help in grammar mistakes

Question

Hello, I'm going to give CAE exam next month. I have some doubts in grammar. Please help me to resolve them. I did some exercises and found some incorrect answers. I don't know the reason. Please elaborate me the correct answer. In 3 and 4 I have used gerund in both due to 'me' but in 4 correct is 'to learn'. Why? Thanks

1. I´d _______(rather/prefer it)you didn´t come in with your muddy shoes. my answer: rather correct: prefer it
2. The President is believed ______ his holiday in the Caribbean currently.(spend) my answer: to spend correct: to be spending
3. My new job involves me______ to North America two or three times a year.(travel) my answer: travelling correct:travelling
4. My parents always encouraged me______ foriegn languages.(learn) my answer: learning correct:to learn

You mean that you're going to take the exam, right? To give an exam is to administer it. - AnnRon, May 14, 2017

Please explain to me .... - Mardle, May 14, 2017

Answer 1

I am a speaker of American English, university educated, and have been Speaking English for more than 50 years. I was not an English major, and don't study English grammar beyond what helps me with Spanish.

1. I´d _______(rather/prefer it)you didn´t come in with your muddy shoes. my answer: rather correct: prefer it

Rather sounds perfectly fine there. Prefer it sounds horrible to me, as NKM notes, "prefer that" works, for me "prefer it if" works, but needs "if".

1. The President is believed ______ his holiday in the Caribbean currently.(spend) my answer: to spend correct: to be spending

Yes in English, since it is something he is currently doing, I like the progressive. You could say.. is believed to spend his holidays..To indicated repetitive action. But as a single thing that he is doing now, we need the progressive.

1. My new job involves me______ to North America two or three times a year.(travel) my answer: travelling correct:travelling

travelling is correct. to travel sounds wrong. You could say "requires me to travel".

1. My parents always encouraged me______ foreign languages.(learn) my answer: learning correct:to learn

to learn is correct. learning sounds wrong. You could say "encouraged my learning of foreign languages".

I am sorry I do not know the reason for the choice in the last two. This site:

https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/gerund-vs-infinitive-practice

Says:

It can be tricky to remember which verbs are followed by the infinitive (the to form) of the verb and which are followed by the gerund (the ing form) of the verb.

Try to remember that:

Gerunds are often used when actions are real, fixed, or completed. "I enjoy cooking." Infinitives are often used when actions are unreal, abstract, or future: "He wants to swim."

And I will admit in the first the action is real and ongoing, in the second it is a future unrealized action at least from the perspective of the original action. But I don't know anything more than what sounds right to me, I don't have any real clue how I pick, sometimes either works and sometimes only one or the other, and it is pure instinct for me. So I don't know if the explanation I am quoting is the valid reason in this case or not. We do have a few users who are more acquainted with English grammar than I, who might be able to help.

Great answer Bosque. I too, can often explain the grammar in Spanish better than I can in English. With English so many times, for me, it is just what sounds right. We often see the same thing from Spanish speakers relative to Spanish grammar. - DilKen, May 14, 2017

Answer 2

Here are the corrections in bold and explanations. As how to say and sound, naturally.

1. I´d prefer that you didn´t come in with your muddy shoes. It can also be: I would prefer that...
2. Currently is an adverb & can be said in 3 ways.
   
   • Currently, the President is believed to be spending his holiday in the Caribbean.
   • The President, currently, is believed to be spending his holiday in the Caribbean.
   • The President is believed to be spending his holiday in the Caribbean, currently.
3. My new job involves travelling to North America two or three times a year. Me is eliminated in the sentence.
4. My parents always encouraged me to learn foreign languages. The spelling is foreign, not foriegn.

Let me know, if this is correct because I have issues with English grammar.

N K M: Looks perfect to me, have a vote. - DilKen, May 14, 2017

Answer 3

As far as number 4 is concerned, encouraged is one of the verbs that can be followed by the gerund or infinitive You use the infinitive when the first verb is followed by a noun. Other verbs in this category are allow, advise, permit , require or urge.

To me, prefer it would be followed by if. I will have a think about it. I will also add some good websites, but meanwhile I have things to do for the next hour.

To me the answer here is I'd rather you didn't ... you can say I prefer it if you didn't but in your sentence it, is wrong after rather. Have you copied it correctly?

Here is a good article in English about gerunds. The site has lots of information. It is all in English by a language school in Galicia This article gives some more verbs followed by the infinitive

click on English

These two sites are also good

ingléssila [en español]

inglés whats the problem

Mardle: I had the same exact thought about needing to insert "if" if "prefer it" were used. - DilKen, May 14, 2017