to vs ing | The Grammar Exchange

(1)

I hate the alarm clock waking me up on a Sunday morning.

vs

I hate the alarm clock to wake me up on a Sunday morning.

(2)

Anyone wanting to join us is always welcome.

vs

Anyone to want to join us is always welcome.

<source : I just made up above sentences>

Q. Above sentences are all correct? A pair of (1) and (2) are interchangable? if not, is either of them gramatically incorrect or do they have different meaning?

Much appreciated your kind reply!

3/1/239:06 PM

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David, ModeratorModerator

@vegnlove posted:
(1)
I hate the alarm clock waking me up on a Sunday morning.
vs
I hate the alarm clock to wake me up on a Sunday morning.

Hi, vegnlove—While neither sentence is ungrammatical, neither is natural. The first version of (1) would be more natural with a passive gerund object, and the second version of (1) would be more natural with "for" before the infinitive:

(1a) I hate being awoken by the alarm clock on a Sunday morning.
(1b) I hate for the alarm clock to wake me up on Sunday morning.

@vegnlove posted:
(2)
Anyone wanting to join us is always welcome.
vs
Anyone to want to join us is always welcome.

The first version of (2) is OK. The second version of (2) does not work at all.

3/2/239:03 AM

Thank you very much!

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