Present continuous +

[Jaguar]

Hello. A bit of help please.

Why do we say:

I’m looking forward to seeing you again

instead of

I’m looking forward to see you again

Thanks!

 

[David L.]

I’m looking forward to (the time when I will be ) seeing you again.
Take out the 'looking forward to' and the sentence is:
I will be seeing you again.

 

[Grablevskij]

Just because it is a set phrase:
Look forvard to + noun

Look forvard to your letter.

Or we can use a gerund instead of a noun. No logic, we have to learn it by heart.

Michael

 

[Jaguar]

Thanks fellas!

Interesting answers. I now know why I couldn't find any info' on it.....

Cheers:up:

 

[Grablevskij]

Such information are to be found in any dictionary.
For example here:
Cambridge Dictionaries Online - Cambridge University Press

look forward to sth phrasal verb
1 to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen:
I'm really looking forward to my holiday.
[+ ing form of verb] She was looking forward to seeing the grandchildren again.
I'm not looking forward to Christmas this year.

2 [+ ing form of verb] FORMAL used at the end of a formal letter to say you hope to hear from or see someone soon, or that you expect something from them:
I look forward to hearing from you.
In the circumstances, I look forward to receiving your client's cheque for the sum of £570 within the next seven days.


Michael

 

[vil]

Hi Michael,

You could track down the answer yours question in the excellent Russian grammar book "ГРАМАТИКА АНГЛИЙСКОВО ЯЗЬIКА", an old issue of Leningrad Utchpedgiza.

In Modern English the gerund is widely used and often competes with the infinitive.

There are few very strong rules, that comes in handy.

In the following cases only the gerund is used.

1. With the verbs and verbal phrases: to avoid, to burst out, to deny, to enjoy, to excuse, to fancy, (in imperative sentences as an exclamation of surprise), to finish, to forgive, to give up, to go on, to keep (on), to leave off, to mind, (in negative and interrogative sentences), to postpone, to put off, cannot but and some others.2. With the following verbs and verbal phrases used with preposition: be accuse of, to agree to, to approve of, to complain of, to depend on, to feel like, to insist on, to look like, to object to, to persist in, to prevent from, to rely on, to speak of, to succeed in, to suspect of, to thank for, to think of, to give up the idea of, to look forward to, not to like the ides of, to miss an (the) opportunity of and some others.


There is also the following classical example:

We are looking forward to seeing you again.
Mьi с нетьрпением ждем тово момента, когда увидим вас снова.

Sometimes you might find the proper answer in your close surroundings.

Regards.

V.

 

[Grablevskij]

You know, there is much shorter and easier rule: after a preposition we can use only gerund (or a noun, of course). So half your verbs are covered by this rule

Michael

 

[Jaguar]

Brilliant!

Thanks, everyone,
That's what I was looking for.

I started to think that it might have someting to do with phrasal verbs or active verbs.

Thanks again

Jag:up: