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ESL forum >
Ask for help > infinitive
infinitive
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maria ivette
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infinitive
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it is correct to ask. Why learn English? or Why to learn English? |
26 Oct 2010
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almaz
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�Why to ...? � doesn �t work, so �Why learn English? � is the only option here if you �re thinking of a discussion/essay. Then again, if you �re trying to elicit a specifically personal reason, �Why are you learning English? � would be better. |
26 Oct 2010
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aloga
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I would say "Why learning English?
Gerunds used as the subject of a sentence. |
26 Oct 2010
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ldthemagicman
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If you are saying: "What is the purpose of learning English?" "What benefits will come from learning English?" "Tell me, why should I learn English?"
then:
The question: "Why learn English?" is perfectly sensible, because it is Standard English.
In a longer form, it actually becomes: "Why should we learn English?"
"Why TO learn English?" is not Standard English! I have never heard it spoken by an English person!
I agree with Edrodmedina and Almaz.
Les |
26 Oct 2010
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almaz
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Ana,
"Why learning English?
I �m sorry, that just doesn �t work as a question on its own. I �ve tried to shoehorn it into context and all I can come up with is: "What are you doing at that school?" - "Why, learning English (of course)." You might also say "Why learning English can be a pain in the neck" which would provide a more �traditional � use of learning as a gerund. |
27 Oct 2010
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yanogator
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I agree that "Why learn English?" is a correct sentence. Don �t say "Why learning English?", because this gerund is not the subject of a sentence, since there is now no verb.
Bruce |
27 Oct 2010
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