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Metanoeno Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
why + to infinitive
Hello, I'm a Korean learning English. I have been taught 'wh + to infinitive in the class. Our teacher taught us that we can say "what to do", "who to do", "which one to do", "where to do" or "when to do", but we can never say "why to do".
What he said is like this;
I don't know what to do now. (OK)
Don't you know which book to read next? (OK)
I don't know who to vote for. (OK)
I don't know where to go today. (OK)
I don't know when to go there. (OK)
<BUT> I don't know why to go there (Wrong!)
At the lecture I asked him the reason why we should not use “why to infinitive” but he said he himself did not know it. So I am asking people here to explain grammatically or semantically why we should not use “why to infinitive”. Any comments on this subject are welcome. Thank you.
What he said is like this;
I don't know what to do now. (OK)
Don't you know which book to read next? (OK)
I don't know who to vote for. (OK)
I don't know where to go today. (OK)
I don't know when to go there. (OK)
<BUT> I don't know why to go there (Wrong!)
At the lecture I asked him the reason why we should not use “why to infinitive” but he said he himself did not know it. So I am asking people here to explain grammatically or semantically why we should not use “why to infinitive”. Any comments on this subject are welcome. Thank you.
Top answer
The plain/bare infinitive with why is usually used in main clauses that begin with the word why : Why do it now? Why tell him anything about it? Why not eat it now?
- The plain/bare infinitive with why is usually used in main clauses that begin with the word why : Why do it now?
- Why tell him anything about it?
- Why not eat it now?
- These are often really suggestions rather than real questions and an answer isn't necessarily expected at all.
- There is no other or better explanation.
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2 Answers
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The plain/bare infinitive with why is usually used in main clauses that begin with the word why:
Why do it now?
Why tell him anything about it?
Why not eat it now?
These are often really suggestions rather than real questions and an answer isn
Why do it now?
Why tell him anything about it?
Why not eat it now?
These are often really suggestions rather than real questions and an answer isn
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Hi,
I don't know what to do now. (OK)
Don't you know which book to read next? (OK)
I don't know who to vote for. (OK)
I don't know where to go today. (OK)
I don't know when to go there. (OK)
<BUT> I don't know why to go there (Wrong!)
At the lecture I asked him the reason why we should not use “why to infinitive” but he said he him
I don't know what to do now. (OK)
Don't you know which book to read next? (OK)
I don't know who to vote for. (OK)
I don't know where to go today. (OK)
I don't know when to go there. (OK)
<BUT> I don't know why to go there (Wrong!)
At the lecture I asked him the reason why we should not use “why to infinitive” but he said he him
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