Complaining about vs. complain about

[Xasif]

Business Idiom in English, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #136 "How to make exclamations", question 3

For goodness sake stop ......... about the weather! It'll stop raining soon.

(a) criticizing
(b) telling
(c) complaining
(d) calling

Business Idiom in English, Intermediate level

ESL/EFL Test #136 "How to make exclamations", answer 3

For goodness sake stop complaining about the weather! It'll stop raining soon.

Correct answer: (c) complaining
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complaining vs. complain

Xasif

[Pamela]

Hi Xasif

To complain means to express dissatisfaction, pain, uneasiness, censure, resentment, or grief; find fault

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/complain

Complaining in a test sentence is the gerund.

Additional information:

After the verb "to stop" both the infinitive and the gerund can be used but have different meanings.

Compare:
Ex. They stopped talking when he came in( they simply stopped talking)
Ex.She stopped to exchange a few words with a neighbour( she stopped in order to exchange a few words with a neighbour-adverbial modifier of purpose).

[Haihao]

Hi Pamela,

I am a little confused with your comparison. I fully agree to your ex.1 meaning discontinue talking but I wonder if 'to exchange a few words with a neighbour' in ex.2 could be an adverbial modifier of purpose. I was like feeling the whole phrase showed up the sequence of two actions: stop walking (moving) first and then exchange a few words with a neighbour or simply was looked upon as a phrasal verb 'stop to'. How do you think? Thank you.

haihao

[Yankee]

Hi Haihao

"Stop doing" always refers to the discontinuation of an action.

"Stop to do" always gives the reason for stopping. The word 'to' means the same thing as 'in order to' (as Pamela mentioned).

Yes, a sequence of actions is suggested since the "stop to do" structure indicates the reason for stopping a "first" activity. However, it's also possible that the "second" activity never began:

- She stopped to visit her neighbor only to find that nobody was home.
- He stopped (driving) to get a bite to eat but the restaurant was closed.

Amy
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English