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Taruns1008 Posted 9 years ago
Grammar
"to drink" or "to drinking"
#1 The woman left her husband immediately after he lost his job and he took to drink alcohol excessively. Can someone please explain why "to drink" is incorrect here? It should be "to drinking" according to my answer sheet. (Please note that if "to" is a part of an adjective + preposition combination or a noun + preposition combination, then gerund form of verb is used. Therefore, "drinking" should be used in place of "drink".)This is given as a reason but I don't get all what it is trying to say.
Top answer
The "to" in "take to" is a preposition (this is just a property of the phrase "take to"). Preposition "to" must must have a noun or noun phrase as its object. "drinking alcohol" serves as a noun phrase (gerund phrase), but "drink alcohol" doesn't.
- The "to" in "take to" is a preposition (this is just a property of the phrase "take to").
- Preposition "to" must must have a noun or noun phrase as its object.
- "drinking alcohol" serves as a noun phrase (gerund phrase), but "drink alcohol" doesn't.
- g.
- g.
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1 Answers
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The "to" in "take to" is a preposition (this is just a property of the phrase "take to"). Preposition "to" must must have a noun or noun phrase as its object. "drinking alcohol" serves as a noun phrase (gerund phrase), but "drink alcohol" doesn't.
Contrast e.g. with "want to", where the "to" is an infinitive marker, so is followed by a verb, e.g. "want to drink alcohol".
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