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 Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:16 pm
"I don't want him sleeping in that bed" or "I don't want him to sleep in that bed"?
I think the second one sounds more grammatical, though the first is what I hear spoken most often.
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:40 pm
They both sound equally correct to me.
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Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:28 pm
I think it is up to the speaker which infinitive to use. They both work for me. I think the second one sounds more emphatic and the first one is more common.
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:39 am
Thank you for clearing that up.
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:22 am
Only the tense is different. "Sleeping" is a present progressive (most of the time), and indicates that he is sleeping now and will also be sleeping later. "To sleep" is infinitive and means that you NEVER EVER EVER want him to sleep there, not even in the past.
Both are perfectly correct, and both could be used.
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Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:07 am
MyOwnBestCritic Only the tense is different. "Sleeping" is a present progressive (most of the time), and indicates that he is sleeping now and will also be sleeping later. "To sleep" is infinitive and means that you NEVER EVER EVER want him to sleep there, not even in the past. Both are perfectly correct, and both could be used. That is what I was thinking too.
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:46 am
The only way I can see the first sentence being correct is if there's an implied (to be).
It's not a present progressive; that requires an auxiliary verb. I.e. you can't just say "I sleeping." -- it must be "I am sleeping."
The sentence in question could be
"I don't want his sleeping in that bed."
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Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:58 am
Oops smile hee hee. I can blame it on a typo, but I was really sleepy that day and one post was really bugging me. So everyone look at what Ezra Pound said, too.
Hey, at least I can admit when I'm wrong... dramallama
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Posted: Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:59 am
dark_elf MyOwnBestCritic Only the tense is different. "Sleeping" is a present progressive (most of the time), and indicates that he is sleeping now and will also be sleeping later. "To sleep" is infinitive and means that you NEVER EVER EVER want him to sleep there, not even in the past. Both are perfectly correct, and both could be used. That is what I was thinking too. That's exactly what I was going to say. I agree.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:18 am
They both sound grammically correct, although the second one sounds more formal.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:31 am
I actually have two problems with these sentences.
First, neither have any punctuation. Since, we are reading a sentence to figure out how it sounds, we will all say them outloud in different ways. Some may just say them as if they have periods on them. Others, depending on thier mood, may yell one or the other of them making an exclamation point necessary. Punctuation gives the reader the ability to imagine the auditory emphasis placed on the sentence.
Second, the use of a contraction here is, though grammatically correct, inappropriate. The use of a contraction here is almost lazy in a grammatical context.
But to the real question at hand. Both are actually correct, if not annoying, with proper punctuation and tonal inflection.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:39 pm
I believe both are correct.
Then again, I'm not a grammar expert, and there could be one that is only appropriate for some instances while the other should be used in other instances.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:43 pm
They both are correct. They are just worded differently.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:59 pm
Yami no Hitokiri "I don't want him sleeping in that bed" or "I don't want him to sleep in that bed"? I think the second one sounds more grammatical, though the first is what I hear spoken most often. The reason you hear the first one spoken more often than the second is because most parents did not learn correct grammar in school and many of today's teachers do not really focus on grammar and usage, but neither the first nor the second is correct. The word 'sleeping' in the first sentence is a present tense verb and should only be used in that tense, i.e. "I am sleeping.", "She is sleeping", etc. It may sound correct, but in all reality, it is not. In the second sentence, 'sleep' is used incorrectly as an infinitive. You must express the need in order to use the word 'want'. Speaking grammaticaly, I beleive it should be; "I do not want for him to sleep in that bed."
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:43 pm
Quote: Only the tense is different. "Sleeping" is a present progressive (most of the time), and indicates that he is sleeping now and will also be sleeping later. "To sleep" is infinitive and means that you NEVER EVER EVER want him to sleep there, not even in the past. It all depends on what you are trying to say, but this is right. The "correctness" of the sentence is based on what the other sentences around it are saying. Both are correct in the right context. Choose wisely.
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