Search results for 'tag:Gerunds' matching tag 'Gerunds'

Re: Possessive gerund

califjim — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:42:24 GMT

I suppose you mean a possessive form before the gerund. I would say no in all cases. vehicle sales' rising, Cattles's achieving, and RBS's owning are all awkward in my opinion, and in the last case, definitely wrong. The with ... -ing pattern doesn't ever take a possessive before its gerund, as far as I know. In my opinion, the possessive works better with the pro-forms my, your, our , etc., and even there, Dickens was probably the last person to handle them with anything resembling expertise. CJ

Possessive gerund

raffere — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:17:25 GMT

Should the following sentences take the possessive gerund? If so, why? Thank you " In spite of vehicle sales rising 17 per cent " "These proposed changes are central to Cattles achieving a more cost-efficient business model that mirrors current levels of lending activity,” Apax’s stake will fall from 71 to 51 per cent, with RBS owning the rest .

Re: Grammar

mister micawber — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:14:27 GMT

Usually, the word 'verbal' is used to mean a word of another sort that is derived from a verb. Gerunds, for instance, are verbals.

Re: Meaning and difference

clive — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:14:13 GMT

Hi guys, I don't know if it will encourage you or discourage you if I tell you that most native English speakers don't even know what a gerund is. Howver, they can still speak good English. Having said this, I understand very well that, as non-native learners of English, you need definitions and rules. Frankly, I'm always impressed by the rules that non-natives mention on the Forum. Many of them, I have never heard of, yet they usually seem valid. So, don't feel discouraged! Best wishes, Clive

Re: Meaning and difference

avangi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:54:02 GMT

Welcome to English Forums, tampu. Thanks for joining us! You've come to the right place to agonize over this distinction. I've been doing so for three years, and I get absolutely no sympathy. The popular wisdom is that the gerund is NOT, repeat, NOT, nor never was, a present participle. End of story. I invite you to use our internal search engine to examine the many threads on the subject. You'll probably get a few more encouraging replies to your inquiry! You might also try posting your request (with a bit more careful English) in our Linguistics Forum. Best wishes, - A.

Meaning and difference

tampu05 — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:57:01 GMT

I like to know via Eglish forum ' What is the"DECLAMATION" ? difference between gerund andpresent participle? Regards

Re: ING or infinitive???

califjim — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:15:37 GMT

Does that happen because of the type of the verb? Yes, it does. In fact the formula that I showed you above depends entirely on the verb do . The pattern is called a 'pseudo-cleft with do ', and there are other posts on English Forums that deal with this pattern specifically. (Use the search box above.) ... + infinitives (with or without to , usually without). All she does is (to) sleep all day. What I did was (to) write a letter to them. What you should do is (to) ask for your money back. Use the -ing form only if the first part has doing . ... doing + gerunds. All she was doing was reading a book. What they'll be doing is selling donuts and cakes. What they've been doing is listing the names of...

Re: ING or infinitive???

califjim — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:35:50 GMT

I have doubts about which verb tense should I I should use in these situations: ... Why should I use the -ing form in the first case and the infinitive in the second case? By doing so, you are merely following the usual conventions of English. It is not very usual to begin a sentence with an infinitive. The first sentence is actually rather awkward, though, even with the gerunds, and most people use only the second pattern to express that sort of idea. The second is much more idiomatic. It's such a comma formula, you may as well just memorize: All I did was ... All he did was ... All she did was ... All we did was ... All they did was ... CJ

Re: Can a transitive verb function as gerund?

dimsumexpress — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:12:14 GMT

Here is my take: Recognizing the immediate danger, he ordered everyone to evacuate the building. - participle phrase usge. Recognize is a transitive verb, but I've used it without an object and as a gerund. Is that acceptable? Or, must I say 'recognizing X is tough' and provide an object? Put simply, must I mention an object even while using the transitive verb as a gerund? Recognizing our own shortcomings is something most of us unable to do. Noun phrase usage. Without supporting contexts, the two phrases below are just plain phrases which can't be determined . Whether it's a noun or participle phrase, to me, really depends on the how the main clause is constructed. ...

Re: Can a transitive verb function as gerund?

califjim — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:11:36 GMT

Put simply, must I mention an object even while using the transitive verb as a gerund? If it is transitive only , then it has to have an object regardless whether it is the main verb or a gerund. You don't say: Mary recognized. Therefore, you don't say: Recognizing is tough. There may be poetic or literary uses of what you are talking about, but in general the properties of the gerund are the same as the properties of the associated main verb. CJ

Re: Can a transitive verb function as gerund?

mister micawber — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:55:53 GMT

Transitive verbs form gerundial phrases: Walking your dog is good exercise.

