Irina Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 Hi,What's the difference between the 2 sentences?I stopped smoking.I stopped to smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linguaholic Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 I would say that the first sentence means that you quit smoking (forevever) as a habit and the second one means just in a particular situation. I am not a native speaker, so if I am wrong, blame me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtommy79 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 "I stopped smoking." => In this sentence you actually gave up your bad habit. You don't smoke anymore."I stopped to smoke." => In this sentence you interrupted an activity in order to light a cigarette and smoke it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linguaholic Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 ...in order to light a cigarette and smoke it.What do you mean exactly by saying ...in order to light a cigarette and smoke it? I think it is the contrary also in the second sentence it means "the action" to stop smoking a cigarette. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtommy79 Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 What do you mean exactly by saying ...in order to light a cigarette and smoke it? I think it is the contrary also in the second sentence it means "the action" to stop smoking a cigarette.In the second sentence you actually smoked the cigarette. That was the reason for you to stop, interrupt whatever you were doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linguaholic Posted August 3, 2013 Report Share Posted August 3, 2013 In the second sentence, I actually stopped a certain activity in order to smoke a cigarette? Is that what you mean tommy ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mleocasas Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 'I stopped smoking' implies that you stopped smoking at some unspecified point in the past, either temporarily or permanently (the sentence doesn't state which). ex. I stopped smoking and went inside.'I stopped to smoke' means that you stopped doing something else and began to smoke. ex. I was eating a sandwich, but then I stopped to smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinderr Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 :confused: I missed a great deal of school in my teens and pre teens so I know very little about grammar. Hate it actually because I am so inept. I couldn't identify a gerund to save my life. The only clause I know is Santa. You get the idea. That is a hard thing for a writer to admit. Also I have a degree in Technical Writing--how does that work?I can get by because I have read so much all my life so I know how it's supposed to sound, most of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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