- •The gerund: grammatical categories and ways of translation
- •Task 1. Decide if the statements given below are true or false.
- •I don’t remember hearing / having heard this legend before.
- •Task 3. Open the brackets to make the correct active or passive form of the gerund.
- •Task 4. Find the gerunds, translate the sentences and identify how the gerunds are rendered in translation (by an infinitive, a noun, participle I or a subclause).
- •Task 5. Translate into English using the correct active or passive form of the gerund.
- •Differentiating between the gerund, the verbal noun and participle I
- •The gerund must not be confused with the verbal noun, which has the same –ing suffix, compare:
- •Task 6. Sort the –ing forms in the sentences below as gerunds or verbal nouns. Explain what helped you to decide.
- •Task 7. Translate into English using the correct forms of the gerund or verbal nouns.
- •The gerund must not be confused with the participle I, which has the same –ing suffix, compare:
- •Task 8. Sort the –ing forms in the sentences below as gerunds or participles. Explain what helped you to decide.
- •Task 9. Translate into English using the correct forms of the gerund or participle I.
- •Task 10. Sort the –ing forms in the sentences below as gerunds, verbal nouns or participles. Explain what helped you to decide.
- •Gerundial phrases
- •I insist on all of them coming on time.
- •Task 11. Identify gerundial phrases and their elements, sort out complex objects, and translate into Russian/Ukrainian.
- •Task 12. Substitute the subclauses by gerundial phrases; insert prepositions where needed.
- •Task 13. Translate into English using gerundial phrases.
The gerund: grammatical categories and ways of translation
The gerund is a non-finite –ing form of the verb, e.g.
I like reading.
Jane was sorry for being late.
He remembered having met John at the station.
Grammatically the gerund means a process. If we compare the gerund and the noun derived from the same notional verb, we can see that the noun states a fact while the gerund emphasizes a process, e.g.
Thank you for your help. (fact) ≠ Thank you for helping me. (process)
As a result of its origin and development, the gerund has a double nature: it has both nominal and verbal features.
|
Nominal Features |
Verbal Features |
1 |
The gerund can perform the functions of 1) the subject, 2) the predicative, e.g.
3) an object, e.g.
4) an attribute, e.g.
5) an adverbial modifier, e.g.
|
The gerund can perform the function of the predicate:
|
2 |
|
The gerund can take objects: 1) direct object, e.g.
2) indirect (prepositional) object, e.g.
|
3 |
The gerund can be preceded by a preposition, e.g.
|
The gerund cannot be preceded by an article, e.g.
|
4 |
The gerund can be modified by 1) a noun in the possessive case, e.g.
2) a possessive pronoun, e.g.
|
The gerund can be modified by an adverb, e.g. Peter enjoys driving (how?) slowly. |
5 |
The gerund has no nominal categories, i.e. person, number, and case |
The gerund has the verbal categories of 1) voice, e.g.
2) correlation, e.g.
|
Task 1. Decide if the statements given below are true or false.
Like the infinitive, the gerund can serve as an adverbial modifier.
In the sentence ‘Travelling is always exciting for a child.’ the gerund demonstrates its verbal features as it is the subject of the sentence.
The gerund is never used as an attribute.
The gerund can be modified by an adverb.
The nominal character of the gerund is exemplified by its use as the predicate.
The gerund can be used predicatively.
The gerund has the category of mood.
The gerund can be used in the singular or plural form.
The gerund can be used in the nominative and the possessive case.
The gerund can be preceded by a preposition.
The gerund cannot serve as an attribute.
The gerund takes the zero article.
The gerund can be modified by an attribute.
The gerund can consist of two words.
The gerund can consist of three words.
As stated above, the gerund has only two grammatical categories: the category of voice (active and passive) and the category of correlation (perfect and non-perfect)
Correlation |
Voice |
|
Active |
Passive |
|
Non-Perfect (action simultaneous with that expressed by the predicate) |
= Я помню, как повел свою сестру в театр в первый раз. / Я пам'ятаю, як уперше повів свою сестру в театр. |
= Я помню, как меня повели в театр в первый раз. / Я пам'ятаю, як мене уперше повели в театр. |
Perfect (action prior to that of the predicate) |
= Тед вошел, не постучав в дверь. / Тед увійшов, не постукавши у двері.
|
= Дверь отворилась, без стука. (т.е. без того, чтобы в нее постучали.) / Двері відчинилися, без стуку. (= без того, щоб у неї постукали.) |
Note 1: In Modern English the perfect passive gerund is used very seldom.
Note 2: A prior action can also be expressed by a non-perfect gerund after the following verbs and prepositions, though a perfect gerund is also possible after them:
-
verbs: to remember to excuse to forgive to thank
prepositions: on (upon) after without
e.g.