Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[puzzle]

Dear teachers,
Can you help me with this exercise?
My mpther went home,____ the door open.
A. to find B. finding
Which is the right answer,and why? Thank you very much!

[Suzanne]

Hello,

Sometimes infinitives and gerunds have the same meaning, and sometimes there can be differences in the meaning.

In your sentences, the infinitive and the gerund seem to have the same meaning. The infinitive does tend to be used for a specific occasion, so that might be a better choice here.

My mother went home, to find the door open.
[First my mother went home. Then she discovered the door was open.]

I think you could use either, and be understood. Native speakers would use either sentence to mean "When my mother got home, the door was open."

Is your question from an assignment?

[puzzle]

Thank you very much.
Yes,it is.