Question

Fill in the blank with the correct form of infinitive verb to complete the sentence:
In order to pass the test, I would rather ______ than read.
a) writing
b) wrote
c) to write
d) write

Answer 1

Hint: Usually, before prepositions and after verbs, one makes use of infinitives. There are incomplete options. Sift through the given options to find the one that fits perfectly. It should be complete without any additional words like ‘to’. There is only one option that can work without an additional word.

Complete answer:
An infinitive is formed from a verb but doesn’t act as a verb. It acts as either a noun, adjective, or adverb. It is constructed in the following way: to + verb. These two words together act as an infinitive. Infinitives are a form of the non-finite verb, meaning they are not subject to change.

The infinitive of a verb has two forms: the to-infinitive and the infinitive without to. The to-form consists of to plus the base form of the verb:
-I want to speak to you.
-We came here to work, not to play.

The form without consists of the base form of the verb-
-She made us wait for half an hour.
-John lets the dog sleep on the sofa

In the given sentence, it is very clear that the sentence is trying to tell us that the student would prefer writing over reading. It is stating a choice that the student is making. We need the infinitive without the word ‘to’.

Now, we know exactly what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options-
a) writing - This word cannot be made into an infinitive as it is not invariable. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) wrote - This word also cannot be made into an infinitive as it is in the wrong tense and it is not invariable. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) to write - This option is an infinitive as it is invariable, however, it contains the word ‘to’, which is incorrect in this case. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) write - This option is an infinitive, as it is invariable, and it does not contain the word ‘to’. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.

Note:
 Make sure that the chosen option completes the given sentence. Incomplete options will change the sentence. Choose the verb that is in the correct form, and is grammatically correct.