verb forms after adjectives

Question

1. I am happy to be here.2. I am happy being here.Is 2 correct? If yes, what is the difference between 1 and 2?The physicist I work with was bitterly disappointed ----- that his experiments had not produced the desired results.A) to learnB) to be learningC) to have learnedD) learningE) having learnedF) on learningWhich ones are correct?

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

English is a mess as far as verb forms after adjectives are concerned. It is practically always safe to use an infinitive after an adjective, so I should think everybody considers No. 1 correct. I have no objection to No. 2 either and can see no difference in meaning.

A, D and E are correct for the second sentence. Learning is a present participle used as a temporal clause equivalent (= when he learned) and having learned is also a clause equivalent (= after he had learned).

I wouldn't use the perfect infinitive (C) after disappointed, at least not in this sentence. F is not good either as it implies that it took the physicist a moment to get bitterly disappointed, as if his brain didn't work fast enough for him to be disappointed the moment he realised the bad news.

But, as I said, this is one aspect of grammar that is bound to elicit all manner of argumentation in colourful posts!

Looking forward to them
CB

CalifJim · Answer

Strangely, I am happy to be here connotes for me that I am not usually here and that I have come here for a purpose. It borders on I am happy that I have arrived here so that I can .... On the other hand, I am happy being here connotes that I have been here for a long time. I have settled in and I'm happy about that.
______

disappointed to learn is without question my first choice. ( A ).
I also accept ( F ) and ( C ), in that order: disappointed on learning and disappointed to have learned.

CJ

Diamondrg · Answer

CalifJimdisappointed to learn is without question my first choice. ( A ).
I also accept ( F ) and ( C ), in that order: disappointed on learning and disappointed to have learned.

CJ

thank you, Jim. So I understand that though "to be happy being somewhere" is quite natural, "to be disappointed learning sth" is not. Right? The reason for my questions is the question below which was asked in an official exam. The official answer has not been declared. Though I think the asnwer is B, I cannot explain adequately why A, C and E are wrong. What do you think?

The physicist I work with was bitterly disappointed ---- that his experiments had not produced the desired results.

A) learning
B) on learning
C) having learned
D) to be learned
E) to be learning

Goodman · Answer

Diamondrg
CalifJimdisappointed to learn is without question my first choice. ( A ).
I also accept ( F ) and ( C ), in that order: disappointed on learning and disappointed to have learned.

CJ

thank you, Jim. So I understand that though "to be happy being somewhere" is quite natural, "to be disappointed learning sth" is not. Right? The reason for my questions is the question below which was asked in an official exam. The official answer has not been declared. Though I think the asnwer is B, I cannot explain adequately why A, C and E are wrong. What do you think?

The physicist I work with was bitterly disappointed ---- that his experiments had not produced the desired results.

A) learning
B) on learning
C) having learned
D) to be learned
E) to be learning

My offering of 2 cents...

Without question A is most natural and the # 1 choice. (to learn).

There could be another possibility which is “from learning” that is likely an acceptable choice as well.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

The official answer has not been declared. Though I think the asnwer is B, I cannot explain adequately why A, C and E are wrong. What do you think?

The physicist I work with was bitterly disappointed ---- that his experiments had not produced the desired results.

A) learning
B) on learning
C) having learned
D) to be learned
E) to be learning

Here's my view.

I have no doubt that the examiner expects the answer B, and it seems clearly the best choice to me.

A and C would work, but they would be much less common in educated English. I'd write them preceded by a comma since they really refer back adjectivally to 'physicist'.

D makes no sense at all.

E would work, but it needs a more unlikely context where the physicist was in the act of learning the bad news.

Because of these possibilities, it does not seem to me to be a good test question.

Best wishes, Clive

Diamondrg · Answer

Thank you very much indeed.

Seloc@n · Answer

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verb forms after adjectives

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