avoid

I avoided ____ him.


  • Total voters
    210

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan

Firelord

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Member Type
Student or Learner
i found from the dictionary
I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running towards me.
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Firelord said:
i found from the dictionary
I crossed the street to avoid meeting him, but he saw me and came running towards me.

Yes, that's correct. The verb "avoid" can take a gerund (seeing) as a complement, but it cannot take an infinitive (to see). :wink:
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
red rose said:
Ithink seeing is the correct answer ...isnt it?

Yes, it is. One simply cannot "avoid to see" somebody.

:(
 

MikeNewYork

VIP Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
Silentium said:
RonBee said:
red rose said:
Ithink seeing is the correct answer ...isnt it?

Yes, it is. One simply cannot "avoid to see" somebody.

:(

:shock: I thought the answer was "to see". this proves how poor my English is lol :oops:

This, too, can be overcome. Welcome to UsingEnglish. :hi:
 
Y

yulia

Guest
MikeNewYork said:
Silentium said:
RonBee said:
red rose said:
Ithink seeing is the correct answer ...isnt it?

Yes, it is. One simply cannot "avoid to see" somebody.

:(

:shock: I thought the answer was "to see". this proves how poor my English is lol :oops:

This, too, can be overcome. Welcome to UsingEnglish. :hi:
First I thought that it's "avoid seeing her". Then I checked in the dictionary and found out that I was right. Great! My English is not that bad at all.
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
Hi, Yulia; you were right. It's a common mistake, as you can see in the voting, which is why it is tested so regularly in exams. ;-)
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
Don't avoid using a gerund.;-)
 
Y

yulia

Guest
tdol said:
Don't avoid using a gerund.;-)

Provided you know how to use it correctly. I, myself, sometimes don't know was what I've just said correct or not, but absolutely sure that I make lots of mistakes. :(
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
All learners make mistakes- it's through making mistakes that we come to learn the correct forms.;-)
 
Y

yulia

Guest
tdol said:
All learners make mistakes- it's through making mistakes that we come to learn the correct forms.;-)

Thanks, veru encouraging. It let you think that if you are really eager about doing something, you can do that! :p
 
Y

yulia

Guest
tdol said:
All learners make mistakes- it's through making mistakes that we come to learn the correct forms.;-)

What will be correct: It lets you, or It let you? :?
 

Casiopea

VIP Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2003
Member Type
Other
yulia said:
tdol said:
All learners make mistakes- it's through making mistakes that we come to learn the correct forms.;-)

What will be correct: It lets you, or It let you? :?

I let you
She lets you
He lets you
It lets you

We let you
They let you

:D
 
Y

yulia

Guest
Casiopea said:
yulia said:
tdol said:
All learners make mistakes- it's through making mistakes that we come to learn the correct forms.;-)

What will be correct: It lets you, or It let you? :?

I let you
She lets you
He lets you
It lets you

We let you
They let you

:D

The reason why I asked is that "let" is the modal verb and for most of the modal verbs you cannot add "s" at the end.

:?
 

RonBee

Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
yulia said:
Casiopea said:
yulia said:
tdol said:
All learners make mistakes- it's through making mistakes that we come to learn the correct forms.;-)

What will be correct: It lets you, or It let you? :?

I let you
She lets you
He lets you
It lets you

We let you
They let you

:D

The reason why I asked is that "let" is the modal verb and for most of the modal verbs you cannot add "s" at the end.

:?

If it is used in the past tense, it would be let in all the instances Cas cited.

:)
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2006
I'm like a dog with two tails

I got the correct answer.However, the members above had explained the
rule needn't to add.

see you around!
 
Top