Avoid: staying away or preventing

The idea

Use avoid with a noun or an -ing form: avoid traffic; avoid driving. The regular past is avoided.

Examples

• We avoided the busy road.
• She avoids checking her phone during meals.
• I left early to avoid the traffic.
• He avoided answering the question.
• They took the train to avoid driving in the snow.
• Try to avoid making the same mistake again.

Watch out

After avoid, use an -ing form for an action: avoid checking, not avoid to check.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the -ing form for an avoided action. They took the train to avoid ___ in the snow. (driving / to drive)

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   driving

   Driving is the -ing form after avoid.

2. Choose the noun that fits the traffic context. I left early to avoid the morning ___. (traffic / silence)

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   traffic

   The noun traffic can follow avoid directly.

3. Choose the past form for yesterday. Yesterday we ___ the busy road. (avoided / avoid)

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   avoided

   Avoided is the regular past form.

Use it today

Describe a place you avoid and an action you try to avoid doing.