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    Fun /gerund or infinitive

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    Fun /gerund or infinitive
    Message from miyamiya posted on 17-06-2014 at 20:15:56 (D | E | F)
    Hello,

    Let me ask you a question please.
    1) It was fun meeting up with our old friends from college. ( from an English test)
    2) It is great fun walking in the woods. ( in my dictionary)
    3) it is a lot of fun to talk with her. ( in my dictionary)
    Is "fun" followed by gerund or infinitive? Or either is fine?
    Thank you in advance. Have a good day!
    Miya,

    -------------------
    Edited by lucile83 on 17-06-2014 20:59


    Re: Fun /gerund or infinitive from gerondif, posted on 17-06-2014 at 22:38:57 (D | E)
    Hello,
    both are correct.
    When you use a gerund, it is something you have already done:
    I like teaching.
    When you use the infinitive, it is more an ideal, a projection of your mind, an ideal choice, a point of view.
    I like to teach in good conditions.
    So,

    1) It was fun meeting up with our old friends from college. ( from an English test)
    It has happened, it is not a concept but a description of an event that happened
    2) It is great fun walking in the woods. ( in my dictionary)
    And you have probably already experienced that.

    3) it is a lot of fun to talk with her. ( in my dictionary)
    Here, you express a preference, your point of view.



    Re: Fun /gerund or infinitive from clint01, posted on 17-06-2014 at 23:35:08 (D | E)
    Hello
    I like doing something actually means that you enjoy doing it.
    I like to do something means that you think it is a wise thing to do.
    For example you may say I like shopping because you enjoy doing it but you never say I like going to a dentist twice a year because as far as I know nobody enjoys going to a dentist. That's why we say I like to go to a dentist because you think it is a wise thing to do.



    Re: Fun /gerund or infinitive from miyamiya, posted on 18-06-2014 at 02:28:05 (D | E)
    Hello gerondif and clint01, Thank you for the reply!

    I see. So the point is the concept of gerund and infinitive in this case.
    I thought I automatically had to choose gerund or infinitive after "fun".
    I read your answers a couple of times.
    It was good to ask on this forum, because there is no answer like this in my textbook.
    Thank you so much!
    Miya,



    Re: Fun /gerund or infinitive from here4u, posted on 18-06-2014 at 12:38:06 (D | E)
    I resisted answering because I knew that gerondif would ! and he does it so well !



    Re: Fun /gerund or infinitive from miyamiya, posted on 19-06-2014 at 06:08:16 (D | E)
    Hello here4u,

    If you don't mind, would you give me the lecture about it?
    Because I feel that each person have different explanation about it.

    Miya,




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    Forum > English only