Unit 65. to… (afraid to do) and preposition + ~ing (afraid of ~ing) – grammar in use

A.
Afraid to (do) and afraid of (do)ing
I am afraid to do something = I don’t want to do it because it is dangerous or the result could be bad. We use afraid to do for things we do intentionally:
* A lot of people are afraid to go out at night. (= they don’t want to go out because it is dangerous – so they don’t go out)
* He was afraid to tell his parents about the broken window. (= he didn’t want to tell them because he knew they would be angry)
I am afraid of something happening = it is possible that something bad will happen (for example, an accident). We do not use afraid of ~ing for things we do intentionally:
* The path was icy, so we walked very carefully. We were afraid of falling. (= it was possible that we would fall – not ‘we were afraid to fall’)
* I don’t like dogs. I’m always afraid of being bitten. (not ‘afraid to be bitten’)
So, you are afraid to do something because you are afraid of something happening as a result:
* I was afraid to go near the dog because I was afraid of being bitten.

B.
Interested in (do)ing and interested to (do)
I’m interested in doing something = I’m thinking of doing it, I’d like to do it:
* I’m trying to sell my car but nobody is interested in buying it. (not ‘to buy’)
We use interested to especially with hear/see/know/read/learn. I was interested to hear it = ‘I heard it and it was interesting for me’:
* I was interested to hear that Diane has got a new job.
* Ask George for his opinion. I would be interested to know what he thinks. (=it would be interesting for me to know)
This structure is the same as surprised to/delighted to… etc. (see Unit 64C):
* I was surprised to hear that Diane has got a new job.

C.
Sorry to (do) and sorry for (do)ing
We usually say sorry to… to apologize when (or just before) we do something:
* I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to you.
We use sorry to (hear/read etc.) to show sympathy with somebody (see Unit 64C):
* I was sorry to hear that Fiona lost her job. (= I was sorry when I heard…)
You can use sorry for (doing something) to apologize for something you did before:
* (I’m) sorry for shouting at you yesterday. (not ‘Sorry to shout…’)
You can also say:
* (I’m) sorry I shouted at you yesterday.

D.
Note that we say:
I want to (do)/I’d like to (do) but I’m thinking of (do)ing/I dream of (do)ing
I failed to (do) but I succeeded in (do)ing
I allowed them to (do) but I prevented them from (do)ing
For examples, see Units 53-54 and 61.

(No Ratings Yet)

Похожие топики по английскому:

Alexandra_bracken_-_brightly_woven chapter two CHAPTER TWO I was still awake when the temple’s bells began to ring out in an unfamiliar pattern, and my mother began to cry loudly,...

Menorrhagia significantly, durably reduced with tranexamic acid Menorrhagia Significantly, Durably Reduced With Tranexamic Acid May 4, 2011 (Washington, DC) – Oral tranexamic acid (TA) significantly reduced menstrual blood loss in women with...

Interview questions: work history Interview Questions: Work History – Name of company, position title and description, dates of employment. – Best Answers Interviewers expect a candidate for employment to...

How the moon got its whiskers How the moon got its whiskers 15:05 02 July 2010 by Kate McAlpine For similar stories, visit the Solar System Topic Guide Famous for its...

Kougyoku izuki. mimizuku and the king of night. chapter 8 Chapter 8 – Deliverance II That night, just as Claudius was about to fall asleep, he heard a noise amidst his slumber. “Who’s there?” Opening...

Risk reward and money management in forex trading This could possibly be the most important Forex trading article you ever read. That might sound like a bold statement, but it’s really not too...

Tongue twister [s, th, f, ch, v, z,3] – Casual clothes are provisional for leisurely trips across Asia. – Eat with pleasure, drink in measure. – The passengers of the jet-engine airplane flying...

A matter of timing Jane paid for the groceries and looked at the wall clock. Good. She had made it. She put the paper bag on her left hip....

About joseph pilates Joseph Pilates was born in a small village near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1883. His father was a prize winning gymnast and his mother was a...

Ice paradise Ice Paradise Five minutes past midnight in Svalbard: The wild world is awake and clattering. At the edge of a sheltered estuary in the Adventdalen,...

Rules that guys wish girls knew 1. Sometimes we just don’t want to talk. Don’t take it personally. 2. We notice other women because we are men and we are alive....

Carlos castaneda – journey to ixtlan INTRODUCTION On Saturday, May 22, 1971, I went to Sonora, Mexico, to see don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian sorcerer, with whom I had been...

Chechnya’s leader promises hardline response to suicide bombings Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechnyan leader, has promised a harsh response after three suicide bombers blew themselves up in the southern Russian republic on Tuesday night,...

The model millionaire. oscar wilde Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the...

Appreciate life’s annoying little things Lessons from 9/11, the annoying little things: As you might know, the head of a major company survived the tragedy of “9/11” in New York...

Esl podcast 709 – taking someone for granted GLOSSARY To leave (someone) – to choose to end a romantic relationship with another Person, especially when that other person does not want to end...

09. a language adventure. sciences po I was lucky enough to get a scholarship from the French government for my second two years and moved to Paris where I entered L’Institut...

The most haunted house in england The Most Haunted House in England The peaceful village of Borley is not the sort of place you would normally think of as being associated...

Seven principles of software development (by david hooker) The First Principle: The Reason It All Exists A software system exists for one reason: to provide value to its users. All decisions should be...

A dance with dragons 2 ( a song of ice and fire 5) GEORGE R. R. MARTIN A DANCE WITH DRAGONS TYRION He drank his way across the narrow sea. The ship was small, his cabin smaller, but...