Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

ting_yuko · Joined: 09 Aug 2006 Posts: 10

The following questions all have "to + verb" underlined as grammatical errors:

1.The condition known as laryngitis usually causes the vocal cords and surrounding tissue to swell, thus precenting the cords to move freely.

2.Chess players find that playing against a computer is helpful to improve their skills, even though no chess-playing computer has yet wong a championship.

Why can't you use "to move" or "to improve" in these two sentences?

3. Time is running out before the Apocalypse; however, if you arm yourselves starting today, you may be ready for the race war.

I know that the second clause sounds incomplete. But how would changing the underlined portion make the sentence right?

Anuradha Chepur · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 933

Certain adjectives combine with certain prepositions in certain situations. In #1, prevent usually combines with from, so your underlined phrase should read as from moving. In #2, helpful goes with in, so the underlined phrase is in improving.

The idea in your third sentence is not clear. Nevertheless I suggest you may try replacing however with nevertheless/notwithstanding, though it doesn't make any difference.[/b]