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Using Vs. To use

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Using Vs. To use

by amirp » Mon Jul 05, 2010 9:15 am
As a customer becomes more comfortable using computers, their purchasing habits change as well.

A - As a customer becomes more comfortable using computers, their
B - As customers become more comfortable using computers, their
C - As a customer becomes more comfortable to use computers, his or her
D - As customers become more comfortable to use computers, their
E - As customers becoming more comfortable using computers, their

The correct answer is choice B

Can someone tell me why we should use 'using' instead of 'to use' in this question? is there a pattern or a rule associated with this?

Thanks
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by Ritwik » Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:14 am
Infinitives are not very noun like. Prefer gerund if you have choice as in this case.
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by reply2spg » Mon Jul 12, 2010 7:43 am
Here 'using' is used to show that this is a continuous process. Therefore, 'using' is better that 'to use'.
Another reason to rule out D is that D changes the meaning.

B says since they are comfortable purchasing things using computers their habits are changing.

D says since they are comfortable to use computers their habits are changing. - if they are comfortable to use computers why should their habits need to change?

Please correct me if I am wrong.....I have lot of things to learn from all of you
amirp wrote:As a customer becomes more comfortable using computers, their purchasing habits change as well.

A - As a customer becomes more comfortable using computers, their
B - As customers become more comfortable using computers, their
C - As a customer becomes more comfortable to use computers, his or her
D - As customers become more comfortable to use computers, their
E - As customers becoming more comfortable using computers, their

The correct answer is choice B

Can someone tell me why we should use 'using' instead of 'to use' in this question? is there a pattern or a rule associated with this?

Thanks
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by nibake » Mon Jul 12, 2010 10:07 am
I don't blame you for finding this confusing! In this case, using is definitely superior in every way. Why? My intuition tells me so, so I would have to say it is idiomatic. If anyone has a really good explanation of the many subtleties and differences between -ing and infinitives, I would love to see it!

In this case, a plausible grammatical explanation would be:

"using" seems to be a participal modifying customer(s). Participals are modify, like adjectives. To my knowedge, infinitives are NOT used to modify.
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