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Teacher Talk

The to invinitive and the -ing form

Farrukh1112

Uzbekistan


Hello everyone, I just wanted you to explain me the usage of “to” in this sentence:



Sudan lived a long and good life and he was surrounded by love, with the people who committed their lives to protecting him.

09:10 AM May 28 2018 |

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Sevarka_18

Uzbekistan

Hello, 


The word “to” can be either a part of an infinitive verb or a preposition. 


A simple test usually works. If you can put a noun or pronoun after “to”, and it makes sense, then “to” functions as a preposition and you must use a gerund.


For example : 


I have committed myself to them (you see it makes sense)


I have committed myself to helping them.

09:23 AM May 28 2018 |

AmandaRichland

United States

The verb commit is often followed by ‘to’. For example: When you say you will finish the work before the deadline, you are commiting to it. ‘It’ here represents finishing work before deadline.  

01:09 AM Feb 26 2020 |

AmandaRichland

United States

The verb commit is often followed by ‘to’. For example: When you say you will finish the work before the deadline, you are commiting to it. ‘It’ here represents finishing work before deadline.  

01:09 AM Feb 26 2020 |