Start by +ing

Question

I wanna know when can I use start by  (for example I start by saying)?And waht´s the difference among start by , start to INFINITIVE and start + ING.thanks

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Hi Anon:

You can use start followed by either a gerund or infinitive phrase. The meaning is the same. (Personally, I tend to use the infinitive.)

He started to tie his shoes.
He started tying his shoes.

He started eating his dinner.
He started to eat his dinner.

However, putting the preposition by after start changes everything. In this case, the infinitive is not used, only the gerund:

He started by reviewing the team's progress.
He started by quoting a short verse from a Shakespearean sonnet.

Anonymous · Answer

Past tense
He started to write his piece.

He started writing his piece.

He started by writing his piece.

They seem interchangeable at the moment, but there are some differences between the sentences.

The first statement implies that, though he began writing, he never finished.
The second statement indicates the timeframe when he began.
The third statement seems as though there is a big project, and writing his piece is only the start.

He started to write his piece, but he got sidetracked.

He started writing his piece Tuesday.

He started by writing his piece and ended by performing it in front of the class.

See, it all depends on context. It might sound awkward to exchange the bold phrases now to any of the other statements.

Future tense
The same can be done in the future tense: (notice the slight changes)

He will start to write his piece.

He will start writing his piece.

He will start by writing his piece.

He will start to write his piece, but he will get sidetracked.

He will start writing his piece Tuesday.

He will start by writing his piece and end by performing it in front of the class.

I am sorry I could not think of any examples for the present tense. Whenever I wrote them, they sounded too awkward or too formal. Nevertheless, I hope this makes the point clear.

Start by +ing

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions