We are having a debate in the office today and we need some outside help.
Which is correct - or is there some better wording we can use?
Keith
Which is correct - or is there some better wording we can use?
Keith
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations Mike Lewis on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Which is correct 1
- Thread starter audiopro
- Start date
Olaf Doschke
Programmer
If you take into consideration how customer relationships could handles questions, in both cases the NOT is the error.
Bye, Olaf.
Bye, Olaf.
![[pc2]](/data/assets/smilies/pc2.gif "[pc2] [pc2]")
I think both are valid English, but the second sounds more natural/familiar.
Searching Google for "do not hesitate in contacting us" gets 20 thousand hits, "do not hesitate to contact us" gets 3 million.
Of course, you may want not to follow the crowd...
-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd
Searching Google for "do not hesitate in contacting us" gets 20 thousand hits, "do not hesitate to contact us" gets 3 million.
Of course, you may want not to follow the crowd...
-- Chris Hunt
Webmaster & Tragedian
Extra Connections Ltd
-
1
- #6
CajunCenturion
Programmer
The question revolves around the issue of gerunds vs. infinitives as objects. In this case, the verb is 'hesitate' and that calls for the infinitive. The second option is the only valid option.
Although gerunds and infinitives may both function as the object of a verb, they are not generally interchangeable. In this case, since hesitate refers to a future action, then you must use the infinitive. Had the verb referred to a past action, then the correct form would be the gerund. "He showed no hesitation in contacting us."
I will say that it's not always that simple, but generally speaking verbs which refer to past actions take gerunds and those to future actions take infinitives.
--------------
Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
Although gerunds and infinitives may both function as the object of a verb, they are not generally interchangeable. In this case, since hesitate refers to a future action, then you must use the infinitive. Had the verb referred to a past action, then the correct form would be the gerund. "He showed no hesitation in contacting us."
I will say that it's not always that simple, but generally speaking verbs which refer to past actions take gerunds and those to future actions take infinitives.
--------------
Good Luck
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read
FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
- Thread starter
- #7
Cajun
That was a lot more complicated than I first imagined but thanks for the insight.
You would have a field day with our local paper who seem to think that grammar and correct spelling are out of date.
Keith
That was a lot more complicated than I first imagined but thanks for the insight.
You would have a field day with our local paper who seem to think that grammar and correct spelling are out of date.
Keith
- Status
Similar threads
