Dialogue

Nora: Good afternoon, Mrs. Wood. You are looking pleased. Have you found out who took your missing spoons?

Mrs. Wood: Yes, it’s really very funny, I must tell you. Of course, I’ve been awfully nervous since yesterday, my husband being away and there being nobody else in the house. And then coming back from shopping this afternoon I found the back gate open and suspicious noises coming from the house!

Nora: Goodness!

Mrs. Wood: Thinking that if I went for help the fellow would get away, I decided to catch him myself.

Nora: How very brave of you!

Mrs. Wood: And then, looking in through the kitchen window what should I see but —

Nora: A man?

Mrs. Wood: No — a monkey!

Nora: A monkey?

Mrs. Wood: Yes, a monkey, sitting on my kitchen table, and taking all my knives and forks out of the table drawer.

Nora: Wherever had it come from?

Mrs. Wood: I just couldn’t think at first. And then I suddenly remembered that the house at the end of the road has just been taken over by an old sailor who has all sorts of strange pets.

Nora: I know — Mr. Benbow. So the monkey sitting on the table was his. What extraordinary creature — taking your spoons one day and coming back for your knives and forks the next! Did you manage to catch him?

Mrs. Wood: I couldn’t catch him myself, but I fetched Mr. Benbow and he soon did it.

Nora: And did you discover what the monkey had done with your spoons?

Mrs. Wood: Yes, we found them hidden at the end of our own garden!

Nora: How very funny! With the police hunting everywhere for a criminal too. Still, ‘All’s well that ends well!’

Meet the Parkers

The gerund

Exercise 1.

State the form of the gerund.

1. When I had asked him what first gave him the idea of being a painter, he was unable or unwilling to tell me. (S.M.)

2. We happened then to cross the street and the traffic prevented us from speaking. (S.M.)

3. I know you dislike being aroused early, but it is nine o’clock. Pagget insists on regarding 9 a.m. as practically the middle of the day. (A. Chr.)

4. The world is a fine place and worth fighting for. (E.H.)

5. He was accustomed to having all his thoughts sifted through his mother’s mind. (St. L.)

6. I see, Mr. Clarke, that you are if I may say so without being offensive — still a boy at heart. (A. Chr.)

7. I can’t explain, but having done it just once is enough. (A. H.)

8. After fifteen minutes she located a physician who sounded angry and sulky at being called out of bed. (F.F.)

9. Mrs. Harter couldn’t help smiling at him. (A. Chr.)

10. The cook left, having heard that she could earn three times her present wages in London, without being obliged to prepare more than two dinners in the week … (P.W.)

11. He had never committed the imprudence of marrying, or encumbering himself in any way with children. (Galsw.)

12. And as though in the habit of taking each other home every night they went out. (Galsw.)

13. He reproached me for not being foresighted enough to bring a picnic lunch. (Am. St.)

14. I didn’t at all like the prospect of having to break the bad news to him. (P.W.)

15. It was not until the crowd had cleared away a bit that we got a chance of having a word together. (P.W.)

16. … when she took a thing into her head there was no stopping her. (Galsw.)

17. “I don’t see anything funny about a child being hurt!” She said in a trembling voice. (F.F.)

18. There was something in his personality which prevented him from being dull. (S.M.)

19. Almost without meaning to she put one of her own hands into his hand. (S.M.)

Exercise 2.

Point out verbal, noun and adverbial characteristics of the gerund in the following sentences.

1. He lifted his head, but still without looking at me, his huge hands were clenched into fists. (Banks)

2. I wonder at Jolyon’s allowing the engagement. (Galsw.)

3. It was ridiculous to think of going back there. (Banks)

4. But to my intense surprise, on getting down early the next morning, and eagerly opening the newspapers, there was not a word about the arrest! (A. Chr.)

5. I felt quite calm again, as divorced from my own immediate problems as if I were coming out after seeing a particularly absorbing film. (Banks)

6. I bent again to smell the bushy spikes, but Father stopped me by stooping quickly and snapping one off to give me. (Banks)

7. I wondered if I should apologise for never having called her back. (St. L.)

8. She never tired of praising his beauty. (S.M.)

9. I don’t remember leaving the club, but I remember being in a taxi and saying: “Toby, I’ll pay for this,” and him saying: “This is my party …” (Banks)

10. The effort of getting up the third and fourth flights, which I tried to manage in one go, muddled me somehow. (Banks)

11. … she was not used to being kept waiting … (S.M.)

12. Nobody ever thought of making them at home. (K. Man.)

13. She began looking, rather hopelessly, at the names wondering whether one of them would recall something … . (S.M.)

14. He insisted on coming downstairs with her and putting her into a cab. (S.M.)

15. He was tempted by the idea of having a flat of his own, but it was out of the question … . (S.M.)

Exercise 3.

Use the gerund in the active or passive voice (non-perfect) instead of the infinitive in brackets.

1. Mr. Davidson has a wonderful heart and no one who is in trouble has ever gone to him without (to comfort). (S.M.)

2. I eat very little myself, but I make a point of (to have) a proper dinner served to me every night. (S.M.)

3. “I wanted to see you,” I said and now I was anxious just to avoid (to look) at her and to collect my wits. (S.M.)

4. I think he was a little ashamed of (to be) so successful. (S.M.)

5. This was an appeal to which Eleonor was incapable of (to turn) a deaf ear. (S.M.)

6. We were in the habit of (to bathe) at a beach called the Baths of Liberius. (S.M.)

7. Worst of all, he had no hope of (to shake) her resolution. (Galsw.)

8. … I hated thus (to deprive) of the sweetness of youth. (O’Hara)

9. Never had he felt George’s presence without the sense of (to laugh) at. (Galsw.)

Exercise 4.

Use the gerund in the perfect or non-perfect form instead of the infinitive in brackets.

1. Without (to ask) his advice I have taken an important step.

2. My sister usually stopped (to read) when there was something terrible in the story.

3. He disliked (to run) the whole department.

4. He spoke with an air of (to work) this out accurately. (White)

5. On behalf of my wife and myself we thank you for (to be) with us on this joyous occasion. (H.R.)

6. Miss Marple had been shown every antique piece of furniture that contained or could be suspected of (to contain) a secret drawer. (A. Chr.)

7. (to hear) them talk about bathing made me want to bathe too. (A. Chr.)

8. That charming lady is capable of (to tell) any lie to her advantage, with the most childlike candor. (A. Chr.)

9. People had grown tired of (to say) that the “Disunion” was on its last legs. (Galsw.)

10. I think I am correct in (to say) that they have remained in the safe. (A. Chr.)

11. He remembered (to meet) her in the park. (Kipling)

12. Mr. Kosak is tired of (to give) us credit. (W.S.)

13. I remember (to read) about it in one of the historical novels … (P.W.)

14. (to picnic) with Jan was better than a feast with anyone else. (Cus.)

15. He knew, but he had no intension of (to reveal) the fact. (A. Chr.)

16. He never spoke of (to have) any relations. (A.Chr.)

17. He gave no sign of (to hear) them. (S.M.)

18. They hate her for (to get away) with it. (Am. St.)

Exercise 5.

Use the gerund in the required form instead of the infinitive in brackets.

1. Gil Tullock was never tired of (to look) at his wife. (White)

2. I wasn’t keen on (to wash) this kind of dirty linen in public. (J. Sh.)

3. He’ll be afraid of (to think) ungrateful. (Galsw.)

4. … he came back to town in a poor way, and went about with pathetic attempts at (to make) the best of a bad job. (Galsw.)

5. The clothes were washed elsewhere: in here they were but aired before (to put on). (Galsw.)

6. Warren wants me to go home and give up the idea of (to go) on the stage. (I.M.)

7. They would send out for coffee and sandwiches, and after they had finished (to eat), it would be around seven o’clock. (I.M.)

8. Here, they felt, was someone worth (to take) a little trouble over. (S.M.)

9. He was so young, so gay, he laughed so merrily at other people’s jokes that no one could help (to like) him. (S.M.)

10. I beg the House’s pardon for (to be) so long in (to fulfil) my task. (Galsw.)

11. I seem honoured in (to permit) to draw the attention of all the parties to this. (Galsw.)

12. After (to mourn) for her so many years it is time that you once more enjoyed life. (A. Chr.)

13. … Mrs. Soudamore … hesitated before (to kiss) her daughter good-bye. (P.W.)

14. Martin Eden never looked at him without (to experience) a sense of repulsion. (J.L.)

15. And ever since she’s been haunted by what she did. I can’t help (to feel) sorry for her. (A. Chr.)

16. Thank you for (to look) in on me. (H.R.)

17. Soames had the peculiar feeling of (to overdo) his own honesty. (Galsw.)

Exercise 6.

