Scheduled to Travel, Continuing to Disrupt: Non-finite Clauses
Practice note: Grammar examples and role-play details may be hypothetical. Questions explicitly about the article use the reported facts. This is a historical report, not current travel advice.
Words from the text: scheduled to, continuing to, able to, allow, nor'easter, disruption, scale, severe, significant, adjust, beyond
A A to-infinitive can complete a verb or adjective: continue to adjust, be able to change, be scheduled to travel. Its understood subject depends on the construction.
Airlines continue to adjust schedules. (airlines adjust)
Passengers are able to change their bookings. (passengers change)
Delta allows passengers to change their bookings. (passengers change, not Delta)
In passengers scheduled to travel, scheduled to travel modifies passengers: this is also a reduced relative clause, as in Unit 16.
Нельзя считать, что подлежащее любого инфинитива всегда совпадает с подлежащим главного предложения: после allow somebody to… действие выполняет somebody.
B A -ing clause can replace a second main clause joined by 'and' when the subject stays the same. It usually follows a comma and adds a result, a further action, or extra detail about that same subject — not a new subject.
Cape Air canceled all North Region flights, allowing affected passengers to rebook without additional fees. (= and it allowed…)
JetBlue issued a Northeast weather waiver, covering flights operated between September 25 and 27.
A powerful nor'easter is moving across the Northeast, causing significant disruption at several airports.
Запятая + -ing = 'и при этом сделал/делает' — то же лицо, что и в главном предложении.
C Keep three patterns separate: a modifier describing a noun, an infinitive completing a verb/adjective, and a supplementary -ing clause adding an action or result. A with-clause explicitly names its own subject; that subject may be the same as or different from the main one.
| Form / word | Example / meaning |
| Pattern | Example |
| reduced relative modifying passengers | Passengers scheduled to travel can rebook. |
| infinitive complement of continue | Airlines continue to adjust schedules. |
| supplementary -ing clause | The storm hit Boston, causing cancelations. |
| with + explicit subject + -ing | Flights were delayed, with passengers waiting at the gates. |
Определяйте функцию оборота и исполнителя каждого действия; сходство форм не делает конструкции одинаковыми.
Exercises
Write your answers below, then open Answers. There is no automatic checking. Entries are not saved when you leave this page.
20.1 Read the short report. Find a non-finite phrase in each sentence and identify who or what performs its action. More than one phrase may occur.
Example: A powerful nor'easter continues to disrupt flights across the Northeast, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of departures. → Clause: 'forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of departures' — omitted subject: the nor'easter.
- Passengers scheduled to travel through Boston Logan this weekend are advised to check their flight status online.
- Delta has issued a weather waiver, allowing eligible customers to change their bookings without a fee.
- Cape Air, continuing to monitor the storm, canceled all North Region flights for safety reasons.
- Many travelers, able to rebook without a change fee under the waiver, chose to wait until Monday to fly.
- Airlines across the region are working to reduce the scale of the disruption.
Answers
For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.
- Clause: 'scheduled to travel through Boston Logan this weekend' — omitted subject: passengers.
- Clause: 'allowing eligible customers to change their bookings without a fee'; Delta allows, but customers change their bookings.
- Clause: 'continuing to monitor the storm' — omitted subject: Cape Air.
- Modifier: 'able to rebook without a change fee under the waiver'; infinitive: 'to rebook'; travelers rebook.
- Infinitive: 'to reduce the scale of the disruption'; understood subject: airlines. Are working is the finite Present Continuous verb phrase.
20.2 Complete each sentence with the correct non-finite form (-ing or to-infinitive) of the verb(s) in brackets. Some items need several words, e.g. scheduled to travel.
Example: Passengers ______ (schedule / travel) through Boston Logan this weekend should check their flight status online. → scheduled to travel
- Cape Air announced the cancelations, (allow) affected passengers to rebook without extra fees.
- Eligible customers are (able / change) their travel under the waiver's conditions.
- Airlines (continue / adjust) their schedules as weather conditions evolve.
- JetBlue issued a Northeast weather waiver, (cover) flights operated between September 25 and 27.
- The storm is (continue) to move across the Northeast, (affect) airports beyond Boston.
- The flights (schedule / depart) from Logan on Sunday evening could be canceled.
Answers
For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.
- allowing
- able to change
- continue to adjust
- covering
- continuing; affecting
- scheduled to depart
20.3 Combine each pair of sentences into one, using an -ing or to-infinitive clause for the second (repeated) subject.
Example: Cape Air canceled its North Region flights. Cape Air allowed affected passengers to rebook without fees. → Cape Air canceled its North Region flights, allowing affected passengers to rebook without fees.
- Delta expects a significant number of cancelations on Sunday. Delta continues to monitor the storm closely.
- The passengers were scheduled to travel through Nantucket this week. The passengers can move their trips to October without extra fees.
- JetBlue issued a Northeast weather waiver. JetBlue covers flights operated between September 25 and 27.
- Eligible customers are able to change their travel. Eligible customers avoid a change fee under the waiver's conditions.
- The storm is continuing to move across the Northeast. The storm is affecting airports beyond Boston.
- Airlines continue to adjust their schedules. Airlines try to reduce the scale of the disruption.
Answers
For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.
- Delta expects a significant number of cancelations on Sunday, continuing to monitor the storm closely.
- Passengers scheduled to travel through Nantucket this week can move their trips to October without extra fees.
- JetBlue issued a Northeast weather waiver, covering flights operated between September 25 and 27.
- Eligible customers are able to change their travel, avoiding a change fee under the waiver's conditions.
- The storm is continuing to move across the Northeast, affecting airports beyond Boston.
- Airlines continue to adjust their schedules, trying to reduce the scale of the disruption.
20.4 Write a short news update (5–6 sentences) about a storm affecting flights at a different airport. Use at least three non-finite (-ing/to-infinitive) clauses with the same subject, and include at least two of these: scheduled to, continuing to, able to, allow.
Example: Opening sentence: 'A severe winter storm is continuing to disrupt flights across the Midwest...' → Model answer: A severe winter storm is continuing to disrupt flights across the Midwest, forcing airlines to cancel more than 300 departures at Chicago O'Hare. Passengers scheduled to travel through O'Hare this weekend are advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. United Airlines issued a winter storm waiver, allowing eligible customers to change their bookings without a fee. Southwest Airlines continues to adjust its schedule, trying to reduce the scale of the disruption. Many travelers, able to rebook without a change fee under the waiver, are choosing to wait until conditions improve.
- Write your own mini-report (5–6 sentences) following the model above.
Answers
For open questions, these are model answers. Other answers may also be correct.
1) Open-ended; model answer: A severe winter storm is continuing to disrupt operations at Denver International Airport, forcing airlines to cancel dozens of flights. Passengers scheduled to travel through Denver on Saturday are advised to check updates online. Frontier Airlines issued a weather waiver, allowing eligible customers to change their bookings without a fee. The airline continues to adjust its schedule, trying to reduce the scale of the disruption. Many travelers, able to rebook without a change fee under the waiver's conditions, are choosing flights for early next week.