Fill in the blanks.

1. How long ………………………. (you learn) English?

2. I ………………….. hire a taxi than walk home. (prefer / would rather)

3. I would rather you ……………………. dinner tonight. (make)

4. What are the advantages …………………….. having a car? (to / of)

5. Are there many advantages …………………….. having a car? (to / of)

6. She is good at ……………………… names. (remember / to remember / remembering)

7. You have little chance of ……………………… the lottery. (to win / winning)

8. He is not used to ………………………… what to do. (tell / being told / be told)

10. I am …………………….. with my job. (bored / boring)

11. The movie wasn’t as …………………… as I expected. (good / better / best)

12. I have been trying to learn English for several months but I am not satisfied ………………………… my progress. (in / with / at)

Answers

1. have you been learning, 2. would rather, 3. made, 4. of, 5. to, 6. at, 7. winning, 8. being told, 9. bored, 10. good, 12. with

Notes

Use the present perfect continuous to talk about an action or situation that started in the past and has continued up to the present.

• How long have you been working here?

Would rather is followed by an infinitive without to.

• I would rather wait than leave. (NOT I would rather to wait..)

Prefer is followed by a noun, to-infinitive or -ing form.

• I prefer to hire a cab than walk home. (OR I prefer hiring a cab than walking home.)

We use a simple past tense after would rather + object. The meaning is present.

• I would rather you left now. (NOT I would rather you to leave now.) (NOT I would rather you leave now.

When the clause begins with ‘there’, write advantages + to + ing form.

• There are many advantages to living alone.

Use an -ing form after a preposition.

• She is good at remembering numbers.