Re: Grammar problems. Thanks.

clive — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:40:48 GMT

Hi, 1. I walk and I do walking. What is the difference between these two? The latter is not very idiomatic. It sounds a bit like you are taling about your hobbies. 2. Drink milk before you go to sleep. and Drinking milk before sleeping . Which one is correct? The former is a sentence, because 'drink' is an imperative verb form. The latter is merely a phrase, with no main verb. 'Drinking/sleeling' are gerunds. 3. Industry zone or Industrial zone / Resident zone or Residential zone. Do I need to use Adj or Noun before zone ? The idiomatic thing is to use an adjective. 4. Keep me informed if you receive the new message . "if" here is correct ? Yes. It expresses a...

Re: English Gerunds

mister micawber — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:44:48 GMT

Yes, a preposition, too. I knew there was something I had forgotten.

Re: English Gerunds

mister micawber — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:23:22 GMT

No; you cannot do that in English syntax. The gerund can only be preceded by a determiner.

Re: English Grammar

califjim — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:15:10 GMT

Is the word argue used in infinitive form ? Yes. Why don't we use the gerund form ? Because you have to match it with the form of do . Use the infinitive in all cases except when doing precedes. (When you use the infinitive, the to is optional.) What he does is (to) give children flu injections. What he is doing is giving the child a flu injection. These patterns are called, if you want a name for them, pseudo-clefts with do . CJ

Re: English Grammar

philip — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:48:56 GMT

"All you ever do is argue." Is the word argue used in infinitive form ? Yes. Why don't we use the gerund form ? I wouldn't say 'All you ever do is arguing' is wrong, but it doesn't sound good to me. Best wishes, Clive It sounds so bad to me that I can only conclude that it is wrong.

Re: Gerund and infinitive

yankee — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:47:01 GMT

Hi Anon I have merged your two threads since they in essence asked the same question.

Re: Gerund and infinitive

avangi — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:08:20 GMT

"All you need to do is wait". Is the word wait in infinitive form ? Yes. Is 'to' before 'wait' optional or redundant? Both. Why don't we generally use the gerund form ? Tradition! I believe you may use the gerund if you reverse the order: "Waiting is all you need to do."

Re: English Grammar

clive — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:34:43 GMT

Hi, "All you ever do is argue." Is the word argue used in infinitive form ? Yes. Why don't we use the gerund form ? I wouldn't say 'All you ever do is arguing' is wrong, but it doesn't sound good to me. Best wishes, Clive

Re: Gerund or participle

mister micawber — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:10:32 GMT

This conversation continues HERE .

Re: Urgent help required

mister micawber — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:22:43 GMT

It is the object of the verb. Verb objects are nouns, noun phrases or noun clauses. Ergo, it is a gerund (an '-ing' verb form acting as a noun.) (This conversation started HERE .)

Re: Gerund or participle

califjim — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:01:58 GMT

If I may butt in, it's a gerund because it's a noun substitute. You need "a thing". CJ

Re: Gerund or participle

swift — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:08:29 GMT

Thanks for taking the time to answer Clive. Your answer makes perfect sense but I'm still having trouble understanding why it is a gerund!!

Urgent help required

swift — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:05:36 GMT

Hi everyone! In an earlier post I asked the question ( which Clive very kindly answered ) as to whether the ing word in this phrase was a participle or a gerund. The car needs washing. Some other examples are The gate needs painting...The windows need cleaning etc etc. Could someone please explain why it is a gerund?? I can't seem grasp that it is acting as a noun

Re: Sentence Correction

cool breeze — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:36:46 GMT

Both the infintitive to run and the gerund running are correct after some verbs such as start, begin, hate etc. Some grammarians argue that the infinitive is better or should be used to refer to a single case of something happening and the gerund is to be preferred in other cases. Actual usage does not support this view even though it is true that one or the other of the alternatives may sound better or be more common in some cases. The tense od the verb, in your example started , has nothing to do with the choice. Examples: He starts to read the newspaper at 7 o'clock. He starts reading the newspaper... He started to read the newspaper... He started reading the newspaper... The meaning of some verbs depends on the form...

Re: Gerunds

khoff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:23:59 GMT

Which questions and answers to you mean? Do you mean the posts on English Forums? I don't really understand your question. Gerunds are a useful part of English are are used in many circumstances. Why shouldn't they be used in questions and answers here, or anywhere else?

