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Korussian
Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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 Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 12:08 am Post subject: Weird Grammar: "continuing" vs "to continue&q |
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Hey there honored grammarians,
Could someone kindly tell me why in our TOEIC textbook the answer to the following question is (A) and absolutely not (D)? Sure, I'd say (A), but aren't they both equally valid?
Our goals are _______ to earn your confidence to keep you as a satisfied customer and always to serve you to the best of our ability.
(A) to continue
(B) continue
(C) continued
(D) continuing
Thanks in advance! |
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FMPJ
Joined: 03 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 12:46 am Post subject: |
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| It must parallel "to serve." Also, infinitive tends to imply purpose or intention whereas gerund does not. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:07 am Post subject: |
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| True. Don't use the gerund with these nouns. desire, ambition, aim, purpose, or goal |
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CtotheB
Joined: 03 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:13 am Post subject: |
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| Agreed with the above. Also, "Our goals are continuing to earn your confidence..." makes it sound like the goals themselves are the things that are progressing, whereas the focus is that you want people to know that The company is progressing. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 5:26 am Post subject: |
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As someone before noted, using the gerund shifts the focus and changes the meaning slightly.
Our goals are, "to continue to earn your confidence..." etc.
This sentence shows their stated goal as a slogan which naturally would be in the infinitive. It doesn't say whether the goals are effective or not, just that the goals exist and what they are.
Our goals are continuing to earn your confidence...." etc.
This sentence the meaning is slightly different, it says that the goals are achieving what they are supposed to do, yet it doesn't specifically say what those goals are. In the second sentence the "earning of confidence" may be a side effect of the goals but in the first sentence the goals are specified exactly. |
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nate1983
Joined: 30 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
As someone before noted, using the gerund shifts the focus and changes the meaning slightly.
Our goals are, "to continue to earn your confidence..." etc.
This sentence shows their stated goal as a slogan which naturally would be in the infinitive. It doesn't say whether the goals are effective or not, just that the goals exist and what they are.
Our goals are continuing to earn your confidence...." etc.
This sentence the meaning is slightly different, it says that the goals are achieving what they are supposed to do, yet it doesn't specifically say what those goals are. In the second sentence the "earning of confidence" may be a side effect of the goals but in the first sentence the goals are specified exactly. |
I agree.
OP, what explicitly was the question asking you to do? I doubt it just said "Fill in the blank". |
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Korussian
Joined: 15 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the great answer, guys! I believe this is solved.
Nate1983: I don't know the question context - it was my Korean co-workers who asked me about it ;) |
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oldtrafford
Joined: 12 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 5:43 pm Post subject: |
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Another example of why Koreans will never learn to communicate in English effectively. They're too BUSY study banal sentences like this but can't ask a person if they'd like a drink.  |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Korussian wrote: |
Thanks for the great answer, guys! I believe this is solved.
Nate1983: I don't know the question context - it was my Korean co-workers who asked me about it  |
Well unfortunately there's still a catch. TOEIC questions ideally should consist of (usually) three distractors that are 100% undeniably impossible. Especially word form questions, such as your example.
So while you received some fantastic explanations here, the question is still rather poorly written... |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| True. Don't use the gerund with these nouns. desire, ambition, aim, purpose, or goal |
What about -
Our goals are evolving to....
I think we need to qualify that statement - generally, don't use gerunds with those nouns. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| As far as I understand, the persons are acting, the goals cannot engage in the action since goals are inanimate. Goals are not agents. People are agents. Can I see it that way, as well? |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
Personally, I would find both A and D valid depending on what someone is trying to say. Am I wrong in thinking that? I do not like the question.
Depending on what the intent is, I would choose either A or D. Since the intent of the person speaking is not clear, then it's a poorly worded question, IMHO. |
You are wrong for thinking that.
The sentence says "Our goals are ..." and then it lists the goals. As FMPJ said, it has to parallel "to serve" (i think this is kind of an awkward explanation, but I get what he means). If you put the continuous in there, then you cannot have the second clause on the sentence starting with "to serve..." It just doesn't work. If you want, I'll pull out my Practical English Usage and find a citation for you? I see where you're coming from, and in a colloquial way, I could hear someone saying it, but it would sound awkward to me. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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"Our goals are making money and dating hot chicks."
Seems fine to me? |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Our goals are evolving to....
I think we need to qualify that statement - generally, don't use gerunds with those nouns. |
That sounds like the start of a present continuous sentence to me, not a gerund.
| Quote: |
Our goals are making money and dating hot chicks."
Seems fine to me? |
Sounds ok to me too but I think a grammar book would say otherwise |
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meangradin
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| If you put the continuous in there, then you cannot have the second clause on the sentence starting with |
"continuing" in this sentence is a gerund acting as the complement of the subject ("goal"). It is not part of the continuous verb group/phrase indicating an action that occurs at the present time. Here is a similar sentence: "My hobby is reading." |
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