5 exercises — choose the correct verb form (infinitive or gerund) after verbs like suggest, manage, regret, recommend, stop, and decide in IT and engineering contexts.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
The senior engineer suggested ___ the monolith into microservices before the next release cycle.
"Suggest" always takes a gerund, never an infinitive. Other verbs that follow the same gerund-only pattern include: recommend, consider, avoid, finish, keep, practise, risk, delay, and miss. "Suggested to decompose" is a very common mistake for non-native speakers. Correct: "suggested decomposing the monolith."
2 / 20
The DevOps team managed ___ the deployment with zero downtime despite the database migration.
"Manage" takes an infinitive (to + verb). It expresses the idea of succeeding at something after effort. Other verbs that take infinitives include: agree, decide, expect, fail, hope, learn, need, plan, promise, refuse, and want. "Managed completing" is ungrammatical in standard English.
3 / 20
We regret ___ that the API will be deprecated in the next major version release.
"Regret + infinitive" is used to express regret about something you are about to say or do — it is a formal speech-act pattern common in professional announcements: "We regret to inform you..." means "We are sorry to have to tell you..." By contrast, "regret + gerund" refers to past actions: "We regret not testing earlier." In technical communications and formal emails, "regret to inform/announce/advise" is the standard pattern.
4 / 20
The architect recommended ___ a read-through cache before ___ any changes to the database schema.
Both slots require gerunds for different reasons. First, "recommend" always takes a gerund: "recommended implementing." Second, "before" is a preposition, and prepositions are always followed by gerunds in English, never infinitives: "before making any changes." This two-reason question tests both verb-pattern knowledge and prepositional grammar simultaneously.
5 / 20
The team stopped ___ the codebase and instead decided ___ an entirely new system.
"Stop + gerund" means to cease an ongoing action: "stopped maintaining" = they no longer maintain the codebase. "Stop + infinitive" would mean to pause in order to do something else ("stopped to fix a bug" = paused what they were doing in order to fix it). "Decided" takes an infinitive: "decided to build." This tests a classic gerund/infinitive meaning contrast alongside a standard infinitive pattern.
6 / 20
During the code review, Sarah commented: 'I think we should investigate grep's performance with large log files.' Which phrase is grammatically correct in this context?
The correct structure here is to use the base form of the verb after 'investigate'. This follows the standard rule for using verbs with verbs like 'investigate', 'consider', or 'discuss'. The -ing form creates a continuous action which isn't appropriate in this situation. Using 'investigating grep's performance's' is also incorrect due to unnecessary possessive formation.
7 / 20
In a Slack message to the team regarding a critical bug, David wrote: 'I'm going to debug this issue and then I'll update the documentation.' Is David using the correct grammatical form after these verbs?
After verbs like 'debug', 'fix', or 'test' when used with another verb, you generally use the gerund form (verb + -ing). This indicates an action being performed. Using 'debugging' correctly conveys that he is actively engaged in the process of debugging. 'To update' takes the infinitive form as it describes a purpose.
8 / 20
When describing a pull request change, Mark wrote: 'We need to refactor this module and then we'll add more tests.' Which sentence is the most appropriate for conveying this message in technical English?
When using 'then' to introduce a subsequent action after another verb, the correct structure is to use the infinitive form. This indicates an action that follows as a consequence of the previous one. Using the gerund form here would imply a continuous action being performed *after* adding tests – which isn't the intended meaning.
9 / 20
During a standup meeting, Emily said: 'I'm working on optimizing the database queries and I'll provide an update later.' Which verb form is most natural and appropriate in this context?
After verbs like 'optimize', 'analyze', or 'improve', you typically use the gerund form (verb + -ing) when describing ongoing work. This demonstrates that she is actively engaged in optimizing queries. The infinitive 'to provide' correctly describes the *result* of her actions.
10 / 20
In a code review comment, Alex stated: 'We should consider migrating to Kubernetes and then we'll implement CI/CD.' Is the sentence grammatically correct?
Following the rule for using verbs with another verb, you need to use the infinitive form after 'consider'. This indicates a purpose or intention. Using 'implementing' would create an unnecessarily continuous action. The inclusion of 'and then' is grammatically sound and clearly separates the two actions.
11 / 20
During the code review, Sarah commented: 'I think we should investigate grep's performance with large log files.' Which phrase is grammatically correct in this context?
