Omission of "to"

Hi everyone,

“Undergraduates can choose either to live on campus or to find a bedsit.”

Can I also say “… can choose either_live on campus or_find a bedsit”?

Thanks a lot. Ciao

Hi,

If you put a verb that is dependent on ‘choose’, you would need to join it with the preposition ‘to’. If two infinitives follow ‘choose’, the first one only would need the preposition.

Alan

Thanks for the word ‘bedsit’, Mr Francis. I hadn’t ever heard that word before.
:slight_smile:

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[size=75]“Democracy is the process by which people choose the man who’ll get the blame.” ~ Bertrand Russell[/size]

Thanks Alan.

“You can either live on campus or find a bedsit in the city.” In that case I can also say “… or TO find a bedsit in the city”, can’t I?

Cheerio

PS: Hi Esl_Expert, I guess the word “bedsit/bedsitter” is not very common in the USA. Thanks, so I’m learning American English too! :wink:

No, because it is incorrect to say ‘can to live’. In your previous version, the word ‘to’ was required because of the verb ‘choose’:

  • You can live … or (can) find …
  • You can choose to live … or (choose to) find …

In the original version of the sentence, you must include the first ‘to’, but you don’t need to repeat it.

- You can choose either to live on campus or to find a bedsit in the city. [color=blue]OK

- You can choose either to live on campus or find a bedsit in the city. [color=blue]OK

- You can choose either live on campus or to find a bedsit in the city. [color=red]not OK

[quote="Mr Francis"]
PS: Hi Esl_Expert, I guess the word "bedsit/bedsitter" is not very common in the USA.
[/quote]

Ha! I know words such as 'babysitter' and 'bedwetter', but 'bedsitter' is also brand new to me. Sounds like a person who is paid to look after a bed.  lol

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[i][size=75]"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it." ~ Alfred Hitchcock [/size][/i]

Hi Esl_Expert,

Thanks for your explanation.

PS: “Bedsitter is also brand new to me. Sounds like a person who is paid to look after a bed.” Haha, I have to say you’re a witty person :wink:

Hi everybody,

“Do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?”.

Can I say “… you’d like_ask me?”.

Thanks. Bye bye

No.