Founding? Is it wrong or right?

Question

One of my Japanese students said the following today when we were practicing for an MBA interview.

"I want to founding my own venture in the future"

I corrected it automatically to "I want to find my own venture...". Also, I felt that "launch" or "start" would be better than the verb "to find" since he was talking about his long-term goal.

When I said this to my student, they said that there is a verb "to found". But I think we can't say "I want to founding my business/venture/etc", no?

At least I've never heard this kind of sentence so I'm confused about what the student means ...

Can someone please enlighten me? Is the student wrong or am I just not getting something?

Answer 1

To found is correct: to set up or establish on a firm basis or for enduring existence.

But you should use the infinitive:

I want to buy a book
I want to found a company

Not

I want to buying a book
I want to founding a company

(Edit:) As KRyan notes in the comment below there is a third possibility:

I want to be founding a company.

There is a slight difference in the meaning between the two. Using want to found implies that this is a thing you want to do at some point, want to be founding implies a particular point in time that you want to be involved in this process (e.g. "What do you see yourself doing in five years?" "I want to be founding a company.)"

Answer 2

To Found is an infinitive (basic form of the verb) which means To create or establish, especially those things which have a continued existence e.g. a building.

When we say that a person is a Founder of this Company, or in the phrase that we keep the Foundation of a house, the infinitive form of the word Found is used.

Therefore, Founding a venture or business is grammatically correct. With an adjustment in the tense used, your correct sentence would be:

I want to found my own venture in the future.

Answer 3

The verb to found means

establish or originate (an institution or organization)

Very briefly, in this instance to found is an infinitive, which can (and in this sentence, does) act as a noun, effectively the direct object of want in the sentence you cite.

The sentence I want to found my own venture is correct, although the word venture may be considered vague.

Answer 4

Although you cannot use the term:

I want to founding an adventure

you can still use:

I am founding an adventure

As though you are currently in the process of doing this.

You can use this also:

I founded an adventure

Being past tense. Although I personally wouldn't use this term as it would easily be passed as a misspelling of the sentence I found an adventure. A better option would be I created an adventure or built an adventure.

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