Is it necessary to precede this verb with “to”?
Example sentence:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how sell more bottles.
Is it necessary to add to in cases like these? Why or why not?
To my ears, the version without to sounds more natural. However, my brain tells me that it's more logical to add to.
prepositions verbs
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
add a comment |
Example sentence:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how sell more bottles.
Is it necessary to add to in cases like these? Why or why not?
To my ears, the version without to sounds more natural. However, my brain tells me that it's more logical to add to.
prepositions verbs
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
add a comment |
Example sentence:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how sell more bottles.
Is it necessary to add to in cases like these? Why or why not?
To my ears, the version without to sounds more natural. However, my brain tells me that it's more logical to add to.
prepositions verbs
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
Example sentence:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how sell more bottles.
Is it necessary to add to in cases like these? Why or why not?
To my ears, the version without to sounds more natural. However, my brain tells me that it's more logical to add to.
prepositions verbs
prepositions verbs
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
asked Jan 23 at 12:57
alexchencoalexchenco
2,45493365
2,45493365
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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oldest
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It is not truly idiomatic with or without to:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how to sell more bottles. no
I had more important work to do: (to) contemplate how to sell more bottles. marginal
You would have to repeat "I had":
I had more important work to do: I had to think about how to sell more bottles.
I had more important work to do: I had to contemplate how to sell more bottles.
or change the sentence:
I had more important work to do: sell more bottles.
There is something about "(to) think about how to {verb phrase}..." and "(to) contemplate how to {verb phrase}" which makes them an imperfect mirror of work to do. Consider:
I had more important work to do: wonder how we were ever going to get across that river.
I had more important work to do: ponder how to cross that river.
I had more important work to do: get across that river.
I had more important work to do: cross that river.
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
1
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
1
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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active
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active
oldest
votes
It is not truly idiomatic with or without to:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how to sell more bottles. no
I had more important work to do: (to) contemplate how to sell more bottles. marginal
You would have to repeat "I had":
I had more important work to do: I had to think about how to sell more bottles.
I had more important work to do: I had to contemplate how to sell more bottles.
or change the sentence:
I had more important work to do: sell more bottles.
There is something about "(to) think about how to {verb phrase}..." and "(to) contemplate how to {verb phrase}" which makes them an imperfect mirror of work to do. Consider:
I had more important work to do: wonder how we were ever going to get across that river.
I had more important work to do: ponder how to cross that river.
I had more important work to do: get across that river.
I had more important work to do: cross that river.
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
1
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
1
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
add a comment |
It is not truly idiomatic with or without to:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how to sell more bottles. no
I had more important work to do: (to) contemplate how to sell more bottles. marginal
You would have to repeat "I had":
I had more important work to do: I had to think about how to sell more bottles.
I had more important work to do: I had to contemplate how to sell more bottles.
or change the sentence:
I had more important work to do: sell more bottles.
There is something about "(to) think about how to {verb phrase}..." and "(to) contemplate how to {verb phrase}" which makes them an imperfect mirror of work to do. Consider:
I had more important work to do: wonder how we were ever going to get across that river.
I had more important work to do: ponder how to cross that river.
I had more important work to do: get across that river.
I had more important work to do: cross that river.
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
1
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
1
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
add a comment |
It is not truly idiomatic with or without to:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how to sell more bottles. no
I had more important work to do: (to) contemplate how to sell more bottles. marginal
You would have to repeat "I had":
I had more important work to do: I had to think about how to sell more bottles.
I had more important work to do: I had to contemplate how to sell more bottles.
or change the sentence:
I had more important work to do: sell more bottles.
There is something about "(to) think about how to {verb phrase}..." and "(to) contemplate how to {verb phrase}" which makes them an imperfect mirror of work to do. Consider:
I had more important work to do: wonder how we were ever going to get across that river.
I had more important work to do: ponder how to cross that river.
I had more important work to do: get across that river.
I had more important work to do: cross that river.
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
It is not truly idiomatic with or without to:
I had more important work to do: (to) think about how to sell more bottles. no
I had more important work to do: (to) contemplate how to sell more bottles. marginal
You would have to repeat "I had":
I had more important work to do: I had to think about how to sell more bottles.
I had more important work to do: I had to contemplate how to sell more bottles.
or change the sentence:
I had more important work to do: sell more bottles.
There is something about "(to) think about how to {verb phrase}..." and "(to) contemplate how to {verb phrase}" which makes them an imperfect mirror of work to do. Consider:
I had more important work to do: wonder how we were ever going to get across that river.
I had more important work to do: ponder how to cross that river.
I had more important work to do: get across that river.
I had more important work to do: cross that river.
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
edited Jan 23 at 13:42
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
answered Jan 23 at 13:25
TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo
113k788182
113k788182
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
1
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
1
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
add a comment |
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
1
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
1
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
You're right. I wonder why it's not grammatical to write: I had more important work to do: to sell more bottles.
– alexchenco
Jan 23 at 13:40
1
1
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
The discord is semantic. Syntactically it's a valid construction.
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:41
1
1
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
You could write I had more important work to do, to sell more bottles but then it's a case of ellipsis of I had, whereas with the unmarked infinitive it is a case of setting up a kind of apposition between work to do and the non-finite clause sell more bottles. "I had more important work to do, namely, sell more bottles."
– Tᴚoɯɐuo
Jan 23 at 13:50
add a comment |
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