Define the function of the gerund.

1. Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. (Proverb)

2. In spite of myself I could not help smiling. (A. Chr.)

3. In the silence he began humming once again. (A.H.)

4. I always enjoy exercising my ingenuity. (A. Chr.)

5. Old Jolyon came out of Lord’s cricket ground that same afternoon with the intension of going home. (Galsw.)

6. On hearing the tragic news, she fell at once into an alarming state of agitation. (A.Chr.)

7. You do not know how I suffer; all last night I could not sleep for thinking of your peril. (Steve)

8. I’m thinking of travelling there by train in future. (A.H.)

9. He spared no pains in trying to see all and sundry who might be of use to him. (Dr.)

10. “William,” Elizabeth said, “would you mind telling my brother what instructions Mr. Lozier gave you?” (Am. St.)

11. Another election! Could he stand a second time without showing his true colours? (Galsw.)

12. It’s no use crying over spilt milk. (Proverb)

13. Billy O’Brien … started writing dramatic criticism for little reviews. (M.S.)

14. I just don’t like getting mixed up in this thing. (Am. St.)

15. There was a reason for not doing so; a secret he had shared with no one, not even Natalie, his wife. (A.H.)

16. It was, she supposed, Henet’s way of amusing herself. (A. Chr.)

17. Why have you come to me before going to her? (A. Chr.)

18. What d’you mean by saying that you’re my nephew? (A. Chr.)

19. The children woke soon and began chattering and playing in the bed. (M.S.)

Exercise 7.

Define the type of the adverbial modifier expressed by the gerund.

1. Baydz and his father entered the room. They looked at each other without speaking. (H.R.)

2. He was overwhelmingly generous, and his generosity was of that rare and excellent kind which makes you feel as if you are doing … a favour by accepting it. (Am. St.)

3. Without giving myself time to reflect, I walked straight to the house … (A. Chr.)

4. Instead of worrying he took a deep breath of the crisp air … (F.F.)

5. When a little while ago, my publisher expressed a wish to reissue it (a novel), I felt that, before consenting to this, I really should read it again. (S.M.)

6. The rain poured down without ceasing. (S.M.)

7. Ede had obtained Billy’s teddy-bear by pulling it forcibly from his arms … (F.F.)

8. This morning, the old servant Françoise, on descending to start her work, found the front door ajar. (A. Chr.)

9. You never realize that by lying back in an armchair, with the eyes closed, one can come nearer to the solution of any problem. (A. Chr.)

10. Without much searching, I found an apartment on the fifth floor. (S. M.)

11. That was soon established, by comparing it with the memorandum from the desk. (A. Chr.)

12. Sometimes Liza fell into light doze and Jim would keep very still for fear of waking her. (S.M.)

Exercise 8.

Insert prepositions where necessary.

1. What was the use … keeping half a dozen servants eating their heads off. (Galsw.)

2. That would have been much the easiest way … doing it, he agreed. (A. Chr.)

3. He was a little hesitant about his reason … wanting to get away so badly. (Shute)

4. Yet, ironically, there was seldom any difficulty … getting money for non-operational improvements. (A. H.)

5. You see a definite reason … going down to Handborough? (A. Chr.)

6. I am not in the habit … letting my judgement be influenced, as you call it, Hastings. (A. Chr.)

7. Her voice had become thrill; Ralph spoke in the hope … restraining it. (Am. St.)

8. You can’t tell how a man’s feeling just … looking at him. (P.W.)

9. He was possessed with a wild notion … rushing out into the streets and taking a train to Detroit. (F.F.)

10. Certain people, you see, have a gift … seeing things in a crystal. (A. Chr.)

11. She gave the impression … being frail, innocent and very young. (I. Sh.)

12. “You haven’t thanked me yet … saving your life,” I said with false sweetness. (A. Chr.)

13. “Roger!” cried Gretchen. “What d’you mean … talking like that?” (F.F.)

14. In the afternoon she was overtaken by a desperate fit … sobbing. (Galsw.)

15. I never did succeed … teaching her to drive. (St. L.)

16. The man insisted … shaking hands enthusiastically. (F.F.)

17. We shoveled out at the risk … getting frostbite and sore muscles. (Am. St.)

Exercise 9.

Complete the following using the gerund