<p>When (A) L' Enfant suggested (to build (B)) the United States capitol (at the center (C)) of Washington DC, he also (offered D)to design a landscaped mall nearby. </p>
<p>The correct answer is B, but Im not sure why.</p>
<p>“suggested” takes a gerund complement. See the section of my guide that is titled “Incorrectly using a gerund or infinitive as a complement.”</p>
<p>B. “L’Enfant suggested building the united states…”</p>
<p>Can anybody help me with this one…</p>
<p>London differs from others cities, such as Paris and new York, in that its shopping areas are so widely spread out.</p>
<p>Isn’t saying ‘widely spread out’ a redundancy?</p>
<p>Not at all.</p>
<p>Widely is merely an adverb modifying spread, and spread does inherently have a meaning similar to wide.</p>
<p>Example: The buildings were spread across a small area. </p>
<p>That doesn’t imply it being very widespread</p>
<p>SilverTurtle, what page are the gerunds?</p>
<p>^ The first page. Here is the excerpt relevant to this thread:</p>
<p>Incorrectly using a gerund or infinitive as a complement: When an infinitive or gerund is the object of a verb, we call it that verb’s complement. Some verbs must take infinitive complements; others must take gerund complements; and some can take either. Some nouns also take infinitive or gerund complements. Follow these guidelines for deciding whether to use an infinitive or gerund.</p>
<p>Abstract nouns usually take infinitive complements. Some common abstract nouns are tendency, motivation, and desire. So, one would say that someone has a tendency to, for example, exaggerate things.</p>
<p>The object of a preposition is often a gerund. One says that they need help with getting elected. </p>
<p>(The following lists are adapted from [here](<a href=“http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm]here[/url]”>http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/verblist.htm)</a>.)</p>
<p>The following verbs take infinitive complements:</p>
<p>agree
aim
appear
arrange
ask
attempt
be able
beg
begin
care
choose
condescend
consent
continue
dare
decide
deserve
detest
dislike
expect
fail
forget
get
happen
have
hesitate
hope
hurry
intend
leap
leave
like
long
love
mean
neglect
offer
ought
plan
prefer
prepare
proceed
promise
propose
refuse
remember
say
shoot
start
stop
strive
swear
threaten
try
use
wait
want
wish</p>
<p>The following verbs can take an object and an infinitive, as in I will advise him to stop, where him is the object:</p>
<p>advise
allow
ask
beg
bring
build
buy
challenge
choose
command
dare
direct
encourage
expect
forbid
force
have
hire
instruct
invite
lead
leave
let
like
love
motivate
order
pay
permit
persuade
prepare
promise
remind
require
send
teach
tell
urge
want
warn</p>
<p>The following verbs take gerund complements:</p>
<p>admit
advise
appreciate
avoid
can’t help
complete
consider
delay
deny
detest
dislike
enjoy
escape
excuse
finish
forbid
get through
have
imagine
mind
miss
permit
postpone
practice
quit
recall
report
resent
resist
resume
risk
spend (time)
suggest
tolerate
waste (time)</p>
<p>The following verbs can take a preposition and a gerund, as in We talked about stopping:</p>
<p>admit to
approve of
argue about
believe in
care about
complain about
concentrate on
confess to
depend on
disapprove of
discourage from
dream about
feel like
forget about
insist on
object to
plan on
prevent (someone) from
refrain from
succeed in
talk about
think about
worry about</p>