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Infinitive and "-ing"
sometimes we use infinitive in conversation which write as "to do", and sometimes we use the"-ing",such as"regret to do"and"regret doing".
I know that the two usage have different means , but if you never ever heard a new verb before, Will it be easy for you to know how to use it? with "to do" or "-ing"?
the infinitive and -ing always puzzle Chinese English-learner a lot QAQ
2013年5月21日 13:31
回答 · 3
2
I just taught a lesson on this exact topic this evening. :D I'll try to condense it into some basic pointers.
When you use "(verb)ing", you have an action in reality. This may often be a gerund, so verbs which take a direct object (such as enjoy) are followed by this form.
When you use "to (verb)", you have an action as an idea. It hasn't happened. This may also indicate a future action. Some verbs naturally express ideas instead of reality, eg. promise, want, threaten, and so on.
My boss describes (verb)ing as "looking back at the action", and to (verb) as "looking towards the action."
In your example "regret" may be followed by either form. If the verb is "say", then you can understand it like this:
"I regret to say (that)..." = I am going to give you some bad news.
"I regret saying (that)..." = I told you some bad news in the past. I'm sorry about that.
2013年5月21日
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