Adjective, Infinitive, and Gerund Patterns

Core idea

Grammar is easier to use when you connect the form to the message it carries. Read the complete sentence, identify the relationship between its parts, and then choose the structure that expresses that relationship clearly.

Forms and choices

• Many adjectives take an infinitive: “It is difficult to estimate the cost.”
• An adjective followed by a preposition takes a noun or -ing: “She is interested in learning Arabic.”
• Afraid to do often means unwilling because of danger; afraid of doing focuses on the feared event.
• Use for + person + to-infinitive when the performer must be named.

Original examples

• I was relieved to hear the update.
• They are responsible for checking the equipment.
• It is unusual for this road to be empty.
• Owen was afraid to touch the damaged cable.

Notice that each example gives enough context to make the grammar choice meaningful. When you write your own example, include a real person, time, place, purpose, or result instead of practicing an isolated fragment.

A reliable decision process

1. Find the main verb and its subject.
2. Decide what relationship you need to express: time, quantity, comparison, purpose, position, or attitude.
3. Check the words immediately before and after the gap.
4. Read the full sentence again and confirm both meaning and form.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not choose a form only because it resembles a structure in another language.
• Do not ignore whether the next element is a noun phrase, a clause, a base verb, or an -ing form.
• Do not memorize an example without understanding why that form fits its context.

Test and writing strategy

In a gap-fill question, use the surrounding grammar before judging vocabulary. In your own writing, prefer the shortest structure that preserves your exact meaning. During revision, search for the target words from this lesson and inspect each one in its full clause.