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Youngbuts Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
insecurity about seeing VS to see
Hello, everyone.
I have got a question about differences between gerund and to-infinitive following a abstract noun, insecurity. Would you take a look at the two following sentneces?
1.Despite headway being made on the women's rights front, glass ceilings are becoming even more entrenched in certain quarters due to men's insecurity about seeing their authority threatened.
2.Despite headway being made on the women's rights front, glass ceilings are becoming even more entrenched in certain quarters due to men's insecurity to see their authority threatened.
Do two sentences have similar meangins? Or is just one of them right?
Many thanks in advance.
I have got a question about differences between gerund and to-infinitive following a abstract noun, insecurity. Would you take a look at the two following sentneces?
1.Despite headway being made on the women's rights front, glass ceilings are becoming even more entrenched in certain quarters due to men's insecurity about seeing their authority threatened.
2.Despite headway being made on the women's rights front, glass ceilings are becoming even more entrenched in certain quarters due to men's insecurity to see their authority threatened.
Do two sentences have similar meangins? Or is just one of them right?
Many thanks in advance.
Top answer
youngbuts is just one of them right? Just 1 is right. 2 is wrong.
- youngbuts is just one of them right?
- Just 1 is right.
- 2 is wrong.
- It seems to me that abstract nouns rarely take an infinitive, but I'm sure there are exceptions.
- CJ
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7 Answers
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youngbutsis just one of them right?Just 1 is right. 2 is wrong.
It seems to me that abstract nouns rarely take an infinitive, but I'm sure there are exceptions.
CJ
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CalifJimIt seems to me that abstract nouns rarely take an infinitive,I don't have the ability to come up with thousands of examples, but I feel the need to express some doubt about this.
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fivejedjonI don't have the ability to come up with thousands of examples, but I feel the need to express some doubt about this.Good point. At least you came up with two.
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I have to confess that my initial thought was that I agreed with you. A slight feeling of doubt made me check with COCA. you;ll find a lot more than two there, I'm afraid.
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Does any general principle occur to you on this topic?
I can't think of anything except to say it's the single word 'insecurity' that works that way.
And that's not a very general principle, is it?
I can't think of anything except to say it's the single word 'insecurity' that works that way.
And that's not a very general principle, is it?
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CalifJimDoes any general principle occur to you on this topic?The only thing that occurs to me is that you were wrong - as I was initially.
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fivejedjonThe only thing that occurs to me is that you were wrongWell, that's a lot of help.
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