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Bmojtaba Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Infinitive & gerund

HI there

Is there any difference in terms of meaning in the following examples?

'To say that his business is successful would be an exaggeration '
'Saying that his business is successful would be an exaggeration'

Thanks
  

Top answer

'To say that his business is successful would be an exaggeration ''Saying that his business is successful would be an exaggeration' No, the meaning is the same, but you'll find that, in the general case, a gerund subject is seen more often than an infinitive subject. CJ

— CalifJim

  • 'To say that his business is successful would be an exaggeration ''Saying that his business is successful would be an exaggeration' No, the meaning is the same, but you'll find that, in the general case, a gerund subject is seen more often than an infinitive subject.
  • CJ
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3 Answers
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bmojtabaIs there any difference in terms of meaning in the following examples?'To say that his business is successful would be an exaggeration ''Saying that his business is successful would be an exaggeration'
No, the meaning is the same, but you'll find that, in the general case, a gerund subject is seen more often than an infinitive subject.

CJ
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I agree with CJ, but I would be more likely to use the infinitive in this specific instance.
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ozzourtiI would be more likely to use the infinitive in this specific instance.
I would too. My intuition tells me this preference occurs with equative sentences like this one, but I haven't researched it.

CJ
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