Learning English

Learning is a lifelong effort. "Consider a language ... language serves to describe a combination of colored squares on a surface. The squares form a complex like a chessboard. There are red, green, white and black squares. The words of the language are 'red', 'green', 'white', 'black', and a sentence is a series of these words. They describe an arrangement of squares in an order." -- Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (20th century)

to meeting vs. to meet

Here is a familiar problem.

I was asked to help with the phrases:

"I'm looking forward to meeting you. vs. I'm looking forward to meet you".

Correct is: I'm looking forward to meeting you.

Why?
The verb is in this sentence is 'to look forward to' which also means 'to anticipate'. These are transitive verbs which require a direct object.

In the example “I'm looking forward to meeting you” the direct object is a gerund. A gerund is a noun form of the verb 'to meet’.

In contrast in the sentence “I'm waiting to meet you” ‘to meet’ is the infinitive.

There are some verbs that are followed by a gerund and some that are followed by an infinitive. And then there are some that are followed by either a gerund or an infinitive.

You simply have to memorize these verbs.

Posted by TP

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