started raining /started to rain / bother to answer/bother answering

[jesus]

Hello.

What is the difference (or little difference) in meaning?

- It started raining / started to rain.
- I didn't bother to answer / bother answering.

Thanks.

[Marius Hancu]

Same meaning, IMO, in most contexts.

[jesus]

Hello.

I have read in the "Collins Cobuild Student's Grammar" that "start" and "bother" can be followed by a "to-" infinitive clause or an "-ing" clause, with little difference in meaning.

Could you tell me what is that little difference?

Thanks.

[Bridget]

Could you tell me what is that little difference?

Obviously, Cobuild failed to say what the little difference was. It's the same all over. You find people making such comments in grammar books and on language fora world and Netwide. Problem is, most of those people fail to elaborate on their comments.

You could begin by asking Marius what he means by "in most contexts", for example. His comment is similar to Cobuild's "with little difference in meaning", IMO.

[Marius Hancu]

>with little difference in meaning

This means to me:

with practically no difference in meaning

not:

with a little difference in meaning [when there is a small difference

[Bridget]

This means to me:

with practically no difference in meaning

Still, (a) difference is mentioned, but not described.

What does your "in most contexts mean"? How about explaining the other contexts?

[jesus]

Hello.

I still hope a help about this question.

Thanks.

[Marius Hancu]

Well, pls re-read the above.

IMO, Cobuild means that in their opinion there's practically NO difference in the meaning.

What more could we tell you then?

I'll leave this to others, if any is willing ...

[Bridget]

A difference in form, however small, implies a difference in meaning.

[Pete]

Hello.

What is the difference (or little difference) in meaning?

- It started raining / started to rain.
- I didn't bother to answer / bother answering.

Thanks.
The terms "little difference" and "almost no difference" probably should be interpreted to mean that for most people most of the time there is NO difference in meaning. It is certainly true that the two forms describe exactly the same set of facts; in that sense, there is no difference. However, there may be some difference in emphasis, in how you are expected to interpret the stated fact. Infinitives are often used to point to the future, and they can have a detatched, abstract sense. The present participle emphasizes the present (the time that is being talked about) and has more sense of personal involvement. Thus you might say,
- It started to rain and the rain continued for forty days and forty nights.
But in a more personal sense,
- I was a mile from home when it started raining; it's still coming down and my clothes are soaked.

Note that you could switch the verb forms and neither of those sentences would be wrong, but they wouldn't give quite the same way of looking at the situation.

I expect that most English speakers would not be able to put that difference into words; however, they would unconsciously get the appropriate "feeling" about the situation when hearing the sentences.

[jesus]

Hello.

Thank you for your help Pete.

I haven't got the "Success At First Certificate". Could anyone tell me if in that book is speaked about this question?

Thanks.

[Marius Hancu]

>Could anyone tell me if in that book is speaked about this question?

This is poor English, esp speaked.

Could anyone tell me if this issue/matter/question is discussed/talked about in that book?

[Lucretia]

Hello,

The Infinitive vs the Gerund is a very common question in forums.

Concerning frequency, I’ve read somewhere that when the subject of the sentence is animate, both infinitives and gerunds can follow verbs.
When the subject is inanimate, infinitives are preferable.
Here are the results of my little investigation.

started to notice 711,000
started noticing 316,000

started to use 3 760,000
started using 5 440,000

started to learn 1 220,000
started learning 776,000

started to deteriorate 94, 000
started deteriorating 13,900

started to swell 79,300
started swelling 25,900

started to melt 262,000
started melting 29,100


Besides I think the infinitive in such patterns is usually followed by longer, more detailed chunks of information, while the gerund often tends to be the last or penultimate word in the clause.

[jesus]

Hello Lucretia.

But I want a sure answer to my question, not an opinion. If anyone could say to me a book, a grammar book ( Success at First Certificate, ...) in which that question is explained, I would be very grateful. I am very interested in this matter.

Thanks.