Search results for 'tag:Verbs tag:Gerunds' matching tags 'Verbs' and 'Gerunds'

Re: A preposition or an infinitive marker?

Scottsox — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:22:37 GMT

I agree with the previous post that the original author's translation isn't precisely parallel. "Study" may either be a noun or a verb, but if you want to use "exploring," then you should use "studying" too to keep both of them as gerunds/participles. The Hebrew text of the verse uses a pair of infinitive constructs, which, if my rusty Hebrew knowledge is reliable, implies the substantive use of the infinitive: the process of studying and the process of seeking out. (Interestingly enough, the Hebrew forms are prefixed with the Hebrew preposition "to." If Solomon wanted to emphasize the verbal aspect, he could have used an intensive construction in Hebrew, which, literally translated in English, would sound something like "he studied, studying, and sought, seeking.") The Septuagint text uses articular infinitives (that is, the infinitive with the definite article) for both, which would again imply the substantive nature of the infinitive rather than using the infinitive simply to complete the verb phrase.

Scott

Re: Two infinitives

richard_s — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:21:34 GMT

In that case, the quote is probably:

To quit in space is the same as to quit in the corridor. Â

As Clive points out, you need the asÂ in the sentence (always write the same as)Â

The infinitives can be used instead of the gerunds to give it more of a sense of 'if you do it', other than that, as Clive says, in ordinary speech we would usually use the gerund (~ing) form.

As for articles, you are right; they are very difficult to learn. Â The good news is that they are not terribly important for making yourself understood. Â If you miss a few articles, or put them incorrectly, most native speakers can understand what you mean. Â On the other hand, if you omit a subject in a clause or omit the verb, or use the wrong form of the verb, it can be really hard for a native speaker to understand.

A lot of students find the following process useful for understanding articles:

1. Identify the noun

2. decide if the noun is countable or non-count.

3.1 If it is countable, decide if it is singular or plural.

3.1.1 If it is singular, you need to decide if it is general or specific

3.1.1.1 If is is general, use a or an

3.1.1.2 if it is specific, use the

3.1.2 If it is plural, you need to decide if it is general or specific

3.1.2.1 If is isÂ general, don't use an article

3.1.2.2 if it isÂ specific, useÂ the

3.2 If it is non-count, decide if it is general or specific

3.2.1 if it is general, don't use an article

3.2.2 if it is specific, use the

If you follow that process, it will make it easier to decide if an article is needed or not; then you only need to worry about exceptions, idioms, and all of the extra tiny rules.

In your case above, spaceÂ is general and non-count.

Re: please help

richard_s — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:13:58 GMT

Due to is a preposition, so the first clause should be a prepositional phrase (remember that you can't use modals in prepositional phrases, so you will have to change cannotÂ to not be able to. Â The verb in the clause needs to be in gerund form. You need a comma after the prepositional phrase, not a semicolon. Â

There are only 50% good included 500pcsÂ doesn't make sense. Â Probably included should be including, but I am not sure what this sentence means.

Re: That grew?

Clive — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:35:14 GMT

Hi,
This is on page 660 #17 on the SAT OG Book.
One of the brackets is suppose to contain an error.

[Crossing and recrossing] the stream, stepping on or over slippery rocks, and [following] a trail [that grew] steeper and steeper, the hikers soon realized [how challenging] their day would be. [no error]

The correct answer is [no error] but isn't [that grew] wrong? No. "That grew steeper . . .' is a subordinate clause that describes 'trail'.

All the other verbs are in present tense, except this one. Or can the others be gerunds? No, they are not. The first 3 are present participles acting as adjectives to describe 'the hikers'. 'Challenging' describes 'day'.
eg Smiling, he walked into the room.

can you explain a little about gerunds? In simple terms, a gerund is the noun form of a verb, and can be used in the same manner as a noun.
eg I like chocolate.
eg I like walking.
eg I like eating chocolate.

Best wishes, Clive

That grew?

theooo — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:23:22 GMT

This is on page 660 #17 on the SAT OG Book.
One of the brackets is suppose to contain an error.

[Crossing and recrossing] the stream, stepping on or over slippery rocks, and [following] a trail [that grew] steeper and steeper, the hikers soon realized [how challenging] their day would be. [no error]

The correct answer is [no error] but isn't [that grew] wrong? All the other verbs are in present tense, except this one. Or can the others be gerunds? can you explain a little about gerunds?

