Would it be wrong or not if "A guide to distinguish synonyms.....(and why ?)
Please help improving my question if necessary.
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.
Thanks for the elucidationclarify my stand
PEACE ;-)
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]
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,
Or he could argue by analogy to a few other books which use phrases like that: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).
Look at it like this:...distinguishing synonyms guide'