Gerund (V-ing) vs. Infinitive (To V) – English Grammar Exercises for B1
A formal end-of-month summary report, praising the corporate team for overcoming challenges and hitting their targets. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence. Read the context carefully. Keep in mind the strict grammatical rule: any verb immediately following a preposition MUST be in the gerund (V-ing) form.
1 On behalf of the management, thank you all for ________ the final phase of the project ahead of schedule.
(A) to complete
(B) completed
(C) completing
(D) complete
2 This month, our engineering team proved they are highly capable of ________ complex technical issues.
(A) solving
(B) solve
(C) to solve
(D) solved
3 The marketing department is very excited about ________ the new brand identity next week.
(A) launch
(B) to launch
(C) launched
(D) launching
4 Despite the heavy workload, we succeeded in ________ the global client contract.
(A) secured
(B) securing
(C) to secure
(D) secure
5 The IT staff resolved the server crash entirely without ________ any outside consultants.
(A) hiring
(B) hire
(C) hired
(D) to hire
6 I want to personally commend the logistics team for ________ the sudden supply chain crisis.
(A) management
(B) managing
(C) manage
(D) to manage
7 Our lead developer, Mark, was directly responsible for ________ the software’s user interface.
(A) redesign
(B) to redesign
(C) redesigned
(D) redesigning
8 Instead of ________ about the tight deadlines, the sales team simply worked harder to meet them.
(A) to complain
(B) complained
(C) complain
(D) complaining
9 A major competitor tried to prevent us from ________ the European market, but we prevailed.
(A) entering
(B) entered
(C) enter
(D) to enter
10 We achieved this record-breaking profit by ________ our marketing resources efficiently.
(A) to allocate
(B) allocating
(C) allocated
(D) allocate
11 The regional director insists on ________ every monthly report before it is officially published.
(A) review
(B) to review
(C) reviewing
(D) reviewed
12 As a company, we are fully committed ________ the highest quality products to our customers.
(A) to delivering
(B) to deliver
(C) for delivering
(D) deliver
13 Please join me in congratulating the HR team on ________ a highly successful recruitment drive.
(A) to organize
(B) organizing
(C) organize
(D) organized
14 Are the board members genuinely interested in ________ the proposed expansion plan?
(A) fund
(B) funded
(C) to fund
(D) funding
15 Management strongly objects ________ the training budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
(A) against cutting
(B) cutting
(C) to cut
(D) to cutting
16 The entire design squad should be incredibly proud of ________ the “Best Innovation” award last night.
(A) win
(B) winning
(C) to win
(D) won
17 We cannot realistically double our production without ________ our factory equipment first.
(A) to upgrade
(B) upgrading
(C) upgraded
(D) upgrade
18 Unfortunately, one supplier was penalized for ________ the new corporate safety regulations.
(A) didn’t follow
(B) not to follow
(C) not following
(D) not follow
19 In addition ________ our main sales targets, we also reduced operational costs by 15%.
(A) to surpass
(B) of surpassing
(C) surpass
(D) to surpassing
20 Our CEO looks forward ________ all of you at the annual corporate gala next week.
(A) for seeing
(B) to see
(C) to seeing
(D) seeing
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (C) completing
- Why it is correct (The Key): The word “for” is a preposition. Any verb following a preposition must be in the V-ing (gerund) form.
- Error Analysis: (A) “To complete” is a Common Mistake. (D) “Complete” is a Structural Error. (B) “Completed” is a Strong Distractor (past tense looks right for a finished project, but it breaks the preposition rule).
2 (A) solving
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Of” is a preposition, so it must be followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (C) “To solve” is a Common Mistake. (B) “Solve” is a Structural Error. (D) “Solved” is a Strong Distractor.
3 (D) launching
- Why it is correct (The Key): “About” is a preposition. It requires the gerund form “launching”.
- Error Analysis: (B) “To launch” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Launch” is a Structural Error. (C) “Launched” is a Strong Distractor.
4 (B) securing
- Why it is correct (The Key): “In” is a preposition. The fixed phrase is “succeed in doing something.”
- Error Analysis: (C) “To secure” is a Common Mistake. (D) “Secure” is a Structural Error. (A) “Secured” is a Strong Distractor.
5 (A) hiring
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Without” is a preposition. It is always followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (D) “To hire” is a Common Mistake. (B) “Hire” is a Structural Error. (C) “Hired” is a Strong Distractor.
6 (B) managing
- Why it is correct (The Key): “For” is a preposition requiring a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (A) “Management” is a Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap. While “management” is a noun, it cannot take a direct object (“the crisis”) without the preposition “of”. A gerund (“managing”) can take a direct object. (D) “To manage” is a Common Mistake. (C) “Manage” is a Structural Error.
