Неличные формы глагола (Practical tasks)

Her greatest pleasure is reading.

b) a gerund, like a noun can be preceded by a preposition:

e.g. We discussed different methods of teaching foreign languages. I think of going to the south in the autumn.

c) like a noun, but unlike the other non-finites, it can combine with a possessive pronoun and a noun in the genitive case denoting the doer of the action expressed by the gerund:

e.g. We insisted on their coming at once.

We objected to the buyer’s paying only part of the bill.

d) it combines with the negative pronoun no in the idiomatic construction of the type:

e.g. There is no getting out of it.

The grammatical categories of the gerund

As already stated the gerund has only two grammatical categories, those of voice and perfect.

The category of perfect

The category of perfect finds its expression, as with other verb forms, in the contrast of non-perfect (indefinite) and perfect forms.

The Non-perfect Gerund is used:

1)when the action it expresses is simultaneous with that of the finite

verb:

e.g. I am surprised at hearing this.

I was quite disappointed at not finding him there.

2)to express a succeeding action after verbs, adjectives and prepositions implying reference to a future event (such as to intend, to insist, to object, to suggest, to look forward to) and after the preposition before:

e.g. We intend shipping the goods in May.

We are looking forward to visiting new places.

3)without reference to the time the action took place:

e.g. Swimming is a good exercise.

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Loading heavy weights requires great skill.

The Perfect Gerund is used to denote an action prior to the action expressed by the finite verb:

e.g. Francis was there before me, having come by the morning train. He mentioned having read it in the paper.

It should be mentioned that we use the Non-perfect Gerund:

1)after verbs of recollection, gratitude, blame, reproach,

punishment and reward though it may denote a prior action: e.g. I thank you for coming (а не: for having come).

I remember talking to him once (а не: having talked).

2)in gerundial phrases introduced by the prepositions on and after, though the action expressed by the gerund precedes the action expressed by the finite verb:

e.g. On receiving the answer of the firm we handed all the documents to our legal adviser.

Tom, after reflecting a little, gave a long sigh.

The lexical meaning of the above-mentioned verbs and prepositions makes the use of the perfect form redundant.

The category of voice

The gerund of transitive verbs possesses voice distinctions. Like other verb forms, the Active Gerund points out that the action is directed from the subject (whether expressed or implied), whereas the Passive Gerund indicates that the action is directed towards the subject.

The Perfect Passive Gerund is very rarely used.

There are some verbs (to need, to want, to require, to deserve) and the adjective worth which are followed by an active form of the gerund with passive meaning:

e.g. My shoes need repairing (а не: being repaired). The book is worth reading (а не: being read).

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Syntactical Functions of the Gerund

The gerund can perform any syntactical function typical of a noun, although in each case it has peculiarities of its own. It may function (a) alone, without modifiers, or (b) as the headword of a gerundial phrase, or (c) as part of a gerundial predicative construction. Since the functions of gerundial constructions are identical with those of single gerunds or gerundial phrases, we shall treat them together:

e.g. a) I like driving.

b)I like playing the piano.

c)I like John’s (his) playing the piano.

A gerundial phrase consists of a gerund as headword and one or more words depending on it.

A gerundial construction contains some nominal element denoting the doer of the action expressed by the gerund and the gerund itself with or without some other words depending on it. The nominal element can be a noun in the genitive case or a possessive pronoun (if it denotes a living being), or a noun in the common case (if it does not denote a

living being):

e.g. I remember John’s telling me that story once.

I remember the weather being extremely fine that summer. There is a growing tendency, especially in informal speech, to use

the pronoun in the objective case and a noun in the common case to denote the doer of the action expressed by the gerund with reference to living beings too:

e.g. They were all in favour of Tommy playing the main part.

In most cases the gerund is used after prepositions in the function of prepositional indirect object, attribute, adverbial modifier and part of the compound nominal predicate (predicative).

The gerund not preceded by prepositions is used in the function of part of the compound verbal predicate, part of the compound nominal predicate, subject and direct object.

The Gerund Used after Prepositions

The Gerund as Prepositional Indirect Object

As a prepositional indirect object the gerund is used after many verbs, adjectives and participles followed by certain prepositions:

e.g. I am fond of reading.

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When do you think of going there?

We insisted on being informed of the arrival of the ship. The most frequently used verbs, participles and adjectives are:

In the function of a prepositional indirect object the gerund is also used with the preposition in after various nouns (in what? в чем?):

e.g. He felt satisfaction in helping them.

Did you find any difficulty in solving this problem? There is no sense in going there today.

The Gerund as Attribute

When used as an attribute, the gerund modifies nouns, mainly abstract nouns. It is always preceded by a preposition, in the vast majority of cases by of:

e.g. There are different ways of solving this problem. He said that he had no chance of learning the truth.

In some cases the choice of the preposition depends on the requirements of the modified noun. The number of nouns thus used is quite considerable. The most commonly occurring of them are:

e.g. Have you any reason for saying such a thing? He felt irritation at being disturbed.

When a gerund modifies a concrete noun it is preceded by the preposition for and the whole gerundial phrase as attribute expresses the purpose or destination of the thing mentioned:

e.g. A thermometer is an instrument for measuring temperature. This is an airplane for transporting goods.

The Gerund as Adverbial Modifier

Owing to the variety of prepositions which may precede the gerund in the function of an adverbial modifier, a gerund may have different meanings.

1. As an adverbial modifier of time it may express time relations between the action of the finite verb and that of the gerund. It may also

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indicate the starting point of the action. The prepositions used are on, after, in, before, since:

e.g. After saying this he left the room.

