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Verb Patterns

LESSON
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Grammar rules and examples for self-study
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REVIEW
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Fill-in and gap-fill practice tasks
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ANSWER KEY
Answer Key
Correct answers for all exercises
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Verb Patterns

Grammar Reference

Form Example
Patternsverb + to / verb + -ing / verb + obj + to / verb + obj + barememorise per verb
Prep + -ingaccuse of, apologise for, insist on, succeed inalways -ing after preposition
Reportingadmit/deny + -ing · promise/refuse + to-infshe admitted stealing / promised to call
Causativemake/let + bare · get + to · have + obj + donemade him go / had my hair cut

Verb Patterns — Exercises

Add the correct preposition

  1. Economic inequality contributes social unrest.
  2. Companies are committed achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
  3. The automation wave resulted widespread redundancies.
  4. Governments must invest renewable energy infrastructure urgently.
  5. Many workers struggle to cope the pace of technological change.
  6. Access quality education remains unequal.
  7. The report highlights the impact deforestation on biodiversity.
  8. Consumers are increasingly aware their digital footprint.
  9. The workforce consists a growing number of freelancers.
  10. Companies are responsible reducing their environmental impact.
  11. There is a changing attitude remote working.
  12. Entrepreneurs take advantage disruptive technology.

Open cloze — prepositions

Fill in the missing prepositions. This mirrors FCE Use of English Part 2.

  1. The growing concern climate change has led to a significant shift in attitudes sustainability. Many companies now feel responsible reducing their ecological footprint, and some have committed achieving net zero by 2040. Progress depends cooperation between governments and businesses. Policies that result real reductions — rather than just awareness campaigns — are what experts are calling . Access clean energy must also be addressed.

Sentence transformation

  1. Deforestation causes biodiversity loss. LEADSDeforestation ______ biodiversity loss.
  2. The company has promised to achieve sustainability. COMMITTEDThe company ______ achieving sustainability.
  3. The policy made inequality worse. RESULTEDThe policy ______ greater inequality.
  4. They are not good at managing work-life balance. STRUGGLEThey ______ managing work-life balance.

Verb Patterns — Answer Key

Add the correct preposition

  1. to
  2. to
  3. in
  4. in
  5. with
  6. to
  7. on
  8. of
  9. of
  10. for
  11. towards
  12. of

Open cloze — prepositions

  1. about

Sentence transformation

  1. leads to
  2. is committed to
  3. resulted in
  4. struggle with