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Lucas21c Posted 16 years ago
Grammar

Could you help me?

I already asked if I can change a gerund in a subject position into 'to-Infinitive' and I got some answers. However, I have another question about the answer which I got.

The answer told me that "using the infinitive as the subject of a clause is not common but okay when the infinitive has an object." For example, "To see the sun rise is an unforgettable experience." or

"To know him is to love him."

But I am still not sure that I can apply this to all the sentence.

Do I have to say like "Repairing a car always costs us big money." or "Skipping breakfast becomes increasing common among people."? or can I also say like "To repair a car always costs us big money." or "To skip breakfast becomes increasing common among people."?

Please check it out.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

I agree with your earlier respondent: The infinitive sounds awkward there, though it is grammatically correct; it is not so common.

— Mister Micawber

  • I agree with your earlier respondent: The infinitive sounds awkward there, though it is grammatically correct; it is not so common.
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4 Answers
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I agree with your earlier respondent: The infinitive sounds awkward there, though it is grammatically correct; it is not so common.
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How about "To repair a car always costs us big money." or "To skip breakfast becomes increasing common among people."?

Does it sound weird or not?
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Grammatically, they are not wrong, but idiomatically, they sound unnatural as written.
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lucas21c "To skip breakfast becomes increasing common among people."?
To skip breakfast is grammatical and some writers occasionally use an infinitive as the subject of a clause. Since this is uncommon in spoken English, it tends to sound odd to at least those who are not used to seeing it in writing, perhaps others as well.

However, incr
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