To + -ing forms

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Hernán: Thank you... it was a meddlesome "own" that wasn't there at first.

[Rusty]

In English, a gerund is always a noun, Irmamar and Malila. Don't confuse the English gerund with the Spanish gerundio (which is always a verb). They function differently.

"A guide to going abroad," is perfectly fine English. "Going abroad" functions as an object, not as a verb (a verb which is a phrasal verb, by the way). When it is used as a noun, it is called a gerund.
Substitute another object, like "men," instead of the gerund in that sentence. There is nothing wrong with saying "A guide to men," or "A guide to Spain." You can place any noun in that final spot and have a perfectly-form English sentence. A gerund is a noun, so there is nothing wrong with dropping a gerund in that final spot.
The rule you're quoting that disallows "to + ___ing" structures was probably invented to keep you from using a verb that way, but not a gerund.

Again, the Spanish gerundio has nothing to do with the English gerund.

"I look forward to hearing from you," is another case where a gerund is used. Again, you could substitute any noun and create a perfectly-fine English sentence. Let's try "dessert:"
"I look forward to dessert." Sounds good!

I hope I've helped in a small way.

[irmamar]

Thank you everybody, above all Rusty. Now I understand. But I think it's a bit difficult for me thinking of a gerund as a nouns instead as a verb. But the clue to substitute the gerund with a name is a good one. Thanks everybody again.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Thank you, Rusty and David... some clear explanations on word usage tend to be hard to find.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Yes, I understand its meaning, but it uses "to + -ing" form: to going.

Actually, in your example, "a guide to going abroad", the "to" and the "going" aren't connected. In that case, "going abroad" is like a noun (sustantivo) and is the object of the preposition "to". You could easily say:
- "a guide to Paris"
- "a guide to the inner city"
- "a guide to flat screened televisions"
In those examples, the object of the preposition "to" are all nouns.

In English, we sometimes add "+ing" to a verb to force it to act like a noun. More examples based on yours:
- "a guide to buying a house"
- "a guide to skiing in the Rocky Mountains"
- "a guide to cooking with a wok"
Again, in each of these examples, "+ing" is added to a verb to make it act like a noun.

Some other examples of adding "+ing" to a verb to make it act like a noun:
- "sailing is a great sport"
- "my favorite hobby is cooking"
- "the driving was the only thing that made it a long day" - this one even uses "the" as an article with a verb+ing to make it really a noun.

Do these examples help?

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thank you everybody, above all Rusty. Now I understand. But I think it's a bit difficult for me thinking of a gerund as a nouns instead as a verb. But the clue to substitute the gerund with a name is a good one. Thanks everybody again.

estoy feliz de que puedo ayudarte

[irmamar]

Gracias, Laepelba y Bobyjenkins, siempre tan amables