Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Mandy2301]

can somebody explain me the difference between the following to sentences please.

1.) Jane has finally succeeded to pass her examination.

2.) Jane has finally succeeded in passing her examination.
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I'm trying to learning English, so please give me a notice of my failures. I try to make it better next time.

[Jintii]

Sentence #1 is incorrect. (It is understandable -- Jane tried and tried to pass, and finally she did -- but it is grammatically incorrect.)

Sentence #2 is correct.

[Mandy2301]

but what's the difference between to past and in passing ?
_________________
I'm trying to learning English, so please give me a notice of my failures. I try to make it better next time.

[Jintii]

Hi, Mandy.

The difference is not between to pass and in passing. The difference is between succeed in and succeed to.

Some verbs take certain prepositions after them, and not others. For example, you probably know that you should say:

I listen TO music, not I listen AT or IN or FROM music.

In other words, the verb listen takes the preposition TO.

In your sentence, the verb succeed takes the preposition IN. It does not take the preposition TO. So, you succeed IN doing something; you don't succeed TO do it. There is no way for you to guess that; it is arbitrary. You just have to memorize verb + preposition combinations.

I hope this helps you.