"Escritura" and words like it...

[laepelba]

Infinitives of verbs can be used as nouns in Spanish. (The English equivalent would often end in "-ing".)

For example:
Spanish: El comer y beber mucho no son recomendables.
English: Eating and drinking a lot is not advisable.

But recently, I wrote the following sentence:
Estoy un poco frustrada con mi misma y estos errores (given in a paragraph a friend corrected) y otros en mi escribir últimamente.

My friend went on to correct "escribir" that it should be "escritura". I understand the meaning of the word "escritura" as "writing". What I don't understand is why the thing about treating an infinitive of a verb as a noun doesn't apply here...........

[chileno]

Infinitives of verbs can be used as nouns in Spanish. (The English equivalent would often end in "-ing".)

For example:
Spanish: El comer y beber mucho no son recomendables.
English: Eating and drinking a lot is not advisable.

But recently, I wrote the following sentence:
Estoy un poco frustrada conmigo misma y estos errores (given in a paragraph a friend corrected) y otros en mi escribir últimamente.

My friend went on to correct "escribir" that it should be "escritura":good:. I understand the meaning of the word "escritura" as "writing". What I don't understand is why the thing about treating an infinitive of a verb as a noun doesn't apply here...........

Puesto que entiendes gramática, mira aquí.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/writing

y aquí :http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=escritura

el punto #2

Porque creo que necesitas enderezar tu cabeza con el inglés en este caso. Mi humilde opinión.

[Perikles]

I have been unable to find a specific grammar reference for this, but it seems to me that when you use the infinitive as a masculine noun, it is an abstract concept used with el or al. I have not seen an infinitive with a possessive adjective like mi escribir, which would not be an abstract concept, but an action specific to you. :thinking:

(Not that my failing to notice something means much :rolleyes:)

[laepelba]

Chileno - I understand the meaning of "escritura", and I understand why it works in the sentence given. It's the opposite that I am having difficulty with. My problem is why I can't use the infinitive as a noun here.

Perikles - I never thought of the use of the possessive article effecting it. So, what about if I'm talking about my learning of Spanish ... I can't say "mi escribir es mejor de mi hablar ... y mi leer es mejor de mi escuchar"?

???

[Perikles]

Perikles - I never thought of the use of the possessive article effecting it. So, what about if I'm talking about my learning of Spanish ... I can't say "mi escribir es mejor de mi hablar ... y mi leer es mejor de mi escuchar"?I guess you would re-write it in English - my written Spanish is better than my spoken Spanish. Mi Español escrito es mejor que mi Español hablado :thinking::thinking:

[laepelba]

A hah!!!!!!!!!!!

[aleCcowaN]

escritura = lo que está escrito
escritura = acto de escribir (y de pensar lo que se escribe)

escritura = writing
el escribir = doodling ... Oh, look! It all seems like letters ... in groups ...
garabatear = doodling

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Lou Ann: A "real" noun would be preferred there because there is a specific one for what you mean, so "mi escribir" sounds forced in such a sentence, despite the fact that you do understand the use of infinitives as nouns in Spanish. :thumbsup:

Although it might be a matter of individual perception, "escritura", I think, is not to be confused with "redacción": Your friend's suggestion makes it look like you're not happy with your handwritting (escritura), not with the way you express yourself in writing (redacción). :thinking:

Some remarks on your sentence:
Estoy un poco frustrada con mi misma(1) y con (2)estos errores (given in a paragraph a friend corrected) y otros en mi escribir redacción últimamente

1) Never "con mi", "con ti", "con sí", but "conmigo", "contigo", "consigo"...
So, "estoy frustrada conmigo misma" :)


2) Second "con" is needed to keep "estoy frustrada" alive, so it doesn't seem at first that you're frustrated and make the reader to expect another verb coming.
And just for the sake of style: your sentence would sound much better like "...y con estos y otros errores en mi redacción últimamente"... that's to make clear that "estos" and "otros" relate immediately to "errores". ;)

[laepelba]

Okay! I follow all of that. Thank you for explaining the shades of meanings and suggesting alternate words to use.

So, the bottom line, even if "escribir" were the correct (root) verb for the situation, the fact that a noun form of it EXISTS trumps the use of "el escribir"? That makes sense.

Thank you all!!

[aleCcowaN]

"No es lo mismo el escritor que el hombre que escribe, ni siquiera cuando escribe bien, porque éste primero es -lo que sea- y luego escribe; el escritor sólo es plenamente escribiendo. Esta operación se ejecuta en él desde su centro personal; está implicado en su escribir, no sólo en lo escrito. Y esto sólo puede hacerse desde la lengua, sumergido en ella, desde su plena tensión. "

Julián Marías, Discurso de recepción ante la Real Academia Española, 1965.

[chileno]

In/by writing this it will make sure that it contrasts with the following:

This writing is not poetic at all.

[laepelba]

It would work the same way with:
- leer & lectura
- aprender & aprendizaje

Right?

[aleCcowaN]

The specific noun gets all the nuances and special meanings while the verb keeps in general the "mechanical" action and all that is "low level" including some emotional aspects, as it has the least level of abstraction.

Aprender es divertido.
El aprendizaje acelerado de idiomas requiere de ambientes y técnicas especiales.

[ChilenoAlemanCanada]

I don't think the fact that there is a special noun for it would mean that that's what you would use in all situations. If I'm not mistaken, you could say:

Al leer ese libro, yo estaba muy confundido.
Upon reading that book, I was very confused.

not

Al lectura ese libro...

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

[aleCcowaN]

Al lectura ese libro...


That is agramatical.


Al leer ese libro, yo estaba muy confundido.
Upon reading that book, I was very confused.

Leer is a full verb there, not a noun. You are synchronizing two actions there: reading and being confused. You simply chose a way with slightly different information and nuance when compared to "Leyendo ese libro ..." or "Mientras leía ese libro ..."; the way that highlights the confusion upon the act of reading.

[ChilenoAlemanCanada]

Ah, I see. Thank you! :)