Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 2 down vote favorite

Given the example:

I have trouble speaking English.

Can we use both present participle (speaking) and to-infinitive (to speak) after have trouble? If both are allowed, do the two have the same meaning or not?

share|improve this question

1 Answer

up vote 3 down vote accepted

No, you may not use the to-infinitive after to have trouble. You may only use the -ing form. You can think of it as an abbreviated version of this:

I have trouble with speaking English.

And for the most part, to-infinitives make poor objects of prepositions; for that were gerunds invented.

share|improve this answer
1  
The with is optional. I have trouble speaking English is fine, as is I always have trouble starting the car in January, She had trouble explaining it to them, and I don't know why you have trouble doing that. – John Lawler Dec 27 '12 at 3:50
2  
@JohnLawler I hope I did not accidentally imply that with with is mandatory. I just find it easier to make sense of if I think of it as being there. – tchrist Dec 27 '12 at 3:53

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.