care

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by FW

I think you have made a good point about the difference between "care about his smoking" and "care if he smokes". But I think "care FOR his smoking" means something else altogether. Doesn't it mean "I don't like his smoking"?

"I don't care for his smoking" (I don't like this act.)

care for = don't like
his smoking = this act

'his smoking' functions as a gerund, a verbal noun, which means to say that grammatically it acts as a noun, a thing, a habit, but semantically it denotes an act, 'smoking'. It is in that way that 'care for his smoking' refers to both the act and the habit.

:D

Got it (I think). But this brings up another question for me:
Would you say there is a difference between:

1-I don't like the children fighting.
2-I don't like the children's fighting.
3-I don't like the children to fight.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by FW

Got it (I think). But this brings up another question for me:
Would you say there is a difference between:

1-I don't like the children fighting.
2-I don't like the children's fighting.
3-I don't like the children to fight.

They all mean the same to me. I do think the first and third are more likely to be used.

:)

[Tdol]

Originally Posted by FW

Got it (I think). But this brings up another question for me:
Would you say there is a difference between:

1-I don't like the children fighting.
2-I don't like the children's fighting.
3-I don't like the children to fight.

1&2 are basically the same- the second is a more formal version. The third suggests a more restricted meaning to me. I'd use it if the children only fought occasionally or under certain conditions.

[Casiopea]

1-I don't like the children fighting. (don't like X doing this) gerund
2-I don't like the children's fighting. (don't like this) noun
3-I don't like the children to fight. (don't like X to do) verb

:D