What is the difference between the following two sentences?
To study English is hard.
Studying English is hard.
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1Everything depends on the predicate. Many predicates allow both gerund and infinitive subject complements, but others vary. Every predicate is, in the end, different in terms of what constellation of constructions and collocations it is part of. – John Lawler Jan 04 '15 at 15:45
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They mean much the same thing, although there can be a nuanced difference. Consider these sentences:
To climb Mount Everest requires training and dedication.
Climbing Mount Everest requires training and dedication.
Since "climbing" brings in the idea of the climb-in-progress, it might be thought to be less suitable than the infinitive form to the notion of prerequisites.
TimR
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They mean much the same thing in the case of hard and require, but not for every predicate. – John Lawler Jan 04 '15 at 15:47