In English, if a simple "to do" is placed at the beginning of a sentence, the meaning of the sentence is likely to change in a key way. Understanding the differences in grammatical functions caused by different positions is the basis for being able to write accurate English sentences.
The role of to do infinitive at the beginning of a sentence
If an infinitive phrase is placed at the beginning of a sentence, it is generally used to show the purpose or intention of the action. For example, we would say "To improve your English, practice every day". In this case, the purpose of "practice every day" is to "improve your English proficiency." Such a structure can make the purpose quite clear and specific.
During actual writing, this method of use can directly convey the direction of the action to the final goal that needs to be achieved. For example, in a business email, if there is such a sentence, "To finalize the project details, please review the attached document", then this sentence can clearly indicate that the purpose of the action "Please review the attachment" is to "finalize the project details." Once you keep this in mind, you can help organize your sentences when writing, making the sentences you write more logical.
The function of doing gerund at the beginning of a sentence
In contrast, gerunds are placed at the beginning of a sentence and are generally used as the subject of the sentence to convey a general fact or activity. For example, "Swimming is a good exercise", here, "swimming" itself is the topic discussed and belongs to an overall concept.
This structure is often used to describe a habit or abstract point of view. For example, "Reading books broadens your horizons." The entire sentence is always discussed around the activity of "reading". What it states is a situation, not the goal of a specific action.
The substitution function of the formal subject it
Sometimes, using a gerund as the subject will cause the sentence to appear top-heavy. At this time, you can use "it" as the formal subject, and then move the real gerund subject toward the back. Like "It is no use crying over spilled milk". This way, the sentence structure will be more balanced.
This sentence pattern is quite common when expressing evaluation or judgment. For example, "It is a waste of time arguing about it." By starting with "it", the expression is more consistent with daily speaking habits and avoids throwing out lengthy action concepts at the beginning.
gerund serves as object of verb
Many transitive verbs that take an object and are directly connected to each other will be followed by a gerund as their connected object. For example, there is such a sentence as "I enjoy watching movies". There are also finish, avoid, consider, etc., which are very common verbs. Remember these fixed collocations that are important to constructing sentences in the correct way.
Another structure is "do plus qualifier plus doing", like "do the shopping". This means performing a specific activity. Distinguishing whether a verb should be followed by an infinitive or a gerund is an actual difficulty in learning English. You have to memorize and practice one by one.
Gerunds serve as objects of other components such as prepositions
Gerunds often follow immediately after a preposition. For example, in "He succeeded in passing the exam", the "in" in this sentence belongs to the preposition, and the gerund form must be used after the preposition. This is a basic rule of English grammar.
A few adjectives can be followed by a gerund, like "worth" and "bus." For example, something like "The book is worth reading." Some verbs that express "need", such as need, can express a passive meaning when followed by a gerund, such as "The floor needs cleaning."
compound structure of gerund
If there is a situation where it is necessary to clarify the action of the gerund to this person or that thing, then the compound structure will be used. Typically, a possessive pronoun or possessive noun is used, as in "I don't mind his opening the window." The "his" here clearly indicates that it is "he" who performs the action of opening the window.
In informal situations, or after a preposition, you can also use the object case of the pronoun or the common case of the noun, as in "Do you mind me asking a question?" If the subject in logic is an inanimate thing, then most people will use the ordinary case, for example "I heard about the meeting being postponed".
Understanding the different roles of "to do" and "doing" at the beginning of a sentence will really help you accurately understand the meaning of the sentence. Actively share your own learning experience or confusion in the comment area. If you feel that this article is of value, please give it a like to support it!
