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Gerund vs. infinitive

hirashin

Sempai
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8 Apr 2004
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Hello, native English speakers.

Would you check my question sentences?

Q1 Choose the correct form and translate into Japanese.
1 I enjoyed [ (a) to swim (b) swimming ] in this river when I was a child.

2 My father wants [ (a) to buy (b) buying ] a German car. (German =ニ檀ニ辰ニ団窶堙?

3 My sister Emi practices [ (a) to play (b) playing ] the violin for five hours every day.

4 I finished [ (a) to write (b) writing ] a story yesterday. (story = 窶「ツィナ津ェ)

5 "Do you mind [(a) to open (b) opening ] the window?" " Not at all."

6 I hope [(a) to see (b) seeing ] you again some day. (some day = 窶堋「窶堙や?堋ゥ)

7 He's decided [(a) to go (b) going ] to the United States to study English.

窶禿「窶啣ツ 窶慊ョ窶督シナスナ停?堙懌?堋ス窶堙坂?「s窶凖ィナスナ停?堙ー窶廃窶堋「窶堙?,ナスナク窶堙娯?「ツカ窶堙ー窶ーpナ津ェ窶堙俄?禿ウ窶堋オ窶堙遺?堋ウ窶堋「ツ。
Translate into English using a gerund or an infinitive.
1 ナス窶樞?堙債,窶堋ア窶堋ア窶堙俄?板ッ窶堙懌?堙ゥ窶堋ア窶堙??堙嫁塚??堙溪?堋スツ。(窶板ッ窶堙懌?堙ゥツ? stay)
I (have) decided to stay here.

2 ナス窶樞?堙債,ナステ。窶堋「(young)ツ債?ツ,窶堙ヲ窶堋ュ(ツ?ィ窶堋オ窶堙寂?堋オ窶堙?ニ樽ニ耽ツー(the guitar)窶堙ー窶册窶堋「窶堙??y窶堋オ窶堙ア窶堋セツ。(ツ〜ツ債?ツ? whenツ〜)
(a) I often enjoyed playing the guitar when I was young.
(b) When I was young, I often enjoyed playing the guitar.

3 ナス窶樞?堙娯?「ニ停?堙債,窶敕樞?堙固ステ披?堙ーツ静エ窶堋「ツ終窶堋ヲ窶堙??堋「窶堙ゥツ。(ナ陳サツ催敘?ツョ窶板ケナ蛋窶堙?(ツ静エ窶堋、= wash)
My father has finished washing his car.

4 ナス窶樞?堙債,ナスナセツ々ツ,窶堋サ窶堙娯?禿「窶佚ィ(problem)窶堙俄?堙や?堋「窶堙?,窶ーツスナスナセナ?テ披?堙?ツ考窶堋ヲ窶伉ア窶堋ッ窶堙懌?堋キツ。(窶伉ア窶堋ッ窶堙ゥ= keep on)
(a) I sometimes keep on thinking about the problem for many hours.
(b) I sometimes keep on thinking for many hours about the problem.

5 ナス窶樞?堙債,窶堋ク窶堙≫?堙?ツ?ィ窶卍キ窶堋「ナ?テ? for a long time),窶堋?窶堙遺?堋ス窶堙俄?ーテッ窶堋「窶堋ス窶堋ゥ窶堙≫?堋スツ。(ナ陳サツ催敘?ツョ窶板ケナ蛋窶堙?(窶ーテッ窶堋、= see)
I have wanted to see you for a long time.


Thanks in advance.

Hirashin
 
1 to 7 are all good style, and the correct answer is clear. I don't understand Japanese well enough to know what you're asking to translate in the next questions, but the answer sentences are good, the only thing I note is that 2 (a) and (b) are both good English and mean nearly the same thing, (b) puts a little more emphasis on being young.

4 (a) is the more natural way to say it, 4(b) is allowable but very awkward. Would probably only occur in a literary context where you're deliberately trying to use uncommon word orders.
 
Q1 (b) swimming

Q2 (a) to buy

Q3 (b) playing, although the sentence is oddly worded. Rarely do English speakers say playing after the word practice. Naturally, I'd say "My sister Emi practices the violin for five hours every day (she's a dedicated player too!).

Q4 (b) writing

Q5 (b) opening

Q6 (a) to see

Q7 (a) to go

I'm not even going to attempt the Japanese section ;_;
 
Thank you for your help, Rick and I am a Baka san.

I Am A Baka san says that native speakers would not say "MY sister Emi practices playing the violin...".

Then would you please give me some example sentences using gerund ( ing form) after "practice"?

How about these?
(1) My brother Tom practices kicking a soccer ball for many hours every day.
(2) My brother Ken practices throwing a fast ball for more than an hour every day.

Hirashin
 
Thank you for your help, Rick and I am a Baka san.

I Am A Baka san says that native speakers would not say "MY sister Emi practices playing the violin...".

Yes, it's good English but we wouldn't say that in full very often because it's saying unneccessary words, if you just say "practices the violin" it's assumed you mean playing it. We'd usually leave the gerund out if the noun makes it obvious what the activity is.

Then would you please give me some example sentences using gerund ( ing form) after "practice"?

How about these?
(1) My brother Tom practices kicking a soccer ball for many hours every day.
(2) My brother Ken practices throwing a fast ball for more than an hour every day.


Hirashin

Yes these are natural things to say. Some others could be "practices dancing", "practices driving", "practices reading Japanese" etc
 
Thanks for the help, Rick.

I'm glad to hear my sentences are good.

Hirashin
 
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