The correct structure here is to use the base form of the verb after 'investigate'. This follows the standard rule for using verbs with verbs like 'investigate', 'consider', or 'discuss'. The -ing form creates a continuous action which isn't appropriate in this situation. Using 'investigating grep's performance's' is also incorrect due to unnecessary possessive formation.
12 / 20
In a Slack message to the team regarding a critical bug, David wrote: 'I'm going to debug this issue and then I'll update the documentation.' Is David using the correct grammatical form after these verbs?
After verbs like 'debug', 'fix', or 'test' when used with another verb, you generally use the gerund form (verb + -ing). This indicates an action being performed. Using 'debugging' correctly conveys that he is actively engaged in the process of debugging. 'To update' takes the infinitive form as it describes a purpose.
13 / 20
When describing a pull request change, Mark wrote: 'We need to refactor this module and then we'll add more tests.' Which sentence is the most appropriate for conveying this message in technical English?
When using 'then' to introduce a subsequent action after another verb, the correct structure is to use the infinitive form. This indicates an action that follows as a consequence of the previous one. Using the gerund form here would imply a continuous action being performed *after* adding tests – which isn't the intended meaning.
14 / 20
During a standup meeting, Emily said: 'I'm working on optimizing the database queries and I'll provide an update later.' Which verb form is most natural and appropriate in this context?
After verbs like 'optimize', 'analyze', or 'improve', you typically use the gerund form (verb + -ing) when describing ongoing work. This demonstrates that she is actively engaged in optimizing queries. The infinitive 'to provide' correctly describes the *result* of her actions.
15 / 20
In a code review comment, Alex stated: 'We should consider migrating to Kubernetes and then we'll implement CI/CD.' Is the sentence grammatically correct?
Following the rule for using verbs with another verb, you need to use the infinitive form after 'consider'. This indicates a purpose or intention. Using 'implementing' would create an unnecessarily continuous action. The inclusion of 'and then' is grammatically sound and clearly separates the two actions.
16 / 20
During the code review, Sarah commented: 'I think we should investigate grep's performance with large log files.' Which phrase is grammatically correct in this context?
The correct structure here is to use the base form of the verb after 'investigate'. This follows the standard rule for using verbs with verbs like 'investigate', 'consider', or 'discuss'. The -ing form creates a continuous action which isn't appropriate in this situation. Using 'investigating grep's performance's' is also incorrect due to unnecessary possessive formation.
17 / 20
In a Slack message to the team regarding a critical bug, David wrote: 'I'm going to debug this issue and then I'll update the documentation.' Is David using the correct grammatical form after these verbs?
After verbs like 'debug', 'fix', or 'test' when used with another verb, you generally use the gerund form (verb + -ing). This indicates an action being performed. Using 'debugging' correctly conveys that he is actively engaged in the process of debugging. 'To update' takes the infinitive form as it describes a purpose.
18 / 20
When describing a pull request change, Mark wrote: 'We need to refactor this module and then we'll add more tests.' Which sentence is the most appropriate for conveying this message in technical English?
When using 'then' to introduce a subsequent action after another verb, the correct structure is to use the infinitive form. This indicates an action that follows as a consequence of the previous one. Using the gerund form here would imply a continuous action being performed *after* adding tests – which isn't the intended meaning.
19 / 20
During a standup meeting, Emily said: 'I'm working on optimizing the database queries and I'll provide an update later.' Which verb form is most natural and appropriate in this context?
After verbs like 'optimize', 'analyze', or 'improve', you typically use the gerund form (verb + -ing) when describing ongoing work. This demonstrates that she is actively engaged in optimizing queries. The infinitive 'to provide' correctly describes the *result* of her actions.
20 / 20
In a code review comment, Alex stated: 'We should consider migrating to Kubernetes and then we'll implement CI/CD.' Is the sentence grammatically correct?
Following the rule for using verbs with another verb, you need to use the infinitive form after 'consider'. This indicates a purpose or intention. Using 'implementing' would create an unnecessarily continuous action. The inclusion of 'and then' is grammatically sound and clearly separates the two actions.
What will I practise in "Infinitive vs Gerund After Verbs — Technical English Grammar Exercises"?
Practise choosing between infinitives and gerunds after common verbs in technical English — suggest, manage, regret, recommend, stop, decide.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
Is this exercise free to use?
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You'll immediately see which answer was correct, plus a full explanation covering the grammar rule and reasoning behind it — mistakes are where most of the learning happens.
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Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
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How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.