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09-Oct-2007, 14:29
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| |  TO +'ing'
Hi people, I'm here again... Can anybody tell me when do I have to use TO +'ing'? I can't understand it... I know that we use "to" for infinitive purposes, among other things, but I can't make it out. Can you help me? Thanks, Falcon |
09-Oct-2007, 16:43
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| |  Re: TO +'ing'
Can you give an example of where you saw a "to [verb]ing" used?
The only example that I can think of is something like "What time do we have get get to swimming?" in which I would use "swimming" as a short hand form of "swim team practice." |
09-Oct-2007, 19:22
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| | Re: TO +'ing'
Ok, this is one of the examples I have read: "Today Ambrosia issued a statement to TUAW saying that they remain committed to making iToner work with the iPhone..." Thanks, Falcon |
09-Oct-2007, 21:29
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| | Re: TO +'ing'
The to "goes with" the committed, not with the making.
Making it work is what they are committed to.
[not a teacher] |
10-Oct-2007, 11:29
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| | Re: TO +'ing'
and this one: "An elementary approach to thinking under uncertainty..." Could I say "An elementary approach to think under uncertainty..." ? Falcon |
10-Oct-2007, 13:42
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| | Re: TO +'ing'
Sometimes an -ing is a participle - I am running out to the store, or I am thinking of a number between 1 and 10.
But sometimes and -ing is a gerund, which acts like a noun.
I like running - here running in a noun meaning "the activity of running."
Thinking hard in class all day is exhausting - here, thinking is a noun meaning "the activity of thinking."
An elementary approach to [the process of] thinking under uncertainty uses the gerund form of thinking, not the participle form.
And this is where if I were a teacher, instead of a writer, I'd be able to explain it better, but I hope that I helped a little. If not, we'll wait for a legitimate teacher to come along. |
10-Oct-2007, 18:12
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| | Re: TO +'ing'
Hello Barb_D, Thanks for helping! Now I got it! Well, I think you are an excellent teacher...  Falcon |
12-Oct-2007, 00:22
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| | Re: TO +'ing'
Well, I'm glad to hear that it helped! You're welcome. | | Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode | 
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