English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Advanced uses of the infinitive exercise

1. Correct the mistakes.

1   Navajo is one of the hardest to learn languages.

     …………………………………….

2   That word is too formal for say in this context.

     …………………………………….

3   Can you lend me a book for to read on holiday?

     …………………………………….

4   My French isn’t enough good to have a long chat.

     …………………………………….

5   I’m the first person in my family going to university.

     …………………………………….

6   I’m not as brave as to travel around India alone.

     …………………………………….

2. Complete the sentences with a word from box A and the infinitive form of a verb from box B.

A   easiest • emails • enough • last • only • shy

B   answer • approach • discover • leave • make • understand

1   I was the …………………… the room, so I turned off all the lights.

2   My brother’s too …………………… a speech in public.

3   Of the languages I know, I find Italian the …………………… .

4   I called the language school …………………… all the classes were full.

5   I’m not confident …………………… someone and start a conversation.

6   I’ve got a few ……………………, and then I’ll turn off my laptop.

3. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Write no more than six words and include the word in brackets.

1   I acquired a new passport, but I had it stolen the first time I used it. (only)

     I acquired a new passport ……………………… the first time I used it.

2   Only one person signed up for the German exchange before me. (second)

     I was ……………………… for the German exchange.

3   No place is better for learning a language than the country where it is spoken. (best)

     ……………………… a language is in the country where it is spoken.

4   We can use the app I’ve downloaded if we need to ask for something. (to)

     I’ve downloaded ……………………… if we need to ask for something.

5   They speak very fast, so I can’t understand what they’re saying. (too)

      They speak ……………………… what they’re saying.

6   The first episode of the series didn’t make me want to watch the rest, as it wasn’t very good. (so)

     The first episode wasn’t ……………………… want to watch the rest of the series.

4. Complete the text. Write one word in each gap.

THE CORNISH REVIVAL

Kernewek, or Cornish, is one of the minority languages of the UK. Spoken only in Cornwall, a county in the south-western tip of England, the language was considered dead after the (1) …………………… person to speak it fluently passed away in 1777. In the early 20th century, however, a revival of the language began, but there were very few written records (2) …………………… go on. The (3) …………………… attempt to provide standardised rules was made by Robert Morton Nance in his 1929 work Comish For All. From then on, the revival gathered steam (4) …………………… to come to a standstill in the 1980s due to an argument over the (5) …………………… important decision to be made: which of the three or four dialects should be declared official? At one point it seemed that the differences of opinion might be (6) …………………… great for a compromise to be reached. In 2008, however, a standard written form was agreed upon. Since then, Cornish has gained (7) …………………… speakers for UNESCO to remove its classification of the language as ‘extinct’. Today, some Cornish people are (8) …………………… bold as to dream of living in their own independent country.

5. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words below.

anything nice / eat • easy / way / go • enough / hold

first person / make • me / life • only / find • only student / pass

1   We travelled all the way to Birmingham, …………………… that the concert had been cancelled.

2   Kathy was the …………………… friends with me at college.

3   You must be strong! That box is too heavy …………………… .

4   The …………………… to the station from here is along Stanton Road and over the canal bridge.

5   I’m starving! Have we got …………………… in the fridge?

6   Rebecca was the …………………… the test. It was far too difficult.

7   The car isn’t big …………………… all these boxes, so we’ll have to make two trips.