gerund/infinitive

0 Both are correct. The first formula tends to be used for lofty thoughts; the second, for ordinary ones.02br
00I don't think chopping vegetables expresses a particularly lofty thought, so I would use the second in this case. 05002br
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00 CJ010id1

0 I think both are correct.02br
00 To chop vegetables and Chopping vegetables are a noun pharse.02br
00 They are a subject in both sentences.0-

0 As California Jim said, to + infinitive can be used for lofty thoughts. However, that presupposes that what you have to say is a lofty thought. I would have thought that the act of chopping vegetables does not normally fall into this category and therefore V-ing would be more appropiate indeed to+infinitive might even appear pompose.02br
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00Unless of course you are disc

0As another thought, to + infinitive is also often used in poetry. I assume the attraction there is that it sounds different to everyday speech, where we would usually use - ing. Plus it makes the poem sound more lofty and profound of course!0-

0Hello Sir,02br
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00I am very grateful for your reply , but I am not able to understand the meaning of "lofty thougts".02br
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00Could you please explain it with some examples?0-

0 Take01i00 lofty02i00 to mean weighty, important, serious, or philosophical.02br
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01i00To err is human; to forgive, divine.02br
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00 To be or not to be; that is the question.02i02br
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00 (We are speaking of the use of an infinitive as the subject of a sentence.)02br
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EndiAs California Jim said, to + infinitive can be used for lofty thoughts. However, that presupposes that what you have to say is a lofty thought. I would have thought that the act of chopping vegetables does not normally fall into this category and therefore V-ing would be more appropiate indeed to+infinitive might even appear pompose.

Unless of course you are

Hi, pieanne,

You wrote: ...in this case, "to go to" denotes purpose". Does that mean that when we are talking about purposes we have to use to-infinitive, not a gerund? Please, read my thread "Infinitive vs Present Participle".

Eladio

Yes, indeed, as it answers the question "Why?".

Among other uses, the "to + infinitive" shows purpose. (in order to, so as to, ...)

"I crossed the street to greet her" = in order to greet her.

I've read your thread (you wrote it today, didn't you?), that's how I landed here

No, pieanne, I wrote it few days ago. Few days ago I did not know that I was talking about gerunds, not present participles!

Unfortunately I have not landed yet about gerunds, presents participles and continuous constructs