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Originally Posted by MikeNewYork Quote:
Thanks MikeNewYork,
I always try to make the best of my sentences, but it's still hard. But you said:
helpful for finding things
and I want to know why it's not
helpful to find things
:?
| The word "helpful" is a bit tricky. One can say: "It is helpful to use more than one example in an explanation." The infinitive is used there because it is an abstract statement. It is used as a general rule, not in reference to a specific action. One can also say "A shovel is helpful for digging up treasure". In this case the gerund use is more concrete and more specific. I am not explaining this very well. Hopefully one of the others will have a better explanation. |
I think you weren't unhelpful at all, it's just hard because it's something English people understand and people who were not grown up with this language, think it's difficult. I also think it's just a kind of intuition, which I don't possess.
But I'll try to understand..... I have tried but I can't find logical explanations for
1. It is helpful
to use more than one example in an explanation.
I understand that this sentence can't be
2. It is helpful
for using more than one example in an explanation.
because it doesn't sound logical.
But this sentence
1. A shovel is helpful
for digging up treasure.
or this sentence
2. A shovel is helpful
to dig up a treasure.
sound both very logical.
Can you or one of the other teachers explain, why these second sentences are incorrect?