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Responded to comment since I don't seem to be able to comment yet.
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Padawan Learner
Padawan Learner
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As a native English speaker in North America, it does perhaps sound a tad odd, but that's a hard call to make without reading it in context. Several thoughts:

  • if you want to keep the word "way", I would use the infinitive: "way to clean"
  • if you like "method", I would use "of": "method of cleaning"
  • the most natural to me, without any other context, is "they taught us how to clean"
Edit/response to comment: I emphasize native because I feel it's important to point out I'm not an ELL. If I were responding to a question about another language, I would highlight that I am NOT a native speaker and to take my response with a huge grain of salt, as my ear may not be good.

I'm sorry, I can't give reasons. In my experience, what I said stands. I suspect the things that bother you reflect the difference between our two languages. (Tongue in cheek there, but they really do seem that way.)

As a native English speaker in North America, it does perhaps sound a tad odd, but that's a hard call to make without reading it in context. Several thoughts:

  • if you want to keep the word "way", I would use the infinitive: "way to clean"
  • if you like "method", I would use "of": "method of cleaning"
  • the most natural to me, without any other context, is "they taught us how to clean"

As a native English speaker in North America, it does perhaps sound a tad odd, but that's a hard call to make without reading it in context. Several thoughts:

  • if you want to keep the word "way", I would use the infinitive: "way to clean"
  • if you like "method", I would use "of": "method of cleaning"
  • the most natural to me, without any other context, is "they taught us how to clean"
Edit/response to comment: I emphasize native because I feel it's important to point out I'm not an ELL. If I were responding to a question about another language, I would highlight that I am NOT a native speaker and to take my response with a huge grain of salt, as my ear may not be good.

I'm sorry, I can't give reasons. In my experience, what I said stands. I suspect the things that bother you reflect the difference between our two languages. (Tongue in cheek there, but they really do seem that way.)

Source Link
Padawan Learner
Padawan Learner
  • 164
  • 5

As a native English speaker in North America, it does perhaps sound a tad odd, but that's a hard call to make without reading it in context. Several thoughts:

  • if you want to keep the word "way", I would use the infinitive: "way to clean"
  • if you like "method", I would use "of": "method of cleaning"
  • the most natural to me, without any other context, is "they taught us how to clean"