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Tkacka15 Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

Time to discuss

They have spent too much time discussing the issue.

They have spent too much time to discuss the issue.

Do both sentences above mean the same?

  

Top answer

[ 1] They have spent too much time discussing the issue . [2] They have spent too much time to discuss the issue . Only [1] is possible for this meaning of "spend".

— BillJ

  • [ 1] They have spent too much time discussing the issue .
  • [2] They have spent too much time to discuss the issue .
  • Only [1] is possible for this meaning of "spend".
  • The verb "spend" does not license infinitival clauses as complement, but only gerund-participial ones.
  • I suppose [2] might be marginally possible if the intended meaning is that they have spent so much time on something else that they have none left to discuss the issue.
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1 Answers
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[1] They have spent too much time discussing the issue.

[2] They have spent too much time to discuss the issue.


Only [1] is poss

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