"With clear definitions and useful study extras, this monolingual dictionary can help you on your way to becoming a confident, natural-sounding English speaker.
Would someone please explain why “to becoming” is used and not “to become”?
Is it possible to say it the way below
With clear definitions and useful study extras, this monolingual dictionary can help you on (in?) your way of becoming a confident, natural-sounding English speaker.
Thanks
I’m not sure if there’s any clear grammatical reason why the -ing form is used in this pattern.
“on/in your way of becoming” is incorrect.
it is the continuous form -ing, probably as you are ‘on your way’ - i.e. an unfinished process.
A dictionary can help you to become a good speaker assumes that you will finish the process and will be a good speaker.
If it helps you on the way to becoming a good speaker, then that process is on-going.
Dunno if I’m right, but it makes sense to me.
The difficulty I have with this explanation is that in “on the/your way to X”, X is the destination, not the journey or process.
I think this is just bad grammar. There is no difference in meaning here of “to become” or “to becoming.” The speaker/writer wishes to emphasize progression so has added the “-ing” to become. Don’t stress over the difference here.
Really? “becoming” sounds correct to me. Google Book Search results:
“on your way to becoming a” – 395 hits
“on your way to become a” – 42 hits
Number of Google Books hits? Really?
The infinitive verb construction uses the word “to” plus the root form of the verb, not the participle.
“To become” is the infinitive form of “become.”
“Becoming” is the participle of “become.”
There is no such root verb as “becoming.” “To becoming” is a mish-mash of mixed up verb forms smashed together to emphasize connotation. But “to becoming” is bad grammar.
You could argue that “to” is actually the beginning of a prepositional phrase, which would also be incorrect. “On your way” is an unnecessary clause which is throwing you off. The verb “help” uses an infinitive to complete its meaning. Take out “on your way” and it becomes “can help you to become.” You would never say, “can help you to becoming.” You could say “can help you in becoming,” which would be correct. But “to” is the infinitive here.
English is evolving in this direction. But per strict English rules “to becoming” is incorrect. Saying that, there are a lot of strictly incorrect word usages in the English language. Take it for what it’s worth.
Just because it “sounds correct” doesn’t mean it’s “correct.”
Looking back, I see that my original reply may have been misleading. I interpret “becoming a confident, natural-sounding English speaker” as a noun phrase, and I don’t see any grammatical problem in doing so. The oddity for me is why “becoming a confident, natural-sounding English speaker” should be the target of “to” when it is describing the process. When we say “can help you on your way to school”, for example, “school” is our final destination.