- •Contents
- •The infinitive
- •1. The forms and categories of the Infinitive. The use of ‘to’-Infinitive and the Bare Infinitive. ‘To’ without the Infinitive.
- •Exercises
- •2. The Infinitive in the function of the Subject
- •Exercises
- •3. The Infinitive in the function of Part of the Predicate
- •Exercises
- •4. The Infinitive in the function of Object
- •Exercises
- •5. The Infinitive in the function of Attribute
- •Exercises
- •6. The Infinitive in the function of Adverbial Modifier and Parenthesis
- •Exercises
- •Of purpose:
- •Of consequence:
- •7. The Complex Object, the For-Complex and the Complex Subject
- •The Complex Object
- •The Complex Subject
- •Exercises
- •Revision of the Infinitive
- •I meant to call
- •Test yourself Test on the Infinitive
- •State the functions of the Infinitive.
- •Paraphrase the sentences using the Infinitive.
- •Find and correct an error.
- •Translate into English.
- •(Keys, p.125) the gerund
- •8. The forms and categories of the Gerund.
- •Exercises
- •9. The Gerund in the functions of Subject, Predicative, Part of Compound Verbal Predicate.
- •Exercises
- •Translate into English:
- •10. The Gerund in the function of Object.
- •Exercises
- •Direct Object:
- •Prepositional Object:
- •11. The Gerund in the function of Attribute
- •Exercises
- •12. The Gerund in the function of Adverbial Modifier
- •Exercises
- •The alternative use of the Infinitive and the Gerund. The Gerund and the Verbal Noun.
- •13. The choice between the Gerund and the Infinitive after some Verbs.
- •Exercises
- •14. The Gerund and the Verbal Noun compared.
- •Exercise
- •Revision of the Gerund
- •The Titanic
- •Test yourself Test on the Gerund
- •I. Define the function of underlined gerunds.
- •II. Complete these sentences with the correct preposition and a verb form to express the ideas in brackets. Make all necessary changes.
- •III. Find and correct errors.
- •IV. Translate the sentences into English.
- •V. Read the news items below and complete what you might say using the gerunds:
- •(Keys, p.126) the participles
- •15. The forms and categories of the Participles
- •Exercises
- •16. Participles in the functions of Attribute, Predicative, and Parenthesis.
- •17. Participles in the Functions of Adverbial Modifier.
- •Exercises
- •Attribute:
- •Predicative:
- •Adverbial modifier:
- •Parenthesis:
- •18. Participle I and the Gerund compared.
- •Exercises
- •19. Complex Object with the Participles
- •20. Complex Subject with the Participles
- •21. Absolute Participial Constructions
- •Exercises
- •Revision of the Participles
- •Test yourself Test on Participles
- •I State the functions of the Participles:
- •II Paraphrase the sentences using Participial constructions (where possible):
- •III Translate into English. Mind the use of Participles:
- •IV Translate into Russian:
- •(Keys, p.127) Revision of the Verbals
- •I. State the functions of the Infinitive.
- •II. Paraphrase the sentences using the Infinitive.
- •III. Find and correct an error.
- •IV. Translate into English.
- •I. Define the function of underlined gerunds.
- •II. Complete these sentences with the correct preposition and a verb form to express the ideas in brackets.
- •III. Find and correct errors.
- •IV. Translate the sentences into English.
- •I State the functions of the Participles:
- •II Paraphrase the sentences using Participial constructions (where possible):
- •III Translate into English:
- •IV Translate into Russian:
20. Complex Subject with the Participles
20.0. PI can be used in the Complex Subject after passive voice forms of sense perception verbs see, hear, notice, perceive, observe, feel, find, catch, and also after some causative verbs in the passive such as keep, leave:
The boy was caught smoking a cigarette. We were kept/left standing. The victim was found lying on his side with his eyes closed. Jazz was heard being played in the garden. And I was left brooding over my memories again. I felt like I’d been caught committing a crime.
PII is used in the same contexts, but less frequently:
This will was found destroyed in the grate of her bedroom the following morning, but evidence had come to light which showed that it had been drawn up in favour of her husband. I said the door was bolted, meaning that it was fastened, and I could not open it, but I believe all the doors were found bolted on the inside. The casket was left unopened, much to the disappointment of the mourners, most of whom still clung to the ancient Southern ritual of viewing the deceased one last time in a strange effort to maximize the grief.
21. Absolute Participial Constructions
21.0. The Nominative Absolute Participial Constructions (absolutives) are formed by two interdependent elements: a Common Case Noun (a Noun Phrase) or Pronoun in the Nominative Case (Subject form of the Pronoun) and Participle I or Participle II. The two elements have predicative relations and function as a detached adverbial modifier. This type of construction has loose grammatical connection with the finite-verb clause of the sentence and therefore is called absolute. Thus this syntactic complex bears mostly semantic relation to the verb-predicate of the sentence.
There are two subtypes of this complex: non-prepositional and prepositional. The non-prepositional Nominative Absolute construction is separated from the sentence by a comma or dash. Prepositional Absolute Participial Constructions are introduced by the preposition with. It is seldom set off by any punctuation mark.
21.1. The non-prepositional absolutive with PARTs is used as AM:
21.1.1. With (any form of) PI |
21.1.2. With PII |
AM of attendant circumstances |
|
He looked through the window, his glance travelling towards the bridge. Marble hurried out of the car and walked away, tears streaming down her face. |
She was smoking now, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. The next day I observed you – myself unseen – for half an hour. |
AM of reason |
|
But I was a little on edge, there being something to report. It being Sunday, everybody was going to the church. |
We began to talk but, my attention distracted by my surroundings, I took small notice of him. |
AM of time Note: The meanings of reason and time often combine. |
|
The work being finished, the two girls went into the shop. Ice having thus been broken, the two former rivals grew still more affectionate. |
The duster refolded and restored, he threw his legs across the saddle. The novel finished, she put the book aside. |
AM of condition |
|
“Other things being equal,” said Holmes, “one would suspect the person at whose head the master threw a decanter.” |
He was a gentleman, but he was passionate, the cup once sipped, would he consent to put it down? |
|
AM of manner He sat on the sofa, his legs crossed. |
21.2. The prepositional absolutive with PARTs is mostly used as AM of attendant circumstances or manner (sometimes with additional temporal, conditional or causal meaning).
21.2.1. With (any form of) PI |
21.2.2. With P II |
Andrew went into the house with his heart beating fast. The officer sat with his fine hands lying on the table perfectly still. I won’t speak with him staring at me like that. |
It’s unhealthy to sleep with the windows shut. She went on reading with her eyes fixed on the pages of her book. I can’t walk with my both legs wounded. |
21.3. Nominative Absolute constructions with the Participles can be reduced to absolute phrases in case they contain participles of the verbs be, have or some other verbs expressing location such as place, lie, stand, etc. and time that may be easily omitted, e.g.
- referring to time: The season (being) over, everybody was returning to the city;
- referring to location: He sat with his legs (being) on the desk. He sat, his legs (being) on the desk. They danced, their hands (lying/placed) on each other’s shoulders. I sat at the desk, (having) a pen in hand, thinking over the answer to the proposal.