Click here to play!

the expression of action or that of occurrence?

Click here to play
1 2
   Share on Facebook  
Anonymous  #514338  Fri, 16 May 08 08:07 AM

---Hi, Calif Jim. I agree with your suggestion that the question above mentioned is too advanced and cerebral, so I'll introduce my idea in so limited a way.Thank you very much.

  By the way, I'd like you to answer my very last question if you like---concerning the following 2 sentences.


X:  I remember seeing her in that shop the other day.

Y:  I remember that I saw her in that shop the other day.

  Of course "that I saw her in that shop the other day" means a future occurrence or fact.
  How about "seeing her in that shop the other day"? Also a future occurrence or fact?
  Or else (Action)? I think both are expressions of Occurrence or Fact.
  What do you think?

 

  
Grammar Geek  #514413  Fri, 16 May 08 01:53 PM

You mean PAST occurrence of fact, right?

They both expess something that actually happened, and the difference in meaning is very slight, if any. The first emphasizes the action of seeing her, the second gives perhaps more emphasis to the "where" and "when" it happened.

  
Top 10 Contributor
Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
Pennsylvania, USA
Veteran Member (15,287)
ModeratorProficient Speaker
Barbara, who answers in American English.
Anonymous  #514507  Fri, 16 May 08 06:11 PM

-- Of course I mean PAST occurrence of fact.


-You mean both are past occurrences of fact, but the second is more action-like, don't you?

  
Grammar Geek  #514565  Fri, 16 May 08 09:28 PM

I'm afraid you've lost me again.

I understood what you meant about the difference between an actual occurence and a possible action when talking about thing that have not yet taken place (I expect to, I expect that). But I don't see how they are anything other than occurrences of actual fact when they are in the past.

  
Anonymous  #514712  Sat, 17 May 08 06:47 AM

--What I mean is ---

P:  He enjoyed listening to the music.

  In P, the whole sentence (He enjoyed listening to the music.) clearly expresses a past occurrence / fact.

  It's because the sentence has the Subject and Tense.

  But "listening to the music" expresses a past action, I think, because it has no Subject, or Tense (no infornmation for time and place).

So I think whether "to do" / "---ing" / "that clause" is an action or occurrence doesn't depend on their time (past / present / future).

What I want to know most is whether we should regard as action or occurrence what we express both by using "---ing" and by that clause--such as X and Y.   

X:  I remember seeing her in that shop the other day.

Y:  I remember that I saw her in that shop the other day.
 

 

  
1 2
AddThis Feed Button RSS Feed: ESL General English Grammar Questions
© 2008 MediaCET Ltd.
Terms and Conditions