"on the verge of -collpase-"

Share on Facebook

Peaceblinkfriend

#526256 Thu, 12 Jun 08 11:08 AM

on the verge of collpase

What if it read 'collpasing' instead? What would the difference be then?

Thank you

PBF

Peaceblinkfriend

Joined on Wed, May 9 2007

Australia

Contributing Member (1,481)

Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. But I finally realised that it is really impossible if you don't put your money where your mouth is.

Mister Micawber

#526265 Thu, 12 Jun 08 11:37 AM

.
Well, the spelling of both would be equally wrong. Collapse vs collapsing here would mean virtually the same thing, though the writer might be accentuating the action by using the gerund.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (20,364)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Gerunds, Spelling

Peaceblinkfriend

#526273 Thu, 12 Jun 08 11:52 AM

Oh yes those were typos Stick out tongue .

I see so they mean the same thing here.

Thank you

PBF

Peaceblinkfriend

RSS Feed: ESL General English Grammar Questions