In Expressions^x, Articles^x, Gerunds^x

All of your examples are gerunds if we stick to modern terminology. Forget about the terminology verbal noun . It's total garbage! It has many different definitions, depending on the author and when the grammar book was written. __ The modern definition is given at ...

Clive wrote: Hi, I haven't heard the expression 'a verbal noun'. How would you define it? Yes, gerunds can have an article. Clive When I was studying Turkish, we used the term 'verbal noun' to identify a verb form made into a noun by adding suffixes to denote person, possession,...

Hi, I haven't heard the expression 'a verbal noun'. How would you define it? Yes, gerunds can have an article. Clive

Goodman wrote: 5)You had better have seen the doctor earlier. The tone and tense are rather odd. I would say “You had better” does not go with this context. If I guess correctly, do you mean to say” you should have seen the doctor earlier” ? Hello I'm interested in Goodman's discussion...

There's not really a rule, no. But sometimes (not always) there's an expression without either infinitive or gerund which parallels the troublesome situation. If the parallel expression has the preposition "to" then you'll need the gerund form when you use the verb. Example: "used to", where...

Hello MrP History of English Gerunds (quoted from OED) The most notable development of the verbal nouns in form of -ing is its use as a gerund, i.e. a substantive with certain verbal functions, particularly those of being qualified by an adverb instead of an adjective, and of governing an...