Monday, September 10, 2012

grammaticality - Can a gerund be used to start a question title?




For the sake of using less characters in a title I often change a question like:





How do I learn to ride a bike?




to:




Learning to ride a bike?





I know these two constructs are not identical in meaning but the intention is to use one or other as a title summarizing a question about a problem encountered when learning to ride a bike.



Are both grammatically correct i.e. can a question begin with a gerund?


Answer



Yes, it can. The question "Learning to ride a bike?" is an abbreviated way of asking the question, "Are you learning to ride a bike?" An article using that question as a title would likely contain things learners should know, like helpful tips and/or safety warnings. However, if the article is a how-to guide for people who want to learn but haven't yet (i.e., would-be learners), you would more aptly forego the question mark and use "Learning to Ride a Bike" as your title.


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