to distinguishing.....(Why + ing)

[Suthipong]

A guide to distinguishing synonyms Over 4,ooo synonyms explained and differentiated.....(Webster's NewWorld Dictionary of Synonyms)

Why put "ing" at distinguish ?

 

[philo2009]

Because it is a gerund (a nominal -ing form). The basic construction here is [a guide to NP].

 

[Suthipong]

Would it be wrong or not if "A guide to distinguish synonyms.....(and why ?)
Please help improving my question if necessary.

 

[Tdol]

Here to is the preposition following guide and not the infinitive particle so it follows the preposition + gerund pattern.

 

[philo2009]

Would it be wrong or not if "A guide to distinguish synonyms.....(and why ?)
Please help improving my question if necessary.

It would of course be grammatically possible, but rather strange, at least as a book title.

 

[Eden Darien]

In my view 'distinguishing synonyms' is a phrase...

distinguishing is an adjective NOT a verb here...
distinguishing synonyms = distinctive synonyms..

A guide to distinctive synonyms Over 4,ooo synonyms explained and differentiated.. now it makes sense right..

it is not a gerund but a phrase instead ;-) walk -- walking (X)

distinguishing 2
/di sting"gwi shing/, adj.

distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group: Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

[1660-70; DISTINGUISH + -ING2]

 

[philo2009]

In my view 'distinguishing synonyms' is a phrase...

distinguishing is an adjective NOT a verb here...
distinguishing synonyms = distinctive synonyms..

A guide to distinctive synonyms Over 4,ooo synonyms explained and differentiated.. now it makes sense right..

it is not a gerund but a phrase instead ;-) walk -- walking (X)

distinguishing 2
/di sting"gwi shing/, adj.

distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group: Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

[1660-70; DISTINGUISH + -ING2]

An interesting suggestion, but, on the whole, rather improbable. Synonyms, unlike features, do not naturally distinguish things.

More likely to be of use to the reader is a book explaining in detail the often fine differences between words listed in the thesaurus as synonyms, i.e. as having identical meanings, when, in reality, their meanings are simply similar in certain contexts. It would then make perfect sense to call such a book 'A guide to distinguishing synonyms' with 'distinguishing', as stated, a gerund.

 

[Eden Darien]

An interesting suggestion, but, on the whole, rather improbable. Synonyms, unlike features, do not naturally distinguish things.

More likely to be of use to the reader is a book explaining in detail the often fine differences between words listed in the thesaurus as synonyms, i.e. as having identical meanings, when, in reality, their meanings are simply similar in certain contexts. It would then make perfect sense to call such a book 'A guide to distinguishing synonyms' with 'distinguishing', as stated, a gerund.

Thanks for the elucidation... but let me state some data that I've found first

CAMBRIDGE ADVANCED LEARNER DICTIONARY
distinguish
distinguish /dɪˈstɪŋ.gwɪʃ/
verb [I or T; not continuous]
1 to notice or understand the difference between two things, or to make one person or thing seem different from another:
He's colour-blind and can't distinguish (the difference) between red and green easily.
I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing Spanish from Portuguese.
It's important to distinguish between business and pleasure.
It's not the beauty so much as the range of his voice that distinguishes him from other tenors.

2 distinguish yourself to do something so well that you are admired and praised for it:
He distinguished himself in British theatre at a very early age.

distinguishable /dɪˈstɪŋ.gwɪ.ʃə.bļ/
adjective
There are at least twenty distinguishable dialects of the language just on the south island..

distinguishing /dɪˈstɪŋ.gwɪ.ʃɪŋ/
adjective
The main distinguishing (= different and noticeable) feature of the new car is its fast acceleration.

MACMILLAN ENGLISH DICTIONARY
dis·tin·guish·ing / dɪ`stɪŋgwɪʃɪŋ / adjective
a distinguishing feature, mark etc. makes someone or something clearly different from other similar people or things


RANDOM HOUSE WEBSTER'S UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY
distinguishing 1
—distinguishingly, adv.

distinguishing 2
/di sting"gwi shing/, adj.

distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group: Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

[1660-70; DISTINGUISH + -ING2]

Perhaps we can't apply those entries to 'synonym'; I just want to clarify my stand
PEACE ;-)

 

[philo2009]

Thanks for the elucidationclarify my stand
PEACE ;-)

Thank you for your data, but I have nothing to add to my previous comments.

 

[Tdol]

In my view 'distinguishing synonyms' is a phrase...

distinguishing is an adjective NOT a verb here...
distinguishing synonyms = distinctive synonyms..

A guide to distinctive synonyms Over 4,ooo synonyms explained and differentiated.. now it makes sense right..

it is not a gerund but a phrase instead ;-) walk -- walking (X)

distinguishing 2
/di sting"gwi shing/, adj.

distinctive; characteristic, as a definitive feature of an individual or group: Intricate rhyming is a distinguishing feature of her poetry.

[1660-70; DISTINGUISH + -ING2]

This would be a simple thing to prove if correct- simply create a list of a few of these distinguishing synonyms. As the book has 4,000 examples, they would be common enough, so what are they?

I agree with Philo's view- I would assume that the book helped people learn the cases where big/large, injury/wound, illness/disease, etc, are not used interchangeably, an explanation that fits the grammatical explanation given above. To disprove us, or at least prove the possibility of your view, simply give us some examples of something that is clearly a distinguishing synonym (= a synonym that distinguishes).

 

[Pedroski]

The question was, 'Why the 'ing'?' Basically, because the adjectival phrase 'to distinguishing synonyms', which tells us what kind of guide, contains a good adjective, 'distinguishing', whereas 'distinguish' is not a good adjective, cf 'a distinguishing feature' vs 'a distinguish feature'.

 

[philo2009]

The question was, 'Why the 'ing'?' Basically, because the adjectival phrase 'to distinguishing synonyms', which tells us what kind of guide, contains a good adjective, 'distinguishing'

Try 'gerund'...

whereas 'distinguish' is not a good adjective,

or indeed one at all,...

 

[Raymott]

To disprove us, or at least prove the possibility of your view, simply give us some examples of something that is clearly a distinguishing synonym (= a synonym that distinguishes).

Or he could argue by analogy to a few other books which use phrases like that:
Astronomy: a guide to studying stars (a guide to stars that study).
A guide to identifying wildflowers. - (Wildflowers that identify other things).
A guide to catching fish. - (Find out which fish are contagious)
A guide to writing essays.
...

 

[Pedroski]

Look at it like this: I am writing a book. The book will instruct people on how to ride bicycles. I am in my publisher's office. He is a stickler for good grammar and elegant prose.
What title will you give your book Peter?
A how to ride bicycles book? He cocks his head and shakes it lightly, looking sternly.
A to ride book? Head shaking ensues. A to ride bicycles book? More shaking of the cranium.
A riding book.
Riding what? Horses?
No silly! A riding bicycles book.
Do you want me to suffer a brain trauma from too much head shaking? Keeping my thoughts to myself, I say:
A book on riding bicycles?
Perfect! Sign here, you get 1% of all takings, after costs! No, don't thank me, I'm generous by nature!

'riding bicycles' is very descriptive of my book, but in front of the noun it is not a good adjective 'a riding bicycles book'. 'A book riding bicycles' has strange connotations, so we settle on: 'A book about/on riding bicycles.' Succinct, descriptive, pleasing to the ear. Ditto that 'A guide to distinguishing synonyms.' as opposed to 'A synonym guide' or even 'A distinguishing synonyms guide'

 

[philo2009]

Look at it like this:...distinguishing synonyms guide'

Well, there's no arguing with that!!

:lol: