'I found the box containing nothing' or 'I found the box to contain nothing' ?

[wotcha]

1. I found the box containing nothing
2. I found the box contain nothing
3. I found the box to contain nothing.

Which is/are correct?

- Actually 3 is from my dictionary, but 1 and 2 are my own.

 

[Rover_KE]

1 is grammatically correct (or would be if you put a full stop at the end).

This means that you were looking through a few boxes and found the empty one. All the others had something in them.

2 is ungrammatical.

3 means that you discovered that the box was empty.

 

[2006]

3 means that you discovered that the box was empty.

That is the most likely meaning, but there is another possible meaning: 'I found the box that I will use to contain nothing.'

It's not a likely situation, but it's definitely possible. Compare the grammar with that of 'I found the box to put dad's gift in.'

2006