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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Look forward/looking forward...    

Look forward/looking forward...



soleole
Uruguay

Look forward/looking forward...
 
Hi guise! Tongue
quick question.
 
I look forward to see you tonight
I am looking forward to seeing you tonight
 
both possible right?
 
However:
I am looking forward to see you tonight (sounds weird)
I look forward to seeing you tonight (I �ve heard it, but not sure if it �s gram. correct)
 
Or maybe is "I look forward" used only with nouns?
as in: I look forward to the party.
 
Wacko I �m confused.
 
 
thanks for your help!

27 Mar 2009      





eng789
Israel

I �m looking forward to seeing you tonight.
 
I �m looking forward to the party (next week).
both are good

27 Mar 2009     



raybez
Germany

Hiya,

"to look forward to" is always followed by a noun. The -ing form of a verb (gerund) is also a noun. :-)

Thus, you can �t use an infinitive... I hope I could help.

27 Mar 2009     



soleole
Uruguay

that totally makes sense raybez.
and I knew that too...
I have just been speaking English for so long that I forget the basics sometimes ;o)
Thanks!

27 Mar 2009     



Greek Professor
Greece

Hi soleole
 
look forward to something = anticipate something with interest

Look forward to is one of the many phrasal verbs in English in which an adverbial particle (forward) as well as a preposition (to) is combined with the stem verb to signify a particular meaning. What we are looking forward to can be exemplified as either as a noun phrase or as a verb-phrase with an -ing pattern

  • Jill says she �s not looking forward to Jack �s party next weekend.
  • I very much look forward to meeting you soon.
  • They �re looking forward to joining their children in Australia

Greek Professor

27 Mar 2009     



Cyn.
Argentina

Soleole,

I guess there is also a difference in register.
"I am looking forward to seeing you" is informal,
whereas
"I look forward to seeing you" is formal.

Hope it helped!

Cyn


27 Mar 2009     



67Englishteacher
France

I thought "I look forward to" was American whereas "I �m looking forward to" was British.  Would any native speakers join in the discussion and help, please?

27 Mar 2009     



eng789
Israel

I �m Canadian- so I guess that �s why I like -  I �m looking forward to -- 
 
I �m curious whether outside of the Common Wealth - "British Empire"  people distinguish or make a big deal as to American or British English and teach only one form? 
 
If a question comes up - then I explain that there is a slight difference but I have never marked someone wrong because he used one or the other.  
Barbara

27 Mar 2009     



alien boy
Japan

In Japan the majority of textbooks use American English. I wasn �t too thrilled when a character was going on a 2 week exchange to Sydney & they were showing an island on the Great Barrier Reef. That wasn �t as bad as the �email � from an Australian boy, to the Japanese girl, talking about �sweaters � & football. The worst part was having Americanised Australian language being read by an American as being representative of an Australian! The Japanese teacher saw my face & turned the CD off quick smart!

Sometimes ESL texts are just hilarious!

27 Mar 2009     



douglas
United States

As a US native I use both ("I look forward to seeing you."  and " I am looking forward to seeing you.") interchangeably.  I never say: "I am looking forward to see you." though.

27 Mar 2009     



jovance
Macedonia

In Macedonia we teach students the second one
I �m looking forward to seeing you
also in letters- I �m looking forward to hearing from you.

27 Mar 2009     

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