At your service

Posted by Henry on April 21, 2004

In Reply to: At your service posted by Smokey Stover on April 21, 2004

: : : Here in Pakistan I have often found people using the first expression, while to me the second one sounds more appropriate. Will somebody please let me know which one of them is better/correct? How does the one differs from the other? Thanx.

: : You can attract a client by being committed to satisfy him. An act in the future.
: : You can retain his costum by remaining committed to satisfying him. A present, continuing, unfinished action.

: I hardly dare to disagree with Henry, whom I respect greatly, but I think we have to distinguish here between how people speak and what is grammatically appropriate. If you are committed, it is probably to something, and that something is not an infinitive. A gerund is a thing, or a stand-in for a thing. So grammatically, I opt for "committed to satisfying." But as I said, people often make up their syntax as they go along. Incidentally, you can be committed to your customers' satisfaction. Or, if you are a building contractor, to your customers' dissatisfaction. SS

SS That's a very reasonable point! I can only add, very defensively, that the use of phrasal verbs may often be idiomatic rather than grammatic. And I don't know why anyone would want to retain a client's costume! Henry

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