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Clarence Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Use 'ing' verb form?

Wondering if I should use the 'ing' verb form:

1. We are looking to reduce / reducing about 10 software licenses.

2. We will look to reduce / reducing about 10 software licenses.
  

Top answer

clarence Wondering if I should use the 'ing' verb form: No. 'To' is the infinitive particle, not a preposition, in 'look to + verb'.

— Mister Micawber

  • clarence Wondering if I should use the 'ing' verb form: No.
  • 'To' is the infinitive particle, not a preposition, in 'look to + verb'.
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6 Answers
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clarenceWondering if I should use the 'ing' verb form:
No. 'To' is the infinitive particle, not a preposition, in 'look to + verb'.
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May I know what is an infinitive particle?

How do we differentiate between an infinitive particle and a preposition?
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clarenceMay I know what is an infinitive particle?
It's the word to in front of a verb in its plain form.
clarenceHow do we differentiate between an infinitive particle and a preposition?
A preposition is not followed by a verb in its plain form. It's almost always followed by a noun phrase.

to go
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It doesn't make sense to say you will reduce about 10 licenses (unless you mean you want to make them smaller in size, eg via a copying machine).
I think that you mean you want to reduce your number of licenses by about 10.

Clive
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Thank you CJ and Clive for your replies.

I'm still confused about the use of 'ing' verb in the following sentences:

1. We look to reduce the number of licenses by about 10.
2. We look forward to seeing you on Monday.

Why is the 'ing' verb used in the second sentence?
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clarenceWhy is the 'ing' verb used in the second sentence?
'Look forward to + noun' is the idiom. 'To' is a preposition, not the infinitive particle.
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