Gerund after "to"

[Bushwhacker]

Please, what's the meaning of a verb in gerund after "to"? Sentence at hand I can provide for instance is the same I put for another previous question: ""First blood refers to the act of drawing blood first to instigating the aggression." What's the nuance behind "to instigating" instead of "to instigate"?

Thank You.

[jctgf]

i am just a student.

very good question!

[Bushwhacker]

Thank You for interest, but could anyone pay attention to that question?

[Niall]

For me, it doesn't carry any nuance.
In fact, it just sounds wrong, I would much prefer the infinitive to instigate being used.

[Bushwhacker]

Originally Posted by Niall

For me, it doesn't carry any nuance.
In fact, it just sounds wrong, I would much prefer the infinitive to instigate being used.

Thanks; I don't know if it is correct or not in this concrete case, but all we know expressions like "I'm looking forward to hearing from you". My point is "why "to hearing" and not "to hear."? There must be some kind of intention; a will to mean something like an action which is carry out kind of intensively; mustn't it?

I'll very appreciate your opinion.

[Niall]

The gerund (or the present participle) is used after a preposition. This is usually as part of a prepositional verb (that is verb + preposition).
For example we use the gerund after believe in, rely on or think of.

The case you mentioned, look forward to, is a phrasal prepositional verb. They are made up of verb + adverb + preposition and therefore, they end in a preposition, and it is necessary to use the gerund.

We cannot say I look forward to hear from you, we must instead use the gerund, so that the sentence says I look forward to hearing from you.

Don't hesitate to ask for further explaination.

[Teia]

Originally Posted by Bushwhacker

Thanks; I don't know if it is correct or not in this concrete case, but all we know expressions like "I'm looking forward to hearing from you". My point is "why "to hearing" and not "to hear."? There must be some kind of intention; a will to mean something like an action which is carry out kind of intensively; mustn't it?

I'll very appreciate your opinion.

The verbal expression to be looking forward to takes a gerund after it. It is an established grammar rule.
You can say :

I am looking forward to my vacation [ + noun]

I am looking forward to hearing from / seeing, etc. you [ + gerund]

[Teia]

Originally Posted by Bushwhacker

Please, what's the meaning of a verb in gerund after "to"? Sentence at hand I can provide for instance is the same I put for another previous question: ""First blood refers to the act of drawing blood first to instigating the aggression." What's the nuance behind "to instigating" instead of "to instigate"?

Thank You.

The answer might be the following:

First blood refers to the act of drawing blood first to [ before] instigating [ noun] the aggression. It sounds a little bit weird.

[Niall]

In which first to means before?

[Teia]

Originally Posted by Niall

In which first to means before?

It was just a supposition. It may be wrong.