Its nominal and verbal features
The nominal features of the gerund are:
It can function as the subject, the predicative or an object (direct and prepositional).
It can be preceded by a preposition:
I didn’t like the idea of visiting them.
It can be modified by a noun or a pronoun in the possessive case:
I don’t quite like Mary’s (her) acting.
The verbal features of the gerund are:
It has tense distinctions (it can be indefinite and perfect reading, having read). The tense distinctions of the gerund are relative, not absolute (the indefinite form expresses simultaneity, the perfect form expresses priority).
Note. In some cases we find an indefinite gerund instead of perfect expressing a prior action. This occurs after the verbs to remember, to forget, to excuse, to forgive, to thank, to accuse, to blame, to punish, to reward, to reproach and after the prepositions on (upon), after, without:
I don’t remember hearing that before.
It has voice distinctions (it can be active and passive being done, having been done):
He liked neither reading nor being read to.
Note. After the verbs to want, to need, to deserve, to require and the adjective worth an active gerund is used though it is passive in meaning:
The child deserves praising.
The dress wants washing.
The gerund can take a direct object:
I’ve made progress in speaking this language.
It can be modified by an adverb:
She burst out crying bitterly.
The forms of the gerund
Active Passive
Indefinite running ---------
sending being sent
Perfect having run -----------
having sent having been sent
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE GERUND IN THE SENTENCE
The Gerund can be used in different syntactic functions:
1. a subject.
It can occupy the front position in the sentence:
Seeing is believing.
It can follow the predicate:
a) after the expressions with the anticipatory it it’s no use, it’s no good, it’s worth while
It’s no use arguing about it.
Note the difference in the function of the gerund:
It’s worth while seeing the film.( a subject)
The film is worth seeing. (an object)
b) in the construction there is no…
There was no going back.
2. part of a compound verbal predicate:
a) part of a compound verbal modal predicate after the modal phrase can’t help (doing smth):
I couldn’t help smiling.
b) part of a compound verbal aspective predicate.
The gerund is interchangeable with the infinitive after the verbs
to begin to continue
to start to end
to commence to cease
They began discussing the question.
Only the gerund is part of an aspective predicate after the verbs:
to burst out to fall to
to quit to stop
to keep on to give up
to finish
She burst out laughing hysterically.
He gave up smoking two years ago.
3. part of a compound nominal predicate (a predicative):
Our aim is getting there as soon as possible.
4. a direct object. In this function the gerund follows
verbs used only with the gerund :
to avoid to fancy to practise
to appreciate to forgive to put off
to admit to imagine to recall
to celebrate to mention to recollect
to consider to mind to resent
to deny to miss to resist
to enjoy to postpone to risk
to excuse to feel like to suggest
Avoid making mistakes.
We didn't mind waiting.
She couldn’t resist saying something.
the adjectives busy, worth.
She is busy doing her task.
The facts are worth mentioning.
- verbs used either with the infinitive or the gerund
allow like prefer
can’t bear love recommend
deserve need regret
dread neglect remember
fear omit require
forget plan want
hate permit
The grass wants (needs) cutting.
5. a prepositional object:
- after the verbs
to think of to depend on to accuse of
to object to to blame for to congratulate on
to apologize for to succeed in to believe in
to prevent from to excuse for to get used to
to insist on to look forward to to decide on (upon)
to thank for to agree to to suspect of
to forgive for to complain of to persist in
to devote to to approve of to dream of (about)
to assist in
I thought of going to see my friend.
Thank you for coming.
We insisted on calling the doctor.
I apologize for disturbing you.
after the expressions
to be proud of to be ignorant of to be sorry for
to be fond of to be sure of to be embarrassed at
to be capable of to be angry at to be keen on
to be afraid of to be pleased at to be wrong in
to be tired of to be surprised at to be successful in
to be used to to be accustomed to to be aware of
to be good at to be engaged in to be interested in
I'm tired of thinking about it.
She is capable of taking care of herself.
She is very good at singing.
He was angry at seeing me there.