Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Birder]

A student today had me correct his essay, which he titled, "To speak well is much more important than to write well". I advised him that there's nothing actually wrong with this, but that it didn't sound good, to my ear. I told him that this is what the gerund was invented for. "Speaking well is much more important than writing well" sounds, to my ear, far more natural and euphonious without sacrificing clarity or formality. (This is of course a general belief - I would not at all be in favor "Being, or not being" as the opening lines to Hamlet's soliloquy.)

The other alternative I gave him was, "It is much more important to speak well than to write well." I advised against that option, though, because titles that start with the empty subject "it" are generally rather uninteresting. (Generally speaking, of course. "It's Raining Men," as a title, cannot be improved upon, of course.)

Thoughts?

[etopkorea]

Generally speaking, a gerund should be used as the first word of a sentence. However, this means you must argue with the Bard and the whole, "To be, or not to be" thing.

[koreatimes]

Normally, I would use gerund. However, TO MAKE a point, I would use infinitive for stating positions (like with debates, arguments, etc...)