What´s the difference in meaning...?

Question

Hello. What´s the difference in meaning between the phrases: It´s a good place to live. and It´s a good place for living.?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I can see no difference in meaning.   The first is the normal utterance, while the second seems unusual to me.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

There's not a lot of difference. Here are a couple of comments. Let's take a 'simpler' verb like 'dance'.

It´s a good place to dance. This sounds like the speaker probably dances. To my mind, the focus is more on 'the action of dancing'.

It´s a good place for dancing. This does not suggest so much that the speaker may dance. He may just like to watch.

Best wishes, Clive

Milky · Answer

Clive
Hi,

There's not a lot of difference. Here are a couple of comments. Let's take a 'simpler' verb like 'dance'.

It´s a good place to dance. This sounds like the speaker probably dances. To my mind, the focus is more on 'the action of dancing'.

It´s a good place for dancing. This does not suggest so much that the speaker may dance. He may just like to watch.

Best wishes, Clive

I think that is a personal observation. I see no difference even there.

E.G.

It´s a good place to dance, so I'm told, but I don't like dancing.

It´s a good place for dancing, so I'm told, but I hate dancing.

MrPedantic · Answer

AnonymousHello. What´s the difference in meaning between the phrases: It´s a good place to live. and It´s a good place for living.?

To me, "living" seems to present a slightly less abstract sense. But "a good place to live" is more usual, as MM says.

MrP

What´s the difference in meaning...?

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