The manager promised to __ his staff with new training materials.

• A. provides
• B. provide
• C. providing
• D. provided

Answer: (A)

After promise, English uses the to-infinitive for the action that will be done. The sentence should read: The manager promised to provide his staff with new training materials. This keeps the verb in its base form after “to.” Using provides isn’t correct here because it’s the third-person singular form and doesn’t follow the to-infinitive pattern. Providing and provided don’t fit this construction either, since they don’t occupy the to-infinitive form that follows promise.