having to clear up somebody else’s mess.

A) mind

B) dislike

C) object

D) can’t stand

E) complain

36. After the murder of the prize-winning cameraman, the foreign office has ... people against going to the region for any reason.

A) insisted

B) worried

C) deterred

D) warned

E) stopped

37. They ... him in Spain for murdering a van driver in England.

A) forbade

B) dealt

C) accused

D) suspected

E) arrested

38. The airline ... to me for losing my luggage, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to forgive them.

A) thanked

B) complained

C) excused

D) denied

E) apologized

39. I was ... from buying a house in that area by the high crime rate.

A) deterred

B) afraid

C) advised

D) compelled

E) obliged

40. Because of the protests from the local residents, the farmers ... not to participate in growing genetically modified crops.

A) appreciated

B) failed

C) decided

D) considered

E) urged