Pollution in the Community: 
Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives

    Pollution continues to be a serious problem in our community since we continue ignoring the biggest cause. The picture of a big factory on the worksheet may imply that factories cause most of the pollution. This is far from the truth. Cars are the most serious source of dangerous pollutants in our community. At my home, I have no garage, so my car is parked outside all the time. When I wash it, the evidence is clear: the black sticky stuff on the roof is the result of the emissions of the many cars travelling through my community. I hate to think what the inside of my lungs looks like after seeing this evidence of pollution. People, however, dislike being told that cars cause the most serious air pollution. My family is a perfect example of the problem: every one of us owns a car—a total of six. In the Lower Mainland, we are typical; on some days of summer the air in the city is worse than in Los Angeles. It pollutes for me to drive to work alone, but I dislike taking the crowded and lengthy bus trip to work at this school. I don’t, however, drive my kids two blocks to school like some of my neighbours. One neighbour drives to the corner store and back! Until we change our thinking about what causes most of the pollution in our community, I am afraid that the problem can only get worse. (April, 1999; Brad Hyde)

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