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SAT Grammar Question

Others, like court interpreter Ludmila Baker, believe that technology will ultimately leave many translators and interpreters _______ for new careers.

a) to look
b) looking

Which of the two is grammatically correct and why?

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  • 3
    What do you think?? (And why?)
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Jan 1, 2018 at 20:45
  • 2
    Tricky question! Not easy at all.
    – Mari-Lou A ♦
    Commented Jan 1, 2018 at 21:01
  • 1
    'Leave many' will more naturally take 'looking'. But 'prompt many' would more naturally take 'to look'. There is more here than appears at first glance.
    – user63615
    Commented Jan 1, 2018 at 21:01
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    Once again, it's the verbs. Leave takes a gerund in leave X V-ing, not an infinitive; but prompt takes an infinitive with to in prompt X to V. And help can have either a gerund or an infinitive (with or without to, even) in help X V/help X V-ing/help X to V.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Jan 1, 2018 at 21:09
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    'Leave' can take a DO plus to-infinitival, but the sense changes. 'We were in a hurry, so we left them to look for the missing papers.' (ie we didn't help). This sense is not available in OP's example.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Jan 1, 2018 at 22:28

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It seems to me that if you were to say that 'technology will ultimately leave many translators and interpreters to look for new careers' it implies that technology is leaving. However, if you use looking, it implies that it is the translators and interpreters that are looking.

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