Remember (to do sth / doing sth) in this particular context

Question

Hi! I've got a problem with one sentence we did in our English class.

"Surely you remember (lend) him the money? I hope, at least, that he won't forget (pay) you back, for he has a habit of (forget) things he doesn't want (remember)."
I know, of course, that apart from the first "gap", there should be the following answers: to pay, forgetting, to remember.

How about the first gap though? My teacher insists on "lending" but I think that "to lend" is also possible as referring to the future. Am I right or not?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Hi! I've got a problem with one sentence we did in our English class. "Surely you remember (lend) him the ... insists on "lending" but Ithink that "to lend" is also possible as referring to the future. Am I rightor not?[/nq]
I'm with your teacher. Note that this isn't future. That would be "Surely you'll/you will remember to lend him..." The sentence you have refers to remembering, in the present, lending in the past. I'm sure the teacher would explain it the same way.

Mike.

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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hi! I've got a problem with one sentence we did in our English class. "Surely you remember (lend) him the ... "lending" but I think that "to lend" is also possible as referring to the future. Am I right or not?[/nq]
"Lending" is correct, in the context of the whole sentence. For you to remember doing anything, you must have already done it. If you expect to do it in the future and need to be reminded, the first verb, "remember" would need the auxillary "will"or one of its variants (shall, must, should/would/could, need) as in "I will remember to mail the check tomorrow." "I should remember that he forgets debts." "I need to remember that she gossips."
Since that first "remember" is not open to change, you did lend him the money (in the past); he may forget to pay you back (in the present or in the future); he has a habit of forgetting (in the past and in the present) things he doesn't want to remember (in the present.)

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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]"Lending" is correct, in the context of the whole sentence. For you to remember doing anything, you must have already ... a habit of forgetting (in the past and in the present) things he doesn't want to remember (in the present.)[/nq]
Thank you for the answers but I am still confused a little bit. We know that such sentence "Remember to take your P.E. clothes to school." refers to the future as the addressee will take the clothes to school if he or she remembers about it in the present. Couldn't his or her answer to that sentence be "I remember to take my P.E. clothes to school."? Or does it have to be "I will remember to take my P.E. clothes to school."? For me the first sentence seems fine so why can't I put "remember to lend" in my example sentence? Where do the context clearly show that it must be "remember lending" as referring to the past?
I've always known that:
I remember to lock the door. - means I remember about it in the present and will do it (while leaving home for instance)
I remember locking the door. - means I remember about it in the present that I did it in the past
So I've never heard about auxilaries or modals being necessary in such cases.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]"Lending" is correct, in the context of the whole sentence. ... present) things he doesn't want to remember (in the present.)[/nq]
[nq:1]Thank you for the answers but I am still confused a little bit. We know that such sentence "Remember to take your P.E. clothes to school." refers to the[/nq]
You're cheating. You snipped your own text, where you raised the question, and changed the form of the sentence. I often complain in some forums that people snip essential text, but you snipped your own text.
You're cheating or you forgot already because this is not like the first sentence. That was "Surely you remember (lend) him the money?". It's not an imperative sentence like your current example, it's not the same form in other ways, so everything you say below is irrelevant.
Maybe you were just trying to simplify things, but you had the effect of changing things.
[nq:1]future as the addressee will take the clothes to school if he or she remembers about it in the present. Couldn't his or her answer to that sentence be "I remember to take my P.E. clothes to school."?[/nq]
No. If the first person said, Surely you eat lunch in school?, the second could reply, I eat lunch in school, referring to his customary habit of eating lunch in school. Or, Surely to you take your PE clothes to school?, again he could answer in the present about his usual practice.
Your example is about a unique or unusual event where he lends something to someone. An answer in the present tense doesn't apply. A yes or no answer would apply.
[nq:1]Or does it have to be "I will remember to take my P.E. clothes to school."? For me ... that I did it in the past So I've never heard about auxilaries or modals being necessary in such cases.[/nq]
All this is irrelevant because you changed the sentence.
If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

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