On finding that the engine was working badly, the pilot was obliged to land.

2.As an adverbial modifier of reason it is introduced by the prepositions because of, for, from, for fear of, on account of, through, owing to:

e.g. Excuse me for being so late.

He caught cold through getting his feet wet.

3.As an adverbial modifier of manner the gerund generally occurs with the prepositions by or without:

e.g. He improved his article by changing the end.

You begin learning a language by listening to the new sounds.

4.As an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances it requires the prepositions besides, instead of, without, apart from:

e.g. Besides being clever, he is very industrious.

Instead of writing the letter himself, he asked his friend to do it. He left the room without waiting for a reply.

5.As an adverbial modifier of purpose it is introduced by the prepositions for, for the purpose of, with the object of, with a view to, though this pattern is rather rare:

e.g. They took her to the station for questioning.

He gave these instructions with a view to speeding up the shipment of the goods.

6.As an adverbial modifier of condition it takes the prepositions

without, but for, in case of, in the event of, subject to:

e.g. You will never speak good English without learning grammar. This offer is made subject to receiving your confirmation within

ten days.

7. As an adverbial modifier of concession it is preceded by the

preposition in spite of:

e.g. I don’t ask any questions in spite of there being a lot of questions to ask.

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The Gerund as Part of the Compound Nominal Predicate

(Predicative)

The gerund as predicative is usually used after the link-verb to be and is used after the prepositions against, for and after such expression as to be on the point (of), to be far (from) and some others:

e.g. The captain is against loading the goods on deck.

When I came to the office, the manager was on the point of

leaving.

The Gerund Used without Prepositions

The Gerund as Direct Object

As a direct object the gerund follows a number of monotransitive verbs, some of which take only the gerund, while others may be followed either by the gerund or by the infinitive. The gerund is also used after adjectives worth and busy.

The following verbs are followed only by the gerund:

e.g. He kept on smiling at her and speaking.

He thought my idea was worth trying.

He couldn’t help asking me: “Isn’t there anything else you can do for Roger?”

Verbs followed by either the gerund or the infinitive:

e.g. David Rubin did not much like being called Professor.

They can’t bear being humiliated.

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The Gerund as Subject

The gerund in the function of subject usually expresses permanent or recurrent actions simultaneous with the action expressed by the finite verb. As a rule the gerund as subject stands in front position:

e.g. Skating is pleasant.

Looking after one man is really enough, but two is rather an undertaking.

The subject stands in postposition in sentences opening with an introductory it after such phrases as:

It is no good

e.g. It’s no use talking about it.

It isn’t worth while going there.

The Gerund as Part of the Compound Nominal Predicate

(Predicative)

The gerund as predicative is usually used after the link-verbs to be, to mean and to look and has appositive meaning:

e.g. Her greatest pleasure was travelling.

I can’t ask him for help. That would mean telling him everything about you and myself.

The gerund as predicative is often preceded by like. It also has appositive meaning here, but the explanation is made by way of comparison:

e.g. To read his novels was like swimming in a lake so clear that you could see the bottom.

The Gerund as Part of the Compound Verbal Predicate

The gerund is lexically dependent in this function – it is used after a number of verbs denoting motion or position. They are: to come, to disappear, to go, to go out (round, around, about), to lie, to sit, to sit around (round), to stand, to stand around (round):

e.g. They had often gone fishing in those days. Are we going out dancing tonight?

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► FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Exercise 1. Define noun and verb characteristics of the gerund. Translate the sentences into Russian:

1. He remembered doing the same thing when the cop had pulled him over on the Long Island Expressway after the Christmas party. (S. King) 2. I shall get far more out of a year in Germany than by staying on at that hole. (W.S. Maugham) 3. Panic seized him that he would not know the words by tea-time, and he kept on whispering them to himself

quickly. (W.S. Maugham) 4. He was fond of lecturing upon the younger writers of England and America… (W.S. Maugham) 5. He was so young, so bluff, so gay, he laughed so merrily at other people’s jokes

that no one could help liking him. (W.S. Maugham) 6. Do you think there’s any use in my staying on at Tercanbury? (W.S. Maugham) 7. It is

no good denying this fact, because sooner or later truth would be revealed. (D.H. Lawrence) 8. I don’t like sitting on another man’s chairs

and eating from an unpaid table. (D.H. Lawrence) 9. There is a singular fascination in watching the eagerness with which the learned author ferrets out every circumstance which may throw discredit on his hero. (W.S. Maugham) 10. I was not going to get up for a policeman – I could see his khaki shorts without lifting my head. (G. Greene) 11. He was using all his strength to prevent himself from crying. (W.S. Maugham)

12.You speak of the fickleness of the public so that he may comfort himself by thinking that your popularity cannot last. (W.S. Maugham)

13.He was a good-natured fellow, who did not like having enemies.

(W.S. Maugham) 14. Roy ceased playing cricket a good many years ago… (W.S. Maugham) 15. Philip did not reply. He went on munching

his bread and butter. (W.S. Maugham) 16. The artist who insisted on taking his wife wherever he went only made himself a nuisance… (W.S.

Maugham) 17. Partridge opened the door to the office where a light

shone from beneath it without knocking. (C. Forbes) 18. He was afraid of humiliating himself. (W.S. Maugham) 19. ‘That’s a jolly long walk, if you don’t mind my saying so,’ Harvey remarked and smiled in a twisted way. (C. Forbes) 20. The police-car’s taillights suddenly came on. Peter

hit his own brake without even thinking of it. (S. King)

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