when to?

Share on Facebook

Taka

#532952 Thu, 26 Jun 08 03:58 PM

Even when you live in a city, you have to walk: you have to walk from the station to your destination or when to change trains.

About the part in bold, I think what the author is trying to say is 'when you change trains', but is that 'when to' grammatically acceptable?

Taka

Joined on Tue, Sep 7 2004

Japan

Senior Member (2,266)

Philip

#532968 Thu, 26 Jun 08 04:19 PM

Yes, your interpretation is right; no, it isn't grammatically acceptable.
[...to your desination or to the transfer station.]

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,181)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

CalifJim

#533091 Thu, 26 Jun 08 10:28 PM

Taka
I think what the author is trying to say is 'when you change trains',

Yes, that's most likely the intent.

Taka
but is that 'when to' grammatically acceptable?

Not here. No. when to clauses are indirect questions, hence, they function as noun phrases:

I didn't know when to change trains.

Be sure to tell him when to change trains.

They don't function as adverbs:

*You have to walk when to change trains.

*Be sure to read the posted signs when to change trains.

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (16,981)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Verbs, Clauses, Nouns, Adverbs, Noun phrases, Indirect questions, Direct questions

Taka

#533179 Fri, 27 Jun 08 04:36 AM

I thought not. Thank you both!

Can I ask something related to that matter?

Would you native speakers use 'wh~ to/how to' as a subject of a sentence?

What to do is a problem.

Taka

CalifJim

#533185 Fri, 27 Jun 08 04:50 AM

Taka
'wh~ to/how to' as a subject

Yes. No problem.

How to prune roses is the topic of the lecture.

When to start the academic year was a matter of great debate.

Where to put the suitcases became the main concern when we realized there were hundreds of them.

CalifJim

Taka

#533406 Fri, 27 Jun 08 05:08 PM

One of the books I have says 'wh~ to/how to' is rarely used as a subject, so I was wondiering if it was that rare.

You don't think it's rare, Jim?

Taka

CalifJim

#533433 Fri, 27 Jun 08 06:35 PM

I suppose if you consider the millions upon millions of sentences in English, there aren't many with that stucture as subject, so it's rare. It seems to me that it can only occur comfortably with a linking verb, so that also limits its usage.

CalifJim

Verbs

Taka

#534234 Sun, 29 Jun 08 03:27 PM

OK. Thanks, Jim!

Taka