The Functions of the Gerund

The forms of the Gerund

	Active Voice	Passive Voice
Indefinite	writing	being written
Perfect	having written	having been written

The Functions of the Gerund

FUNCTION	EXAMPLES
Subject	1. Seeing that advertisement was a decisive moment in my life. 2. There is no denying the fact. - Нельзя этого отрицать. 3. There is no getting away from the fact. - От этого факта не уйти./Нельзя закрывать глаза на этот факт. 4. Advertising often brainwashes people into buying things they do not really need. 5. Selling direct from the factory cuts out the middleman. 6. Sitting hunched over a computer all day can cause back problems. 7. Getting a work permit was the first problem to overcome. 8. Quitting my job was the hardest decision I ever had to make. 9. Investing in shares is always a risky business. 10. Changing schools worked out really well for me. 11. Decorating that room was hard work. 12. Being attractive and intelligent are not mutually exclusive. 13. Smoking is less and less sociably acceptable. 14. Finishing the course gave me a great sense of accomplishment. 15. Cycling has never appealed to me. 16. Getting older is no picnic. 17. Getting the job has boosted my confidence. 18. Advertising often brainwashes people into buying things they do not really need. 19. Climbing Mount Everest is the ultimate challenge. 20. Seeing Niagara Falls was an unforgettable experience. 21. It’s a real bore not having a car. 22. It’s ruining his health living in that damp house. 23. It was lunacy spending all that money. 24. It isn’t worth my while going all that way just for one day. 25. It’s exasperating trying to explain anything to him. 26. It was no use talking to him - he wouldn’t listen. 27. It’s useless arguing with her. 28. There is no knowing what he will do next. - Никогда не знаешь, каков будет его следующий шаг. 29. There is no knowing (telling) what may happen. - Нельзя/невозможно предугадать, что может случиться. 30. There was no way to stop; there was no slowing down. 31. There was no disguising the contempt in Kim’s voice. 32. Once he starts making little jokes, there is no stopping him. 33. There is no deceiving him, he can read my face like a book. 34. There was no telling what she might do.
Predicative	1. Our immediate concern is getting food and water to the refugees. 2. One of Christ’s miracles was turning water into wine. 3. One of the advantages of living in town is having the shops so near. 4. My main claim to fame is meeting the President. 5. The climax of her career was winning a gold medal. 6. We enjoyed the play, but the fly in the ointment was not being able to find our car afterward. 7. The mistake was treating our daughter like a responsible human being.
Part of a Compound Verbal Aspect Predicate	1. The same old problems kept cropping up. 2. She kept telling herself that nothing was wrong. 3. House prices keep going up. 4. We can’t go on living like this. 5. She completely forgot herself and started screaming at him. 6. His car started rolling down the drive. 7. He kept losing his keys, much to the annoyance of his wife. 8. Suddenly, for no apparent reason he started screaming and shouting. 9. The gunman began firing at innocent bystanders. 10. I’ve finished cleaning the bathroom. 11. The same old problems kept cropping up. 12. Inflation keeps pushing prices up. 13. House prices have started moving upwards again. 14. She keeps failing in her attempt to lose weight. 15. John, if you don’t start hitting the books, you’re going to fail. 16. Is Bob still going out with Sally? No, they’ve stopped going out. 17. I can’t keep smiling all day long. 18. If Mary keeps cutting classes, she’ll fail the course. 19. We keep finding this kind of problem all over the place.
Part of a Compound Verbal Modal Predicate	1. I couldn’t help thinking about what had happened.
Direct Object	1. This book is definitely worth reading. 2. Nick loves fixing up old cars. 3. He feigned illness to avoid having to work. 4. I dread seeing him again. 5. I dream of living on a desert island. 6. Imagine being able to do all your shopping from your armchair. 7. Do you mind not smoking in here, please? 8. Tim won’t mind lending you his car. 9. He misses having a room of his own. 10. She enjoys going to parties and mixing with people. 11. The children love exploring. 12. He denied driving at 120 miles per hour. 13. She managed to avoid answering my question. 14. I love browsing around bookshops. (... without buying) 15. Excuse me, but would you mind shutting the door? 16. He denied having any connection with the terrorists. 17. We’re considering buying a new car. 18. I crouched behind the chair to avoid being seen. 19. Fancy seeing you here! 20. The car needs washing, but Bill is all talk and no action on this matter. 21. Tom doesn’t like being told what to do. He prefers to do his own thing. 22. Mr. and Mrs. Smith tried to draw me into their argument. I don’t like being caught in the middle. 23. Do you deny beating your wife?