Re: The Continuous tense

Tanit — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:52:57 GMT

Anonymous
Is it a rule that the auxiliary, the past participle and the main verb are immediately after one another with no other words inbetween?

No, such a rule does not exist.

Anonymous
For example: "Have you ever had the feeling that you're being followed?"
This sentence has both "have" and "had" and two continuous verbs in it ("feeling" and "being"), but is it neither Present Perfect Continuous nor Past Perfect Continuous?

Your sentence is in the present perfect. "Have you ever had ..."
"the feeling" is a gerund, and acts as if it were a noun (it's the direct complement of "have had"). Try and replace it with "idea", "impression" etc (I'm not saying they are perfect synonym for "feeling" -- it's just to demonstrate that you can have a noun there, and to show you that "feeling" is not acting as a verb in your sentence). Another clue to understand its function is that it's preceded by the article "the".
"that you're being followed" this is a "that-clause" which describes what sort of "feeling" we are talking about. "being" here has to be seen together with "are" and "followed": "are being followed" is present continuous, passive.

Re: Auxiliary verbs

Clive — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:41:17 GMT

Hi,

"Some people say that reading books is not good for your eyes"

'Some people say . . . ' is the main clause. Its main verb is 'say'.

'Reading books is not good for your eyes' is a subordinate clause. The main verb in this clause is 'is'. It's not an auxiliary here.

Consider simpler examples of the same thing.

TV is bad for your eyes.

Some people say that TV is bad for your eyes.

You are overlooking the fact that 'reading' in your example is a gerund, which functions like a noun in the sentence.

Best wishes, Clive

Quick Reply

Anonymous

go study

Lcwang — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 01:16:30 GMT

When a verb follows another verb, it takes the form of either gerund or an infinitive. But we sometimes see sentences as below:

Come see me when you can.
I go study in the library every afternoon.

I also read somewhere that sentences as below are grammatically incorrect:

John goes study in the library every.

Please clarify. And how about the sentence below, is it correct to say:

The promotion campaign helps double the sales.

gerund or just a plain noun?

Raen — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 13:28:26 GMT

Here's the sentence:

Our next job, to finish the painting, should be easy.

Answer: to finish the painting is a noun infinitive used as an appositive/ painting is a gerund used as the direct object to the verbal to finish

I underlined the part in question.

Doesn't "painting" simply mean a picture? Not a gerund which a verb turned into a noun by adding "ing" to the verb"? If the sentence said:

Our next job, to finish painting, should be easy.

I would have agreed it (painting) to be gerund. False?

Regards

Raen

Re: TEFLese

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:14:36 GMT

Here, for all, is fine example of the workings of TEFLese:

There are, then, at least two kinds of language production as part of the learning process in the classroom. At times people produce language in order to communicate.

At other times they produce language simply in order to practise correct forms, or to demonstrate that they can produce a correct form. This may seem to be a

straightforward distinction, but at times it can cause confusion in the classroom.

Here is an example from some actual classroom data (J R Willis 1981). The teacher has worked very hard to set up a situation in which students are to practise a

number of verbs followed by the gerund form -ing. She tells one student:

Antonio, ask Socoop if he likes being a father.

Antonio says:

Socoop, do you like being a father?

Socoop replies:

Yes, I erm . . . I am father of four children.

By standards operating outside the classroom this is a perfectly reasonable reply. It is also, as it happens, an acceptable sentence of English. The teacher, however, is not

satisfied with this reply. She says:

Yes, all right, listen to the question though.

Socoop listens to the question and then tries a series of replies without real success until the teacher resolves the issue by answering for him:

Yes, I do. I like being a father.

The learners do not challenge the truth of the teacher's utterance, even though the teacher is a woman, because they know it is not a real statement intended to

communicate something about the teacher's attitude to parenthood. It is simply the teacher correcting Socoop and giving him a model of the target pattern. Socoop's

mistake, of course, was to behave as if the question he was asked was a real question, and as if he really was expected to explain to the class his feelings about fatherhood.

--

From The Lexical Syllabus, By D Willis. Chpter 1.