Phrasal verbs/help

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Phrasal verbs/help
Message from rodtchoffo5 posted on 13-10-2020 at 07:22:13 (D | E | F)
Hello everyone!!

I saw a quiz on Facebook that relies on "phrasal verbs". This is the phrase we had to fill in.
I look forward to ... from you. We had to choose between
hear and hearing
The good answer was "to hearing".
When I asked for more explanation, the reason was based on a so called "phrasal verbs".
Till now I don't understand it.

Can someone explain?

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from sherry48, posted on 13-10-2020 at 11:48:51 (D | E)
Hello.
I look forward to hearing from you...I think the solution is understanding what role the 'to' plays in the sentence. If you use 'to hear' it would appear to be an infinitive, as in, I want to hear from you as soon as possible. What part of speech do you think 'to'is here? Does that answer give you any idea about this construction?
Sherry

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from gerondif, posted on 13-10-2020 at 12:14:53 (D | E)
Hello
A gerund is a verb that becomes a noun thanks to ING and can then behave like a noun, be subject or object or come behind a preposition.
Smoking is dangerous.
I don't like smoking.
I don't like your smoking.
I am used to this situation.
I am used to waiting.
I prefer swimming to running
I look forward to your visit.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from rodtchoffo5, posted on 13-10-2020 at 16:31:03 (D | E)
Hi sherry.

Thanks for your reply. Let me understand something. In these two sentences:

I look forward to hearing from.

And

I want to hear from you.

What is the difference between "look forward" and "want" because it seems like the difference relies there.

Otherwise, to answer your question I would say "the direct speech". What next?

Also thank to the other response. Sorry I didn't get his name but his answer is useful even though I'm still confused.

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from gerondif, posted on 13-10-2020 at 17:37:39 (D | E)
Hello
I want can be followed by a noun : I want a cake.
I want can be followed by a complete infinitive : I want to play football, I want to eat a cake.
Also : I want you to play football with him. I don't want you to argue with me.
close to : I would like a cake. I would like to eat a cake. I would like you not to eat my cake.

But when to is a PREPOSITION, it means it will be followed by a noun or a gerund. "Pre" position means that it is placed before a noun or gerund.
I prefer tennis to football. I prefer swimming to running.
I am used to cheating.
to works like other prepositions like of in I am fond of swimming, or in in I am interested in swimming, or on in I am keen on swimming, or about in I am crazy about cross-country skiing.

I look forward to your visit : You can see that to is followed by a noun, so it is a preposition.
I look forward to hearing from you, I look forward to meeting you.

gerondif (the name of the guy who wrote the useful answer) is the French for gerund.

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from sherry48, posted on 13-10-2020 at 17:40:28 (D | E)
Hello.
I look forward to hearing from you and I want to hear from you have a slightly different nuance. The first is polite and affirmative, with perhaps a sense of anticipation, whereas the second could seem commanding or demanding.
The word 'to' has a different role in the 2 sentences. I wondered if you might recognize that the first is a preposition, requiring an object such as a noun or gerund, as gerondif pointed out. The second 'to' forms the infinitive (to hear), frequently used after the verbs like, hate, want, and need.
An infinitive is not frequently used as a subject, except for something like the quote, "to err is human, to forgive is divine".
I hope it is clear.
Sherry

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from rodtchoffo5, posted on 14-10-2020 at 03:38:43 (D | E)
Thanks to you all ~~geround~~ gerondif and sherry.

I've got you well. However, you didn't mention at all the "phrasal verb" anyway in your explanations. I thought that "look forward" is a phrasal verb while "want" is just a verb. I wanted to know something as a rule such as "after a phrasal verb we should use the ~~gerround~~ gerund. Is it true? If yes I would like you to appreciate my own formulations to know whether it is correct or not".

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Edited by lucile83 on 14-10-2020 07:43
Grey

Re: Phrasal verbs/help from gerondif, posted on 14-10-2020 at 09:41:57 (D | E)
Hello
We didn't mention phrasal verbs anywhere (not anyway) in our explanations because they are not really concerned.

It all depends whether the verb is transitive or not.
Verbes of will, to want,to wish, to order, to expect, to demand, will be followed by an infinitive.

Take a phrasal verb like put up, which is both transitive and intransitive :
Can you put me up, accommodate me, give me some shelter ?
He put up a tremendous resistance. He came up with a tremendous resistance.
I can't bear waiting, I can't put up with waiting.

You apparently read my answer : jeudi 15 octobre 2020 à 07:03:14 but I don't know if you agree or not .

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