Keeping Verbals Parallel
Directions:
Rewrite the underlined sections of the sentences below to
make them parallel. Follow the directions in parentheses after each item.
Example:
This summer the Sioux Center Recreation Department will sponsor classes in swimming and to lift weights. (Use gerunds.)
in swimming and in lifting weights
1.
Propylene glycol is a colorless ingredient used in foods to thicken
them, helping their ingredients combine smoothly, and preserving them. (Use
infinitives.)
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2.
A bulldozer is used for pushing earth and to grade it. (Use
infinitives.)
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3.
In ancient Rome people used perfume for bathing, to soak their
clothing, and even to give their horses a more pleasant odor. (Use gerunds.)
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4.
Humid air is responsible for encouraging mildew, to warp wood, and to
rust metal. (Use gerunds.)
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5.
Among the warning signs of possible arson are the insured person not
being at home during the fire and to have removed valued belongings before the
fire. (Use gerunds.)
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6.
The bridge girders are equipped with detectors to gauge stress and
alerting a computer when repairs are needed. (Use infinitives.)
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7.
Removing the front door and to carry the four-poster bed upstairs
were the hardest parts of the move. (Use gerunds.)
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8.
Service robots work closely with humans to do repetitive tasks such as making
french fries and to clean washrooms. (Use gerunds.)
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9.
Increasing dietary intake of calcium and to exercise regularly are
ways to prevent osteoporosis. (Use gerunds.)
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10.
Gerald was annoyed at himself for taping his traveler’s checks to
the back of the mirror in his motel room and then to forget to take them with
him the next day. (Use gerunds.)
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