So, when and how exactly?

[reonagg]

Could anyone explain this to me?, When do we use 'wait' and 'waiting' as nouns? For example, are the following sentences right: ?

-I hate waiting.

-The wait was awful.

Thanks in advance.

[reonagg]

So nobody knows the answer?

[wasleys]

Originally Posted by reonagg

Could anyone explain this to me?, When do we use 'wait' and 'waiting' as nouns? For example, are the following sentences right: ?

-I hate waiting.

-The wait was awful.

reonagg,

I am not a grammarian (I just speak the language) so I will not comment on whether both examples are technically correct or not.

However both would be acceptable UK usage, as would 'the waiting'.

Michael

[reonagg]

Originally Posted by wasleys

However both would be acceptable UK usage, as would 'the waiting'.

Thanks!. I'm more interested in US usage (I guess the test I'm taking in a couple of days will be mostly on American English), but thank you very much for your help!

[wasleys]

Originally Posted by reonagg

Thanks!. I'm more interested in US usage (I guess the test I'm taking in a couple of days will be mostly on American English), but thank you very much for your help!

reonagg,

I think in this case there would be no difference between UK and US, but as an English English speaker it seems best to give a health warning when talking about usage.

Michael

[Gmater-1]

If anybody could tell me a good english grammar website

[vjlenin]

I would suggest you to use waiting or the waiting in written English, and wait as noun can be just fine in spoken discourse. But avoid that also as much as possible. Wait is verb and should be used as verb.

Thanks, please visit my blog: LenX: My personal Weblog

[wasleys]

Originally Posted by vjlenin

Wait is verb and should be used as verb.

Wait is also a noun = act of waiting/period of waiting.

Michael

[florida07]

hey Do you knoe Gerunds and Infinitives?
There's part of speech gerund which makes verbs into nouns
For example
I hate waiting!!!
Not I hate to wait!!!

I love swimming, I love hiking!!!!
410 Grammar: Gerunds and Infinitives
this will be helpful !!!! good luck

[vjlenin]

Originally Posted by wasleys

Wait is also a noun = act of waiting/period of waiting.

Michael

You are partially right. Professional dictionaries define wait more as a period spent waiting than the act of waiting. So, I guess act of waiting is better explained through the noun gerund: waiting. I appreciate the fact that wait is a noun, but I just suggested that it is better used as a verb, say, to avoid confusion.