6. An attribute
In this function the gerund is always prepositional. The following nouns may precede the gerund:
chance of trouble of
idea of (in)convenience of
way of advantage of
habit of question of
method of art of
custom of opportunity of
hope of problem of
fear of right of
intention of means of
possibility of
This is a good way of using the book.
I had a good opportunity of seeing my friends.
I didn't get a chance of speaking to him.
After the following nouns the prepositions for, in, at, about, to may be used:
FOR IN
capacity for difficulty in
excuse for harm in
gift for hesitation in
reason for sense in
talent for skill in
AT TO
pleasure at objection to
amazement at preparation to
surprise at
He had difficulty in speaking.
Imagine his surprise at seeing me. .
7. an adverbial modifier
a) of time (after, before, on, upon, since, at, in)
She hesitated before entering the room.
On returning home he found a note in his room.
b) of manner (by, without)
I did it without thinking.
You'll achieve a lot by telling the truth.
c) of attending circumstances
They danced without speaking.
I never see asters without remembering her.
d) of cause (because of, for, from, owing to, for fear of)
I couldn't speak for laughing.
He said it for fear of losing her again.
e) of concession (in spite of)
In spite of being disturbed late at night, he fell asleep again.
f) of condition (but for, in case of, without)
But for meeting her, I shouldn't have become an English teacher.
In case of being questioned he should tell the truth.
g) of purpose (for)
One side of the gallery was used for dancing.
The gerund and the infinitive compared
I. Only the gerund is used (in different functions) after the following verbs:
to avoid to fancy practise
to appreciate to forgive to put off
to admit to imagine to recall
to celebrate to mention to recollect
to consider to mind to resent
to deny to miss to resist
to enjoy to postpone to risk
to excuse to feel like to suggest
to burst out to fall to to finish
to quit to give up
to keep on can’t help (stand, face)
II. Only the infinitive is used after the following verbs:
to advise
to forbid
to permit
to help
can’t afford
III. The gerund and the infinitive are interchangeable (express the same):
1. as part of a compound aspective predicate after aspective verbs (except the verb to stop). After to stop the gerund is used when it suggests the end of the action denoted by the gerund; the infinitive is used as an adverbial modifier of purpose.
Stop smoking!
He stopped to talk to his friend.
2. after the verbs to fear, to intend, to neglect, to propose, to attempt,
III. The gerund and the infinitive express different meanings used
GERUND |
INFINITIVE |
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after the verbs to like, to love, to prefer, to hate, to dread, can’t bear
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the gerund expresses a more general or habitual action: I hate interrupting people.
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the infinitive is used mostly with reference to a special concrete occasion: I hate to interrupt you, but I have to.
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after to be afraid |
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When followed by a gerund (to be afraid of doing smth) this expression shows that there is a possibility of some bad results. We walked very carefully along the icy path. We were afraid of falling.
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When followed by an infinitive (to be afraid to so smth) it denotes an intentional action: I’m afraid to do something = I don’t want to carry out an action because I’m afraid He was afraid to tell his parents about the broken window. (he didn’t want to do it because he knew they would be angry)
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Compare: I was afraid to go near the dog because I was afraid of being bitten.
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after the verb to remember |
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the gerund expresses a prior action: I remember calling on him that day. |
the infinitive expresses a future action: Remember to call on him after dinner. |
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after the verb to forget |
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the gerund shows that a person accomplished an action but forgot about the fact: I forgot shutting the window. (Я забыл, что закрыл окно).
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The infinitive shows that the action didn’t take place: I forgot to shut the window. (Я забыл закрыть окно). |
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after the verb to regret |
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the gerund expresses a prior action: I regret saying it to him. |
the infinitive expresses a simultaneous action: I regret to say but you are not among the invited. |
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after the verb to try |
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When to try is followed by a gerund it expresses the idea of experiment (попробовать, испытать): He hurt his right hand so he tried writing with his left. |
When followed by an infinitive (to try to so smth) it means to make an attempt (стараться): Try to write more carefully.
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after the verb to mean |
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Means doing expresses the idea of some result: I have to start work earlier this week. This will mean getting up earlier. |
To mean to do smth= to intend to do smth I meant to ring you up yesterday. |
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after the verb to go on |
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to go on + gerund suggests the continuation of the action denoted by the gerund and forms part of compound verbal predicate: I wouldn't go on thinking about it.
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the infinitive points out a new stage in the sequence of actions: He welcomed the new pupils and went on to explain the school regulations.
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Don't
forget taking
/ to
take your
dictionary with you!
Leaving
it at home could mean to
end up / ending up with
a bloody nose.
Larry
James explains...
You could of course stop to buy / buying one at the airport before you get on the plane. But what happens? The assistant says, 'Sorry, we've stopped to sell / selling those now.' No, buy one before you go. It may mean to run / running round town to find just what you want, but it'll be worth it. From the moment you book your holiday, you spend days trying to learn / learning all those little phrases that will make life easy while you're abroad.
And you have such good intentions! You mean to learn / learning at least five new phrases every day. And that means to set / setting aside time. So you take the book to work to study in your lunch hour and then forget to bring / bringing it home!
I've just come back from a holiday in Malawi. One day I went to a market and, without a dictionary, I started to talk to a young man selling fish. Unfortunately, although I didn't mean to be / being offensive, I must have said something that annoyed him. I remember to wake / waking up lying on the ground with a bleeding nose.
If only I had remembered to take /taking my dictionary with me!
GERUNDIAL COMPLEXES
A gerundial complex consists of a noun in the possessive case or a possessive pronoun (the secondary subject) and a gerund (the secondary predicate).
I hate his bothering me with silly questions. (a direct object)
The main trouble is her being often ill. (a predicative)
I don’t like the idea of the boys’ living here with us. (an attribute)
A gerundial complex therefore can be used in any function in the sentence.
If the noun denotes a lifeless thing it can’t be used in the possessive case so it is used in the common case.
I insist on the window being opened.
In modern English there is a tendency to use the common case even with such nouns which may be used in the possessive case and to use the objective case of personal pronouns. The –ing form in such constructions is considered to be intermediate between the gerund and participle I and is called a half-gerund (or a semi-gerund) and the constructions are called half-gerundial.
Compare:
I insist on Tom’s (his) doing it. (a gerundial complex)
I insist on Tom (him) doing it. (a half-gerundial complex)
I saw Tom (him) doing it. (a complex object with participle I)
To distinguish a predicative complex with a half-gerund from a complex object with participle I we must bear in mind that the latter may be used only after the verbs of sense perception.
Note. A possessive pronoun is not used before the gerund if the actions denoted by the gerund and the predicate are performed by the same person:
I remember seeing him.
I remember his seeing me.
THE VERBAL NOUN
The verbal noun has the same form as the indefinite active gerund but since it’s a noun it differs from the gerund in the peculiarities of use.
1. It has the plural form:
Sufferings, goings, comings
2. It may take either of the articles:
You’ve provided a good beginning for this story.
I didn’t like the beginning of the story.
3. The gerund is modified by an adverb while the verbal noun is modified by an adjective:
Dancing lightly and riding well were the things that mattered.
On the way he would do some serious thinking about the future.
4. The gerund is followed by a direct object while the verbal noun is followed by an of-phrase (a prepositional object):
I didn’t mind telling you about it.
She heard only the beating of her heart.
Participle I