Why do we say "reduced to asking"?
Posted: 08 Apr 2008, 09:53
Why do we say 'reduced to asking' someone something, rather than 'reduced to ask'? What are the grammatical rules behind this structure?
Dear Helen,
The expression 'reduced to' can be followed by a noun phrase; an illustration is 'he was reduced to a quivering wreck'. In this sentence, quivering is an adjective and wreck is a noun.
The verb form "-ing" can act as a noun; this explains the use of the word "asking" in your example.
It can also be considered that "to" is a preposition in your example. Prepositions are followed by the "-ing" form; as in by doing, after saying.
Kind regards,
Lucy