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Leila9565 Posted 5 years ago
Vocabulary

To build a fire vs. building a fire

Hi everyone

Can you tell me what is the difference between "to build a fire" and "building a fire"? I mean the difference in their meaning...

thanks!

  

Top answer

It's not the meaning that's different. It's the grammar. We say I want to build a fire , but never I want building a fire because 'want' takes an infinitive.

— CalifJim

  • It's not the meaning that's different.
  • It's the grammar.
  • We say I want to build a fire , but never I want building a fire because 'want' takes an infinitive.
  • And we say I enjoy building a fire , but never I enjoy to build a fire because 'enjoy' takes an -ing form.
  • So the grammatical context where you want to use it will control which of the two constructions you have to use.
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1 Answers
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It's not the meaning that's different. It's the grammar.

We say

I want to build a fire,
but never I want building a fire
because 'want' takes an infinitive.

And we say

I enjoy building a fire,
but never I enjoy to build a fire
because 'enjoy' takes an -ing form.

So the grammatical context where you want to use it

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