7 (D) redesigning
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Responsible for” is a fixed adjective + preposition phrase. The verb must be a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (B) “To redesign” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Redesign” is a Structural Error. (C) “Redesigned” is a Strong Distractor.
8 (D) complaining
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Instead of” ends in a preposition (“of”), so the following verb must be V-ing.
- Error Analysis: (A) “To complain” is a Common Mistake. (C) “Complain” is a Structural Error. (B) “Complained” is a Strong Distractor.
9 (A) entering
- Why it is correct (The Key): The structure is “prevent someone from doing something.” “From” is a preposition requiring a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (D) “To enter” is a Common Mistake. (C) “Enter” is a Structural Error. (B) “Entered” is a Strong Distractor.
10 (B) allocating
- Why it is correct (The Key): “By” is a preposition used to explain how something was done. It must be followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (A) “To allocate” is a Common Mistake. (D) “Allocate” is a Structural Error. (C) “Allocated” is a Strong Distractor.
11 (C) reviewing
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Insist on” is a fixed verb + preposition combination. It requires a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (B) “To review” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Review” is a Structural Error. (D) “Reviewed” is a Strong Distractor.
12 (A) to delivering
- Why it is correct (The Key): In the phrase “committed to”, the word “to” is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. Therefore, it must be followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (B) “To deliver” is a huge Common Mistake; learners assume “to” always takes a base verb. (C) “For delivering” is a Strong Distractor. (D) “Deliver” is a Structural Error.
13 (B) organizing
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Congratulate someone on” uses the preposition “on,” which must be followed by V-ing.
- Error Analysis: (A) “To organize” is a Common Mistake. (C) “Organize” is a Structural Error. (D) “Organized” is a Strong Distractor.
14 (D) funding
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Interested in” is an adjective + preposition combo. It takes a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (C) “To fund” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Fund” is a Structural Error. (B) “Funded” is a Strong Distractor.
15 (D) to cutting
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Object to” contains the preposition “to”. It must be followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (C) “To cut” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Against cutting” is a Meaning Trap (wrong preposition for this verb). (B) “Cutting” is a Structural Error (missing the required preposition “to”).
16 (B) winning
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Proud of” uses the preposition “of,” requiring the gerund form of the verb.
- Error Analysis: (C) “To win” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Win” is a Structural Error. (D) “Won” is a Strong Distractor.
17 (B) upgrading
- Why it is correct (The Key): “Without” is a preposition and strictly requires a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (A) “To upgrade” is a Common Mistake. (D) “Upgrade” is a Structural Error. (C) “Upgraded” is a Strong Distractor.
18 (C) not following
- Why it is correct (The Key): To make a gerund negative after a preposition, simply put “not” directly before the V-ing (“for not following”).
- Error Analysis: (B) “Not to follow” is a Common Mistake. (A) “Didn’t follow” is a conjugated verb phrase, structurally invalid after a preposition (Structural Error). (D) “Not follow” is a Strong Distractor.
19 (D) to surpassing
- Why it is correct (The Key): The phrase “in addition to” functions as a preposition. Therefore, “to” must be followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (A) “To surpass” is a classic Common Mistake. (B) “Of surpassing” uses the wrong preposition entirely (Strong Distractor/Meaning Trap). (C) “Surpass” is a Structural Error.
20 (C) to seeing
- Why it is correct (The Key): In the phrase “look forward to”, the word “to” is a preposition. It must be followed by a gerund.
- Error Analysis: (B) “To see” is the most Common Mistake in English email writing! (A) “For seeing” uses the wrong preposition (Strong Distractor). (D) “Seeing” is a Structural Error (missing “to”).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Golden Rule of Prepositions:
Whenever you place a verb immediately after a preposition (e.g., in, of, for, about, without, on, by, at), that verb MUST take the Gerund (V-ing) form. - Correct: Thank you for coming.
- Incorrect: Thank you for come.
- The Tricky “To” (Preposition vs. Infinitive):
Usually, “to” is part of an infinitive (e.g., I want to go). However, in certain fixed corporate phrases, “to” is actually a preposition. When it is a preposition, it must be followed by V-ing. Memorize these crucial business phrases: - Look forward to V-ing (e.g., look forward to meeting you)
- Be committed to V-ing (e.g., committed to providing excellence)
- Object to V-ing (e.g., object to spending more money)
- In addition to V-ing (e.g., in addition to signing the contract)
- Negative Gerunds:
If you need to use a negative action after a preposition, simply put the word not in front of the V-ing. - Example: He apologized for not sending the email earlier.