Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1994. [Vol. 2.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 22)

STUDIES - Csaba Czeglédi: On the Distribution of Infinitival and Gerundive Complements in English

(43) a. John BEGAN to peel the potatoes. b. John began PEELING THE POTATOES. (lOa-b) repeated here as (44) a. I LIKE to sing, b. I like SINGING. (11) repeated here as (45) I LIKE to read in bed but I don't like HAVING MEALS in bed. The meaning of (45) could be spelled out something like this: As regards reading in bed, I like it, but of the things I could do in bed, having meals is one that I don't like doing.' Choice between infinitival and gerundive complement clauses is not available for the matrix verbs of the sentences in Groups B and C below. It appears that the ungrammatically of the alternative patterns of complementation in these examples correlates with the fact that the interpretations formulated in terms of implicit contrasts associated with the alternative complementation types are bizarre. Group B. (46) Mary TENDS to come/*coming late to lectures. (47) John WANTS to go/*going to Paris. (48) I WISH to eat/*eating alone. (49) He VENTURED to touch /*touching the fierce dog and was bitten on the arm. (50) She DESERVED to win/*winning because she was the best etc. Group C. (51) I enjoy SINGING/*to sing. (52) She dreams of BECOMING/*to become AN ACTRESS. (53) Bill imagined LEAVING/*to leave. (54) He suggested TAKING/*to take THE CHILDREN TO THE ZOO. 27