Task 10. Sort the –ing forms in the sentences below as gerunds, verbal nouns or participles. Explain what helped you to decide.

1. You should think before speaking.

2. After finding the new word in the dictionary, I wrote it down and went on reading.

3. He spent much time on writing the script.

4. What do you mean by saying that?

5. The students found the assigned reading of the Financial Times an impossible task.

6. Instead of going home, James went to the nearest pub.

7. Once chalk was used for cleaning one’s teeth.

8. We sat by the river listening to the running water.

9. The blazing of the Yukon trails was dared by local postmen.

10. Working in the garden is a very good sport.

11. Going home from the theatre, they were bickering, as usual.

12. Remembering her riding a horse on a merry-go-round was like warming her hands on a candle.

13. After reminiscing about that time, he realized how happy he had been then.

14. Tom lived there like a paying guest, attracting very little attention of the others.

15. While sitting by his sleeping patient, Doctor Morris was reconsidering his course of treatment.

16. Having traversed seven hundred miles he was now travelling toward the US border.

17. Sting popularized the image of an Englishman with a walking cane at his side.

18. Harry was looking at the instruction as though thinking, but not really thinking.

19. There was sunlight coming in through the shutters.

20. Judging by his face, Malcolm is still very young.

21. I stopped knocking at the door and, sitting down at the top of the stairs, began waiting for my father to come.

22. With a sudden tightening of the muscles he became aware of a figure walking noiselessly beside him.

23. She praised herself for having come.

24. Having stopped crying, the child quieted down to hard thinking.

25. The old clock kept ticking on the mantelpiece, as if counting the seconds left before the coming of daylight.

26. These happenings are remarkable.

27. Travelling is a pleasant way of improving one's education.

28. Every trust arranges for the marketing of its products.

29. Asking him for help is useless.

30. Happily we escaped being delayed on our way.

31. The driving wheel of the machine is broken.

32. Driving in a motor-car we passed many villages.

33. We have every chance of passing our examinations well.

34. Having been knocked down by a passing car, the poor man was at once taken to hospital.

35. You don't know what you miss, not having the desire to listen to good music.

36. There are many discoveries being made all over the world.

37. Seeing this man, I recollected perfectly having met him many years before.

38. I was told of a great friendship existing between the two captains.

39. It is no use crying over spilt milk.

40. Pouring first milk and then tea is the law of English five-o’clock.

Gerundial phrases

1. In a sentence, the gerund can occur

1) singly, i.e. without accompanying words, e.g.

• Overeating is out of the question.

2) in gerundial phrases, i.e. when a gerund has one or several dependent words (an object, attribute or adverbial modifier), e.g.

• Mary tried to calm the child by (her) telling (gerund) him a story (objects).

• There is no mistake about his (nominal element, pronoun) graduating (verbal element, gerund).

2. Gerundial phrases consist of the following optional and compulsory elements:

(preposition) + (nominal element) + gerund + elements depending on the gerund

e.g. I remember Mary’s performing at the concert. = Я помню, как Мэри выступала на концерте. / Я пам'ятаю, як Мери виступала на концерті.

• Mary’s – a nominal element

• performing – a gerund

• at the concert –elements depending on the gerund

3. The nominal element can be expresses by:

1. a noun in the common case, e.g.

   • I remember the weather being extremely fine that summer. = Я помню, что в то лето погода была удивительно хороша. / Я пам'ятаю, що в те літо погода була на диво гарною.

   • I remember Peter telling me this joke. = Я помню, как Питер рассказывал мне эту шутку. / Я пам'ятаю, як Пітер розповідав мені цей жарт.

2. a noun in the possessive case, e.g.

• Dana enjoyed John’s playing the piano. = Дана получала удовольствие от игры Джона на фортепьяно. / Дана була захоплена грою Джона на фортепіано.

• We discussed the machine's being broken. = Мы обсуждали поломку машины. / Ми обговорювали поломку машини.

3. a possessive pronoun, e.g.

• We all appreciate your helping us. = Мы все благодарны за вашу помощь. / Ми всі вдячні за вашу допомогу.

• She understood his saying no to the offer. – Она поняла, почему он отказался от этого предложения / Вона зрозуміла, чому він відмовився від цієї пропозиції.

4. a pronoun in the objective case, e.g.

• Imagine him talking to her like that! = Представь, что он разговаривает с ней таким образом! / Уяви, що він розмовляє з нею в такий спосіб!

Note 1: There is a slight difference between using

1) a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the objective case

2) a noun in the possessive case or a possessive pronoun.

The former emphasizes the process, while the latter highlights the doer of this action; compare:

Noun in the common case / pronoun in the objective case: emphasis on the doer of the action	Noun in the possessive case / possessive pronoun: emphasis on the process
Dana enjoyed John playing the piano. – It was John who Dana liked. We all appreciate you helping us. -- It was getting help from you that is important.	Dana enjoyed John’s playing the piano. – It was mostly the process of playing that Dana enjoyed. We all appreciate your helping us. – It was the help that was important.

Note 2: a gerundial phrase can be formed without the initial nominal element, but then it loses its predicative character and emphasizes the process expressed by the gerund rather than the doer of the action expressed by the nominal element, compare

• Mary complained about having no spare time whatsoever. (gerundial phrase without the initial nominal element; the focus is on the process of having no time)

• Mary complained about her having no spare time whatsoever. (gerundial phrase with the initial nominal element; the focus is on the doer of the action, her [Mary])

Note 2 The nominal element can also be expressed by pronouns without case distinctions:

all this that both each something

e.g.