ing possible?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

A task

Tell someone they probably won’t find a taxi.

  1. You’ll be lucky to find a taxi.
  2. You’ll be lucky finding a taxi.

#1 is the answer from the handbook. Is it possible to use ing form here?

Thanks

2

I wouldn’t.

3

The answer should be # 1 because to infinitive explains why you’ll be lucky.

4

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Sometimes (sometimes!):

  1. infinitive = possibility, hope, dream, goal – usually refers to the future.

  2. gerund = reality, fact, something actually experienced – usually refers to the past or present.

Maybe (maybe), therefore, we need to use the infinitive because
a taxi ride for “you” is now only a goal or a hope.

AFTER you get a taxi, THEN maybe you can think to yourself:

“Wow! I WAS really lucky (in) finding a taxicab!”

James

Source: “Tenth Week Verbals: Gerund or Infinitive” (Online)

5

Thank James, especially for the literature or other source specified, but I still have my doubts what I asked about.

lucky you, me, etc.
(informal) used to show that one think somebody’s lucky to have something, be able to do something, etc. ‘I’m off to Paris.’ ‘Lucky you!’

But

you’ll be lucky
(informal) used to tell somebody that something that they are expecting probably will not happen ‘I was hoping to get a ticket for Saturday.’ ‘You’ll be lucky.’

Let me continue

A:I am running an open competition for a CEO.

B1: You’ll be lucky to win it.
B2: You’ll be lucky winning it.

I wonder if use of the “ing” form would emphasise B2’s expectation A is not going to win the competition. Would B2 be considered cynical saying that way that there are no any chance for A to success?

B3: You’ll be lucky being the CEO! ~ more emphasising, could this be considered as sarcasm

Anyway, please someone additionally clear this up. Thanks

6

I would not use the -ing form with the future tense in any of those situations.

You’ll be lucky to win it.

I think it is a plausible alternative with the intention outlined in the simple past/present tenses, but would still prefer the ‘to’ form:
You were lucky to win it.
You were lucky (in) winning it.
You are lucky to win it.
You are lucky (in) winning it.

7

Well, I expected you would come down on me as a ton of bricks.
Since you haven’t, I decided to pluck up some courage and tell you that my problem is that I see “You’ll be lucky…” as an informal idiomatic phrase and not an ordinary use of the will future + the infinitive form.
But if NES decided to use it with the infinitive form then I’d sooner stop thinking about it and leave it as it is.

8

You’ll be lucky! said in order to tell someone that it is very unlikely that they will get what they want: “She’s going to ask for a salary increase.” “She’ll be lucky!” dictionary.cambridge.org/diction … l-be-lucky
–Your original sentence sounds to me like, “You’ll be lucky if you get…”