Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze their meaning differences in sentences taking both to-infinitive and gerund as object of the verbs such as remember, stop, and like, etc., and suggest that their meaning differences result from the fact that to-infinitive has a hypothetical future called future orientation, and gerund has a nature of past orientation tense. By analyzing these properties through diachronic and synchronic methods, we can say that to-infinitive of subject, complement, and object positions has a future orientation nature of time, but gerund has a past orientation of time. By applying it to other to-infinitive and gerund constructions having these meaning differences, we can also say that their differences can be explained by Bolinger’s principle(1977, 19): ‘If a language permits a contrast in form to survive, it ought to be for a purpose.’ The result of this study reveals that suggestions for helping students to understand these differences from to-infinitive and gerund constructions as object were provided to students, who learn English as a foreign language.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-08-01
Language: en
Type: article
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