7. The gerund and the participle

In most cases the differentiation between the gerund and the participle does not present any difficulty.

Unlike the participle the gerund may be preceded by a prepo­sition, it may be modified by a noun in the possessive case or by a possessive pronoun; it can be used in the function of a subject, object, and predicative. In the function of an attribute and of an adverbial modifier both the gerund and the participle may be used, but the gerund in these functions is always preceded by a preposition.

There are cases, however, when the differentiation between the gerund and the participle presents some difficulty; for instance, it is not always easy to distinguish between a gerund as part of a compound noun and a participle used as an attribute to a noun. One should bear in mind that if we have a gerund as part of a compound noun, the person or thing denoted by the noun does not perform the action expressed by the ing-form: e. g. a dancing-hall (a hall for dancing), a cooking-stove (a stove for cooking), walking shoes, a writing-table, etc.

If we have a participle used as an attribute the person denoted by the noun performs the action expressed by the ing-loxm: e. g. a dancing girl (a girl who dances), a singing child, etc.

However, there are cases which admit of two interpretations; for example a sewing machine may be understood in two ways: a machine for sewing and a machine which sews; a hunting dog may be a dog for hunting and a dog that hunts.

8. The gerund and verbal noun

The gerund should not be confused with the verbal noun, which has the same suffix -ing. The main points of difference between the gerund and the verbal noun are as follows:

Like all the verbals the gerund has a double character — nominal and verbal.

The gerund is not used with an article.

The gerund has no plural form.

The gerund of a transitive verb takes a direct object.

He received more and more letters, so many that he had given up read­ing them. (Priestley)

The gerund may be modified by an adverb.

Drinking, even temperately, was a sin. (Dreiser)

The verbal noun has only a nom­inal character.

The verbal noun may be used with an article.

The making of a new humanity can­not be the privilege of a handful of bureaucrats. (Fox)

I want you to give my hair a good brushing. (Hardy)

The verbal noun may be used in the plural.

Our likings are regulated by our cir­cumstances. (Ch. Bronte)

A verbal noun cannot take a direct object; it takes a pre­positional object with the pre­position of.

Meanwhile Gwendolen was rallying her nerves to the reading of the paper. (Eliot)

The verbal noun may be modi­fied by an adjective.

He (Tom) took a good scolding about clodding Sid. (Twain )

5. Grammar Practice

1. I heard Uncle Henry ... something to Paul. To my astonishment he seemed ... what had happened to me. Then he let me ... to my room.

A to whisper, to ask, to go

B whisper, ask, go

C whisper, to be asking, go

D whispering, asking, going

2. ... breakfast on dry bread and ... in his pocket another piece of bread ... for dinner, he settled himself at a desk of the reading room. He looked forward to ... his first book.

A Having, carrying, serving, take

B Having had, having carrying, to serve, take

C Having had, carrying, to serve, taking

D Having, carried, serving, having taken

3. Don't you remember ... me at the Browns' last summer? We used ... at their place every Friday.

A to see, to meet

B seeing, meeting

C to see, meeting

D seeing, to meet

4. After ... a few pages I felt like ... a break; I was eager ... so I laid my work aside for a time

A writing, having, to stroll

B having writing, have, strolling

C written, having, to stroll

D I have written, to have, strolling

5. You look rather tired. You are unlikely ... the work in time. You had better ... home now. It is not worth ... for another several hours.

A to have finished, going, working

B to finish, go, working

C to have been finishing, to go, to work

D to be finishing, be going, be working

6. He is afraid ratherto Mrs. Priestly. In his place I woul her. He may depend on her the problem properly.

A of speaking, trusting, understanding

B to speak, trust, understanding

C of speaking, to trust, understanding

D to speak, to trust, to understand

7. Let her ... it herself. She is considered ... a careful researcher and can't stand

A do, being, to be helped

B to do, to be, to help

C doing, being, helping

D do, to be, being helped

8. On ... that she had just come in, he sent a maid their room ... her to go down though he realized thi it was no use ... to her again.

A telling, asking, to speak

B being told, to ask, speaking

C having told, to have asked, to have spoken

D being having told, to ask, speaking

9. ... her about my problems I was ashamed ... sue a great mistake and did not mind ... the subject bi she kept ... about my family and me.

A Having told, at having made, changing, talking

B To have told, to make, to change, to talk

C Telling, to have made, to have changed, talking

D On telling, making, having changed, be talking

10. ... she ... on the balcony, that's why she ... your call.

A can't go away, may sunbathe, can't have heard

B can't have gone away, must be sunbathing, can't hea

C must not go away, need to sunbathe, should not hea

D should not go away, could have sunbathed, mi not have heard

11. I ... to the beach. The sea was rough and no ….. dared

A needn't have gone, to swim

B needn't go, swimming

C can't have gone, swim

D couldn't go, to swim

12. We to him meet Jack tomorrow. ... You the matter long ago. Why keep him in the dark?

A should, must have spoken

B have to, may speak

C are to, should have spoken

D might, need to speak

13. He ... golf well, but today he ... it because he him a backache.

A is not to play, can do

B can play, is unable to do

C ought not to play, should have done

D might have played, must not have done

14. You ... at the wrong station, that's why it took yoi so long to get here. I ... you yesterday to explain everything to you in more detail.

A may change, ought to phone

B must have changed, may phone

C must have changed, may have phoned ) may have changed, ought to have phoned

15. I ... the work so carelessly. Yes, it ... by noon.

A can't do, Will, must be doing

B can't have done, Shall, must be done

C must not have done, May, may have done

D must not do, Will, must have been done

16. We he ... at seven, but I till I came.

A had to meet, couldn't have, may wait

B were to meet, was not able, should have waited

C were to have met, couldn't, might have waited

D had to have met, might not have, should wait

17. Why are you so upset? She .. he dates. — She ... about our meeting. She fixed the day and time herself.

A could have mixed up, might not have forgotten

B may have mixed up, couldn't have forgotten

C is able to mix up, can't forget

D must mix up, was not able to forget

18. You ... in their conversation. You ... silent when they were talking.

A don't need to interfere, should keep

B can't have interfered, may keep

C needn't have interfered, should have kept

D don't have to interfere, could have kept

19. ... he have got into an accident? He is such a carefuldriver. — But other drivers are not. Somebody into his car.

A Can, may have crashed

B May, should have crashed