GalacticCactus Forum

Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: AFR on September 21, 2005, 02:54:23 PM

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: AFR on September 21, 2005, 02:54:23 PM

I can't remember. Would I say "I commit to becoming a millionaire by such-and-such a date" or "I commit to become..."?

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Jonathon on September 21, 2005, 02:57:04 PM

I think either works. Then again, it's 4:00, and my brain is a little fried.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: AFR on September 21, 2005, 03:10:34 PM

That's kind of what I thought, but it never hurts to ask. :)

Try bathing your brain in cucumber water. You'll feel like a new man afterwards.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Porter on September 21, 2005, 03:17:40 PM

Even better, bathe your computer in cucumber water.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Mike on September 23, 2005, 03:06:06 PM

I'd actually prefer "I commit to becoming...".  If you use the infinitive "to become", it means you're no longer using the phrase "to commit to something" because the "to" can only be used in one function at a time.  I'm not even sure what "to commit + inf." would mean.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Brinestone on September 23, 2005, 03:10:34 PM

Who is this Mike guy who swoops down like the flying spaghetti monster and answers unanswerable questions so easily?

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Jonathon on September 23, 2005, 03:32:47 PM

It would be the same construction as "promise + inf.," which is standard English, but I'm not sure if it's standard when used with commit. It does indeed seems far more common to use the "commit to (prep.) + noun" construction.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Ela on September 23, 2005, 05:01:09 PM

Quote

Who is this Mike guy who swoops down like the flying spaghetti monster and answers unanswerable questions so easily?

I was wondering the same thing.  :tongue:  

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Mike on September 25, 2005, 11:46:46 AM

^_^  I am Mike #55 (http://www.hatrack.com/cgi-bin/ubbmain/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile;u=00000055) on hatrack.  I only answer unanswerable questions.  Ramen.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Ela on September 25, 2005, 07:10:32 PM

And the mystery is solved... :lol:  

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Samarkand on November 15, 2005, 01:30:22 AM

"Commit to becoming."  Definitely.  "I commit to become a millionaire"?  Eww.  Eww.  Make it stop!

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: pooka on November 15, 2005, 07:49:10 AM

I commit murder

I commit *becoming

I commit to become

I commit homocide

I commit..... I was commited to the hospital.  I commited my rabbit to the hospital.

What else does commit mean?

I commit to avenge

I commit *to avenging

They mean different things.  "Commit to" + "Gerund" is different from "Commit" + "infinitive".

I commit to destroy all your base.

I commit to destroying all your base.

"Become" is a special case, though, since it has a meaning that is naturally progressive in nature.  

Anyway, in the end I still prefer "I commit to become".

Now you have to find out from your self-improvement guru if one has more potential to unlock your future than the other.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: kojabu on November 15, 2005, 08:09:30 AM

pooka, all your base are belong to us. You will not destroy.  

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: pooka on November 15, 2005, 08:21:07 AM

Nevertheless, I commit an destroying!

One can say either "I commit murder" or "I commit to murder".  They simply don't mean the same thing.  

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Porter on November 15, 2005, 08:22:00 AM

That's because murder is a noun as well as a verb.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: pooka on November 15, 2005, 08:25:43 AM

I commit to commit to become something better.  Maybe.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Porter on November 15, 2005, 08:31:23 AM

I am committing to be committing to become something better.  Definitely.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: rivka on November 15, 2005, 08:30:23 PM

Y'all should be committed.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: Jonathon on November 15, 2005, 09:21:34 PM

That's right. Commitment! Dedication! Teamwork! These are the values that make GalacticCactus strong.

Title: I commit to becoming? or become?
Post by: rivka on November 15, 2005, 09:59:41 PM

Allow me to rephrase.

Y'all should BE committed.