Gerund

Hi,

First, in the following sentence, is 'adding' a gerund? Yes.

Adding comments (has/have) been disabled for this video.

If yes, is 'comments' part of this gerund also? I think of it as the object of 'adding'.
Second, what should follow 'adding comments'? While 'comments' is a plural, shouldn't 'adding comments' be considered a single activity? Yes, so say 'has'.

If I wanted to write more carefully, I would write this as The function (or method, or ability) to add comments has been disabled for this video.

[ How would you add comments to a video, anyway? ]

Finally, I was wondering whether 'what pumpkins being dropped off a building' takes a plural verb.
i.e., Ever wonder what pumpkins being dropped off a building (look/looks) like?
My guess is 'looks', but it's kind of confusing because without 'being dropped off a building', it takes a plural verb. 

The subject of the verb 'look' is the plural 'pumpkins', so say Ever wonder what pumpkins being dropped off a building look like?

On the other hand, you could say Ever wonder what dropping pumpkins off a building looks like?

Best wishes, Clive
 

Hi CJ,

I know what you are saying. Perhaps you can say it either way, depending on your meaning.

It sounds OK to say Ever wonder what men being hanged look like? if you are focusing on the men, their faces, etc.

But you could also say Ever wonder what men being hanged looks like? if you mean the whole activity.

However, dropping pumpkins off a building or hanging men does clarify that one means the activity.

Clive