The attribute

As the attribute the gerund is most often preceded by a preposition, mostly by the preposition of. It generally modifies abstract nouns, such as:

air	вид
art	искусство, умение
business	дело
chance	возможность
danger	опасность
habit	привычка
hope	надежда
idea	мысль
impression	впечатление
intention	намерение
knowledge	знание
method	метод, способ
necessity	необходимость, потребность
opportunity	возможность
plan	план, намерение
pleasure	удовольствие
possibility	возможность
question	вопрос
recollection	воспоминание
risk	риск
sign	знак
way	способ

His air of knowing everything irritated her. Ее раздражал его вид, как будто он все знает.

There was no chance of getting an invitation. He было никакой возможности получить приглашение.

Не was depressed by the necessity of coming to a decision. Его угнетала необходимость принять решение.

I must deny myself the pleasure of seeing you again. Я должен отказать себе в удовольствии увидеть Вас снова.

But the choice of the preposition is sometimes limited by the meaning and the combinability of the modified noun:

at	for	in	to
surprise	apology capacity need	confidence experience hesitation sense skill	objection

She had no hesitation in accepting the help. У неё не было колебаний в том, чтобы принять помощь.

Where is the sense in concealing this? Какой смысл скрывать это?

Human beings are not rationed in their capacity for loving. Люди не ограничены в способности любить. (Способность человека любить безгранична.)

I feel the need for seeing you again. Я чувствую необходимость снова увидеть Вас.

What is your objection to his joining us for the trip? Какие у Вас возражения против того, чтобы он поехал с нами?

The gerund-attribute may also be a premodifying attribute, when it precedes the modified noun. Then it is used without a preposition. In this case the modified noun does not denote the doer of the action expressed by the gerund but usually denotes the object of the action expressed by the gerund.

writing paper paper for writing

a dancing hall a hall for dancing

a swimming pool a pool for swimming

a dancing teacher he teaches dancing

a reading lamp a lamp for reading

a walking stick a stick for walking

Together with the modified noun the gerund-attribute makes an attributive phrase which has only one stressed element and it is the gerundial element.

She was in riding clothes. На ней был костюм для верховой езды.

In this case the gerundial attributive phrase should be distinguished from the participial attributive phrase, which differs from the gerundial one both in meaning and in its stress pattern: in the participial phrase the modified noun is the doer of the action expressed by the participle, thus both the elements are stressed (two stresses).

a dancing girl a girl who is dancing (or dances)

a writing man a man who is writing (or writes)

a reading boy a boy who is reading

a swimming man a man who is swimming