Re: Gerund or participle

clive — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:22:13 GMT

Hi, It's a gerund. The car needs something. The car needs a wash. The car needs washing. Washing is what the car needs. Clive

Gerund or participle

swift — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:16:03 GMT

Hi everyone!! In this sentence " The car needs washing/repairing etc, is the -ing form classed as a gerund or as a participle. Noun =gerund, and verb, adjective =participle I know but????Or is it a gerundive which refers to something that needs to be done??Thanks

Re: Depending on

dimsumexpress — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:09:49 GMT

Now I am curious... "Prices may vary depending on location" which is the example I tried to use as a parallel to the original question. I saw this usage quite a few times before at McDonalds as different stores have different pricing policy. Amy pointed out something which is the gerund usage which didn't hit me until now. Now I have a different question: Is "depending on location..." a participle/ adverbial phrase, or a noun phrase? It would seem to me that it has the characteristics of all 3.

Re: Depending on

avangi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:11:14 GMT

<< Also depending on the occasion would be the shape of the cake. >> I've never considered the sentence wrong. I'm comfortable with atypical sentences. But I was embarrassed by the poster's question about the subject. Amy opened my eyes on that. It was right under my nose. The gerund "depending" is a noun, and a noun phrase makes a perfect subject. "Making waves would be fun!" Dim's being bothered by "the noun phrase" tickled me but didn't wake me up. Also losing on the market today was General Motors. Also living in the new residences would be the homeless. I don't see a problem.

Re: Question re: gerand / noun phrase

mister micawber — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:13:45 GMT

Yes, a gerund: I like playing guitar. Playing guitar is a good hobby.

Re: Question re: gerand / noun phrase

clive — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:06:30 GMT

Hi, Many kind thanks in advance for anyone who can answer the following question. What part of speech is the word guitar in the sentence below: It's a noun, as you probably know. I like playing guitar. Is playing guitar a noun phrase, and if so, what is that? Is this possibly a gerund phrase? Yes, I'd call it a gerund phrase. Best wishes, Clive

Question re: gerand / noun phrase

postmodernbliss — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:07:48 GMT

Hello, Many kind thanks in advance for anyone who can answer the following question. What part of speech is the word guitar in the sentence below: I like playing guitar. Is playing guitar a noun phrase, and if so, what is that? Is this possibly a gerund phrase? Thank you.

Re: Grammar Questions

dimsumexpress — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:49:18 GMT

Hello everyone, I wish it would stop raining – I know ‘wish’ and ‘would’ are the key to the construction - but I don’t know what the tense is… Subject + wish + it (what is it?)+ would (modal auxiliary verb) + verb + gerund Hi, You are almost perfect! The " I wish + I would / could " construction is one type of conditional sentence that describes conditions of non-factual or imaginary natures. I wish I could have graduated from college a few years earlier..

Grammar Questions

emma_09 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:41:37 GMT

Hello everyone, Would anyone mind having a read through my answers below to see if i'm on the right tracks? I'm looking at the meaning/function and form of the sentence/underlined words! With many thanks!! Fiona is very sociable - Present simple to describe a friends character/ Subject + be in present + adverb + adjective (adjective phrase) I wish it would stop raining – I know ‘wish’ and ‘would’ are the key to the construction - but I don’t know what the tense is… Subject + wish + it (what is it?)+ would (modal auxiliary verb) + verb + gerund Fadouma has worked here for 2 years – present perfect to describe something that began in the past and continues now. Subject + have (3rd...

Re: Mainly question on putting adjectives in front of gerund

califjim — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:10:08 GMT

much absolutely cannot be used there. loud and great are not really idiomatic there, though with the addition of of , the use of loud is slightly less objectionable. The positioning of adjectives in front of gerund clauses is not often successful stylistically. In your place, I would avoid the practice. (The determiner is his , by the way.) CJ

Re: Mainly question on putting adjectives in front of gerund

jemaasjr — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:06:51 GMT

Hi. Is it correct to put adjectives like "loud" or "great" or what looks to be a determiner (not sure, though) like "much" in front of a gerund clause? eg, His much/loud/great playing the violin in the early evening has helped her to relax, for the most part. Much does not work well and I think the problem is you are using it to modify the -ing form in "playing." You could say, "Each evening his much played violin helped to relax her, for the most part." Easier would be, "His frequent playing of the violin.." Would this be correct? This is a little changed version of the above? His much/loud/great playing of the violin in the early evening has...

Re: Is this a grammatical sentence?

avangi — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:49:47 GMT

The three glasses of wine led to his sleeping through the lecture. The wine led to sleep. The wine led to sleeping. (Both are correct.) The gerund acts as a noun - in these cases, object of the preposition, "to." The road leads to home. "Home" is a noun. << So.. "lead to + (object) + ~ing" is a possible structure in English? >> You can't stick "ing" on just any old word and make it a gerund. It must begin life as a verb. "Sleep" works because "sleep" is both a noun and a verb. The wine led to violence. The wine led to violencing. (I don't think so.)

