Verb Patterns Quiz

Which of the following verbs can be followed by a to-infinitive?

• admit

• afford

• enjoy

• finish

Answer explanation

The verb 'afford' can be followed by a to-infinitive, as in 'I can't afford to go.' In contrast, 'admit,' 'enjoy,' and 'finish' are followed by gerunds, not infinitives.

What is the correct form for the verb 'enjoy'?

• enjoyed cooking

• enjoy cook

• enjoy to cook

• enjoy cooking

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'enjoy cooking' because 'enjoy' is followed by a gerund (verb + ing) to indicate enjoyment of an activity. The other options are grammatically incorrect.

Which verb can be used with both -ing and to-infinitive forms?

• avoid

• finish

• deny

• hate

Answer explanation

The verb 'hate' can be used with both -ing and to-infinitive forms, as in 'I hate swimming' and 'I hate to swim'. The other options only work with -ing forms.

What does the -ing form emphasize compared to the to-infinitive?

• The result of the action

• The process itself

• The preference for the action

• The action as a whole

Answer explanation

The -ing form emphasizes the process of the action, focusing on the ongoing nature of the activity, while the to-infinitive often highlights the result or purpose of the action.

Which of the following sentences is correct?

• I hate to be the only person to disagree.

• I hate cleaning my room.

• I hate to clean my room.

• I hate cleaning to my room.

Answer explanation

The correct sentence is 'I hate cleaning my room.' because it uses the gerund form 'cleaning' correctly. The other options either misuse the infinitive form or are grammatically incorrect.

Which verb is followed by an infinitive without 'to'?

• persuade

• advise

• help

• make

Answer explanation

The verb 'make' is followed by an infinitive without 'to', as in 'make him cry'. In contrast, 'persuade', 'advise', and 'help' require 'to' before the infinitive.

What is the correct form of the verb 'stop' when indicating a change in action?

• stop buy some water

• stop to buy some water

• stop for buying some water

• stop buying some water

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'stop to buy some water' because it indicates a change in action, meaning you pause your current activity in order to perform the new action of buying water.

Which of the following verbs is NOT typically followed by -ing?

• mind

• help

• avoid

• risk

Answer explanation

The verb 'help' is not typically followed by -ing. Instead, it is usually followed by the base form of a verb (e.g., 'help someone do something'). In contrast, 'mind', 'avoid', and 'risk' are commonly followed by -ing.

What is the meaning of 'I tried to email Simon but it bounced back'?

• I successfully emailed Simon.

• I didn't want to email Simon.

• I attempted to email Simon but failed.

• I forgot to email Simon.

Answer explanation

The phrase 'bounced back' indicates that the email could not be delivered, meaning the attempt to email Simon was unsuccessful. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that I attempted to email Simon but failed.

Which of the following sentences uses the verb 'remember' correctly?

• Did you remember to ringing Nigel?

• Did you remember ring Nigel?

• Did you remember ringing Nigel?

• Did you remember to ring Nigel?

Answer explanation

The correct sentence is 'Did you remember to ring Nigel?' because 'remember' is followed by the infinitive form 'to ring', indicating an action to be recalled.