as well as (To stay competitive, they'll have to increase product development )

[newkeenlearner]

Hi all,

This is a main sentence:

To stay competitive, they'll have to increase product development as well as cutting prices.

I can't figure it out why the writer used -ing form of a verb. Shouldn't it be infinitive?

To stay competitive, they'll have to increase product development as well as (they 'll have to) cut prices.


Please help me.

 

[teechar]

I must say that I prefer "cut prices" in that sentence.

 

[newkeenlearner]

In addition to cutting prices, they will have to increase product development.

So, in that case "as well as" is preposition, and we have to put ing form of a verb or noun or pronoun after "as well as".