To + -ing forms

[CrOtALiTo]

Could someone explain to me when I have to use "to + -ing" form instead of "to + inf".?

I've also seen these two sentences and now I'm not sure which of them is the correct one:

I'm glad to hear from you
I'm glad to hearing from you

:thinking:

Thanks :)


I think it's easy because if you use the ing is present continues

I'm listing you that you mustn't go to the store today.

I'm seeing the movie from cinema.

I'm seeing that be in the cinema.?

I'm doubtfulness really I don't know much about the rules in English although my brother taught me the rule, already I forgot the rules.:mad:

[Rusty]

That form is not used too much though.I hear and use 'to ___ing' all the time. So long as it functions as a noun clause as David said, it is very correct and common English.

[chileno]

I hear and use 'to ___ing' all the time. So long as it functions as a noun clause as David said, it is very correct and common English.

Maybe I haven't payed much attention to it. :-)

[irmamar]

Use the infinitive when the thing is a verb. Use the gerund (-ing) when it is a noun.

I'm glad to hear from you - verb
A guide to going abroad - "going abroad" functions grammatically as a noun (gerund), not a verb.

Thanks everybody for your explanations. But I've still got some doubts. Am I not able to say the following?:

A guide to go abroad
I'm glad to hearing from you

Is there any clue to distinguish between both forms? I'd translate "a guide to going abroad" with a verb (una guía para ir al extranjero), not with a noun. I'm not able to appreciate the difference.Thanks.

[chileno]

Thanks everybody for your explanations. But I've still got some doubts. Am I not able to say the following?:

A guide to go abroad
I'm glad to hearing from you

Is there any clue to distinguish between both forms? I'd translate "a guide to going abroad" with a verb (una guía para ir al extranjero), not with a noun. I'm not able to appreciate the difference.Thanks.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. - Estare a la expectativa de escuchar/saber de ti pronto.

Ing = ando /endo

o

es un verbo.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Adding mine own to irmamar's questions...

"A guide to go abroad" is right, but "a guide to going abroad" is permitted because it's understood that one is supposed to be able of visiting many destinations...
In that case, "a guide to travelling abroad" is incorrect and should be said "a guide to travel abroad".
Right:?:

[brute]

Could someone explain to me when I have to use "to + -ing" form instead of "to + inf".?

I've also seen these two sentences and now I'm not sure which of them is the correct one:

I'm glad to hear from you
I'm glad to hearing from you

:thinking:

Thanks :)

I am glad to hear from you and I look forward to hearing from you again.

This sentence works, but why?

The first part is set in the present, the second is a future event.
Hearing here is a present participle or gerund used as a noun as in " The setting of the sun"

"I am glad to hearing from you" does not work at all without a "be"

"I am glad to be hearing from you" is grammatically correct, but for some reason it sounds strange to an Englishman, but probably not to an Asian who speaks English.

However, "I expect to be hearing from you soon" is OK. Don't ask me why!
I hope this helps.

[irmamar]

I look forward to hearing from you soon. - Estare a la expectativa de escuchar/saber de ti pronto.

Ing = ando /endo

o

es un verbo.

Yes, I know that this is a gerund and a verb, but Tomísimo said that it worked as a noun. It's hard for me to find the difference when a gerund works as a verb or as a noun (and because of that, it's possible to use "to" before). If I'm asked to fill in the gaps:

A guide ... going abroad

Surely I'd write "for", instead of "to". And it would be a mistake.

[chileno]

Adding mine my own to irmamar's questions...

"A guide to go abroad" is right, but "a guide to going abroad" is permitted because it's understood that one is supposed to be able of visiting many destinations...
In that case, "a guide to travelling abroad" is incorrect and should be said "a guide to travel abroad".
Right:?:

Finger transpositioning :)

[brute]

Yes, I know that this is a gerund and a verb, but Tomísimo said that it worked as a noun. It's hard for me to find the difference when a gerund works as a verb or as a noun (and because of that, it's possible to use "to" before). If I'm asked to fill in the gaps:



Surely I'd write "for", instead of "to". And it would be a mistake.

"A guide to going abroad" .This is perfect. "A guide for going abroad is not
wrong, but unusual. However I would be quite happy to say "A saw is a tool for cutting wood." I don't know why, because to and for are used in the same way.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

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

[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]

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]

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 :)