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hooshdar3

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"The number of employees a computer company has, can be seen as a .... of its success in the business world."

1)measure 2)measuring 3)measured 4)mmeasures

Why would 2 be wrong?
 

SoothingDave

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It's not an ongoing thing. It's a past tense "measure." You measure your company and compare it to the size of others.
 

emsr2d2

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"The number of employees a computer company has, can be seen as a .... of its success in the business world."

1)measure 2)measuring 3)measured 4)mmeasures

Why would 2 be wrong?

It's a measure (noun), meaning "evaluation".
 

hooshdar3

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It's not an ongoing thing. It's a past tense "measure." You measure your company and compare it to the size of others.
But measuring can be a gerund, can't it?
 

Tdol

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Can you give a good reason for using the gerund here- the fact that the word can be a gerund does not necessarily justify its use.
He went outside for a smoke :tick:
He went outside for a smoking. :cross:
 
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hooshdar3

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Can you give a good reason for using the gerund here- the fact that the word can be a gerund does not necessarily justify its use.
He went outside for a smoke :tick:
He went outside for a smoking. :cross:
I asked YOU "Why not to use a gerund here".and you ask it back from me!
 

Tdol

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I was replying to your justification that it can be a gerund, which is not a reason for assuming that it can be used. If you use it as a gerund, what would you be doing? In most cases, you would be describing the process, which is not the case here.
 
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