''I look forward to seeing(gerund'' vs. I'm looking forward to see you.

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WesternAmerican  #376949  Sat, 09 Jun 07 05:54 AM
I have two questions:
1)If a gerund takes place after a preposition(right?), then why the latter sentence doesn't sound like this:
I'm looking forward to seeing you?

2) Until/Till are prepositions, right? Then why I've never heard anyone says or writes 'Until arriving, I'll clean the house'? Everybody says until you arrive. But gerunds take place after prepositions, so I can't get the hold of it.



Thank you.
  
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CalifJim  #377002  Sat, 09 Jun 07 09:51 AM
I'm looking forward to seeing you is correct.

until is most often a conjunction.  That's how it's used in until you arrive.

When used as a preposition, until usually takes a noun object, not a gerund, as in until sunset, until the end of the year, etc.  In the case of your example sentence, the noun form of arrive is more commonly used than the gerund:  Until your arrival, I'll clean the house.

When a verb is used as the object of the preposition, it has to be in gerund form.  You are right about that.  But if the subject of that verb is missing, then it is taken to be the same as some noun in the clause it modifies.  So Until arriving, I'll clean the house means Until I arrive, I'll clean the house (which makes no sense).  Until arriving, I'll clean the house cannot mean Until you arrive, I'll clean the house.

Even though there may be a few cases where until is followed by a gerund, it's not usually very idiomatic.

CJ

  
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WesternAmerican  #377010  Sat, 09 Jun 07 10:42 AM

Thanks a lot Jim, you're a  great teacher.
BTW-Idiomatic is an ADJ?

  
N5pn4cya  #411550  Thu, 30 Aug 07 11:28 AM

 CalifJim wrote:
I'm looking forward to seeing you is correct.

Then what about simply using the infinitive, not the gerund: I'm looking forward to see you.

Is this correct?

  
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Tanit  #411552  Thu, 30 Aug 07 11:37 AM
 N5pn4cya wrote:

Then what about simply using the infinitive, not the gerund: I'm looking forward to see you.

Is this correct?



No, it's incorrect.
See also:
[link]
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Goodman  #411724  Thu, 30 Aug 07 05:43 PM

Hi,

Just a comment adding to the experts’ post…. “looking forward to” is an idiomatic expression”  What follows is either a noun, or noun phrase.  i.e. I am looking forward to …What? What- implies a noun.  My vacation in Hawaii, or my first dance lesson.  Since gerund is a noun, it’s only correct form to use, not infinitive.  Therefore, if you said “I am looking forward to meeting you, having my first driving lesson, or starting my new job.  You are correct,

 

  

 

  
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N5pn4cya  #411860  Fri, 31 Aug 07 12:26 AM
Tanit, thank you so much for the informative links.  I now know how to explain the same to others.
  
N5pn4cya  #411861  Fri, 31 Aug 07 12:27 AM
Goodman, thanks also for the additional info and interpretation.
  
Anonymous  #546195  Fri, 25 Jul 08 11:23 AM
Dear WesternAmerican,

You asked for some correction of your language, so here we go:

instead of "then why the latter sentence doesn't sound like this:" you should transform your syntax into "then why doesn't the latter sentence sound like this"

and

instead of "then why I've never heard anyone says or writes"  ...."then why is it that I never hear anyone saying"

Your English sounds a bit liek you were a German...

CJ

  
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