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"The key to becoming an expert..." OR "The key to become an expert..." ?

Question
Which is correct, and why: "The key to becoming an expert..." or "The key to become an expert..."? — Min Kyung-jun, South Korea
Answer

The correct form is “The key to becoming an expert….” The reason is that key should always be followed by a noun, and becoming is a gerund, or noun form, of the verb become.

Here are some additional sentences with key followed by a noun:

  • The key to improving your English is practice.
  • Having a job that you enjoy is the key to happiness.
  • The key to avoiding the common cold is washing your hands frequently.

The noun secret, which is a synonym for key, behaves the same way:

  • The secret to becoming a good writer is to read.

However, the noun way, which is another synonym for key, should be followed by a verb rather than a gerund, even though it can be followed by other kinds of nouns:

  • The best way to travel is by train. (way + verb)
  • There is no easy way to say this: You have to leave. (way + verb)
  • The way to her heart is to appreciate what she does. (way + noun)

So unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a general rule that you can follow to remember whether you should use a gerund or a verb after nouns like key, secret, and way. My advice is to remember an example sentence for each one. 

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