The Acquisition of Infinitive and Gerund Complements by Second Language Learners

The attempt to understand the nature of the second language acquisition process is a formidable challenge. As is well known, a research program must be carried out within the strict confines of a theoretical framework in order that a principled explanation for the facts can be proposed. Also, an adequate description of the details involved in the acquisition of a particular phenomenon must be provided. On this basis the conclusions drawn from a study are supported or contested, as the case may be, by further research and discussion of the issues in question and in this way we wilt ultimately gain a deeper understanding of that process. It is from such a perspective that this study which describes the second language acquisition of infinitive and gerund complements has been carried out.1 It focuses on the category of verbs that permit both kinds of complements as in: (1) a. Philip likes to buy Inuit prints b. Philip likes buying Inuit prints as well as verbs that permit only infinitive complements, for example: (2) a. Nick offered to help Nora b. *Nick offered helping Nora as verbs that permit only gerund complements, for example: (3) a. Robert finished writing an article b. *Robert finished to write an article