Re: Reducing relative clause to adjective phrase

jemaasjr — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:35:33 GMT

Could you explain when exactly we can reduce relative clause if there is no be verb? I know I can say: English has an alphabet that consists or consisting of 26 letters. You are mixing a gerund phrase in with a subordinate noun clause. English has an alphabet consisting of 26 letters. English has an alphabet that consists of 26 letters. Can I do it with any verbs I want? Is it about tenses? Is it only with the present simple tense? Thank you!

Re: Rather than disappoint /disappointing

musicgold — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:12:00 GMT

Marigold: A helpful "secret" is that if you are ever in doubt whether to use the base form or gerund after "rather than," just use "instead of" + gerund, and you will always be using "good" English. Thanks.

Re: Rather than disappoint /disappointing

musicgold — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:15:59 GMT

CJ, Thanks. I am still not clear why #1 is better. 'Rather than' needs to be followed by a noun or noun phrase, and therefore I felt the gerund 'disappointing' is more appropriate. Take another example, 3. Rather than work to live, at present, we live to work. 4. Rather than working to live, at present, we live to work.

Re: Gerund

clive — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:21:21 GMT

Hi, what is the object of the gerund "cooking" in the following sentence? I found my sister reading. I think you mean 'reading', not 'cooking'. It's not a gerund. It's a present participle used as an adjective to describe 'sister'. If you prefer, you could say it is a shortened form of the adjectival clause '. . . my sister, who was r eading' . Best wishes, Clive best wishes, Clive

Re: What is the difference between Gerund and Infinitive

anonymous — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:56:07 GMT

In sentence A she couldn't remember setting the alarm clock and perhaps she still woke up but as to when she set it the night before, she had no memory. In B, she didn't set it and she didn't wake up in time. The infinitve points to a move forward in a series of events, while the -ing looks backwards to previous activity in progress or even to a previous act completed.

Re: "Secrets to"

cool breeze — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:14:54 GMT

Both titles are correct. 1. The title suggests that the story that follows gives seven secrets which are known to insiders only and can be used to attract hot girls. To attract is an infinitive and denotes purpose. The infinitive is often used to refer to future action in headlines as well. I remember this one from the early seventies: Nixon to visit China. The US president was planning a trip to China. The future tense (Nixon will visit China) is avoided in headlines. If it were used, English would be too easy! 2. In this headline to is a preposition and thus attracting is a gerund because an infintive cannot follow a preposition in English. The structure is similar to I'm interested in hear ing about it. Or: He talked about...

Re: Gerunds & Infinatives Help Please

dimsumexpress — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:45:59 GMT

Here are my observations on a few. I left out the correct ones. 2. I can't be bothered to do my homework. Infinative form - This sounds wrong to my ears! I can't be bothered - usually is associated with gerund. 5. I would prefer to eat out tonight. Gerund form . "to eat" is infinitive. 6. I intend to finish my work by the end of the day. Gerund form To fisnish is infinitive. Please look at the following and identify sentences which use the Gerund form, Sentences which do not use the gerund form: 4. James intends seeing you immediately. Uses gerund form. Intend- ussually is followed by infinitve.

Re: Gerunds & Infinatives Help Please

yaggy74 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:45:54 GMT
Hi there Well spotted yes you are right 5+6 are infact both infinative, I must have typed it incorrectly.

Re: Post

dimsumexpress — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:42:18 GMT
My interpretations: I like - is not a phrase, but a single gerund. is tiring - ditto , he returned home = He return home =adjectival functioning as adverb. Please correct me if I am wrong. But one single word can not satisfy the description of a .

Re: Grammar

cool breeze — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 08:44:02 GMT
Now if I look up "are," the dictionary tells me that it is the present plural of "be." But what I would expect is that it would tell me that it is the present plural of "am" or "is" because those are the verbs I actually use if I want the singular of "are." MM has given you agood answer; I'll just elaborate a little. It is obvious that you have never been taught the forms of to be and how to use them. (It's never too late to start! ) Are can be singular or plural, by the way. A. the full/complete infinitive: I want to be here. Used after many verbs such as want, expect, desire etc. Also used after adjectives and there are other uses. B. the plain/bare infinitive =...

Re: Gerunds & Infinatives Help Please

anonymous — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:17:38 GMT
I am currently studying a tefl course and struggling with the concept of gerunds. My question is regarding the first set of questions you had. How did you get gerund on Sentence 5 + 6, when they are not in -ing form. 'I would prefer to eat out tonight' (to eat) is this not infinative? 'I intend to finish my work by the end of the day' (to finish) same- not infinitive? would appreciate any help you can or anyone else can give on this thankyou.

Re: Helping

philip — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:23:38 GMT
a . is correct. A gerund, by definition, is a form of a verb used as a noun. So this is simply the present participle.