Prepositional Object	1. I’m not too keen on going to London. 2. He accused the government of rigging the elections. 3. He had begun to despair of ever finding a job. 4. People talk about being under a lot of stress or pressure. 5. Higher fuel costs could deter people from driving their cars. 6. He was charged with being drunk and disorderly. 7. I dream of living on a desert island. 8. Many old people are afraid of losing their independence. 9. Is this man really capable of leading the country? 10. I’m really looking forward to seeing him. 11. He’s been looking forward to accompanying Mattie to Paris. 12. We’ve changed our minds about selling the house. 13. I’m in two minds about accepting his offer. 14. She is accused of entering the country illegally. 15. She isn’t accustomed to dealing with so much media attention. 16. She’s very adept at dealing with the media. 17. She admitted to stealing the keys. 18. He’s really angry at/with me for upsetting Sophie. 19. The politician was accused of taking bribes from businessmen. 20. Maybe she was relieved at having been discovered. 21. They were cationed against buying shares in the company. 22. She’s cautious about lending money to anyone. 23. the woman was furious at having been abandoned by her husband for a woman younger than her daughter. 24. The children are not very good at clearing away their toys. 25. We are close to reaching an agreement. 26. Employees said they were coerced into singing the agreement. 27. She felt she had been conned into buying the car. 28. The man has confessed to stealing the painting. 29. They accused the government of conniving in drug smuggling. (work smth secretly, illegal) 30. They were accused of violating human rights. 31. He seemed more interested in saving face than telling the truth. 32. Most people are in favour of reducing traffic in cities. 33. I got used to being short many years ago. 34. He wasn’t used to holding her anymore. 35. They aren’t accustomed to paying a visit without bringing a gift. 36. сложное дополнение 37. They found it hard adjusting to life in a new country.
Attribute	1. She was one of those people who made a habit of looking busier than she actually was. 2. Young people are growing up in our cities without any hope of getting a job. 3. She went to Paris in the hope of improving her French. 4. People in the Northeast face the highest risk of being burgled. 5. The demand for mobile phones shows no signs of dropping off. 6. Stevens explained his ideas for improving production. 7. They suffered the indignity of being searched like common criminals. 8. I have no intention of seeing him again. 9. He has little chance of winning. 10. We need a mechanism for resolving this kind of dispute. 11. The government is empathizing the importance of voting in the election. 12. I hope he’s got a good excuse for being so late. 13. We experienced a lot of difficulty in selling our house. 14. He moved to New York with hopes of advancing his career. 15. Fear of appearing in court was eating away at Tom.
Adverbial modifier of
time	1. After being interviewed, he felt exhausted. - После того как у него взяли интервью, он почувствовал себя усталым. 2. You must wash your hands before handling food. 3. They deliberated for ten hours before reaching a decision. 4. After reading the story he went for a walk. - Прочтя рассказ. Он пошел погулять. 5. After being interviewed, he felt exhausted. - После тогокак у него взяли интервью, он почувствовал себя усталым. 6. The phone rang three times before being picked up. 7. Switch off the machine before disconnecting it from the power supply. 8. Always double-check your work before giving it to the teacher. 9. She received a tax-free lump sum on leaving the company. 10. Think hard before accepting the offer. 11. After working in publishing, she branched out into journalism. 12. Chill the wine before serving. 13. She made some corrections before handing in the essay. 14. The climbers were rushed to hospital after being injured in a fall. 15. In searching for a nice place to live, we left no stone unturned. 16. On hearing of the death, we just went to pieces. 17. After being yelled at, Ann danced to another tune. 18. The brother and sister burst into tears on hearing of the death of their dog.
purpose	Milk is used for making butter and cheese.
condition	You won’t be able to reach the place in time without taking a taxi.
cause	1. They lock their doors for fear of being robbed.
attendant circumstances	1. She left without uttering a word. 2. She nodded without speaking. 3. The boy accepted his punishment without complaining. 4. You may walk ten or over twelve miles there without finding a house. - Там можно пройти десять-двенадцать миль и не увидеть ниодного дома. 5. Besides going to the zoo, we went to the circus. 6. Don’t let me leave without giving you my address. 7. The couple opposite us sat through the whole meal without exchanging a word. 8. Besides looking after the the children, she also runs a successful business. 9. I can’t watch this movie without choking up. 10. If you think you can get through college without cracking a book, you’re wrong. 11. You always follw your inclinations instead of thinking of our feelings.
concession	12. He managed to eat lunch despite having had an enormous breakfast.
manner	1. The company deceived customers by selling old computers as new ones. 2. Open the file by clicking on the icon. 3. In English you form the present participle by adding -ing to the verb. 4. Protect your teeth and gums by visiting your dentist regularly. 5. She tried to keep optimistic by reminding herself of recent medical miracles. 6. He managed to escape by disguising himself as a woman. 7. Keeping these people in prison is a huge drain on government finances. 8. Many teenagers earn money, for instance by babysitting and cleaning cars. (and) 9. He ekes out a living by cleaning windows. 10. The company wants to beef up its sales force by employing new graduates. 11. She helped me get my start by recommending me to the manager. She blew off the teacher by cheating on the test.
comparison

PREDICATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS WITH THE GERUND

ПРЕДИКАТИВНЫЕ КОНСТРУКЦИИ С ГЕРУНДИЕМ

Сложное подлежащее A complex subject

1. Your crying isn’t going to do us any good. 2. It’s no use your telling me not to worry. 3. It’s no use your writing or telephoning. 4. It’s not much use my buying salmon if you don’t like fish. (Swan) 5. It’s bad enough Richard’s failing at the examination. 6. Your being so indifferent irritates me a great deal. 7. It’s no good your trying to find an excuse. 8. Jack laughed.Their being bothered amused him. 9. His having failed at the examinations was a great disappointment to his mother. 10. Mary’s having been put in an awkward position irritated both of us. 11. His being slow is very annoying. 12. It was quite unexpected his coming so soon. 13. I’m awfully sorry about Walter. You must have had a hell of a time, poor darling. I’m simply dying to see you. It’s rather funny our having babies together. We shall be able to hold one another’s hands. 14. Your knowing so much about my life worries me a lot. 15. It’s no good you hating it. (Half-gerundial construction)  

Сложный предикатив A complex predicative

1. What annoyed me most was his being invited there regularly. 2. What annoys me most of all was his accepting their proposal quite readily. 3. The only thing I’m afraid of tonight is everybody being too sure of themselves. (Half-gerundial construction)  

Сложное дополнение (прямое) A complex direct object

1. I remember Mary’s telling me that. 2. She denies his knowing anything about our plans. 3. Protesters have won their battle to stop the road being built. (g/p???????) 4. Fancy a woman of taste buying a hat. 5. I denied Mary having done this on purpose. 6. Do you mind them coming too? 7. I couldn’t deny both of them having made a reasonable excuse. 8. I remember my brother-in-law going for a short sea trip once for the benefit of his health. 9. I didn’t recollect such a thing having happened to him before. 10. He denied the message having been sent by post. 11. It’s only that I can’t help the water running out of my eyes. 12. Do you mind my/me making a suggestion? 13. I’m annoyed about John’s/John forgetting to pay. It was raining by the time Adeline reached the top of the hill. Her skirt prevented the blood being washed from her leg, and she protected her face by pulling the neck of her blouse over her head so that the collar stuck out like a peak.

Сложное дополнение (косвенное с предлогом) A complex indirect object

1. She objected to children and women smoking. 2. I was irritated with him having been put in an awkward position. 3. He insisted on its (the telegram) being delivered without delay. 4. I insist on Mary and Kate passing their vocation at a rest-home. 5. Would you have any objection to my getting in touch once we’re all back in London? 6. I insisted on the parcel being sent with declared value. 7. She suspected of his actually having opened her letters. 8. She agreed to this valuable letter being registered. 9. She agrees to my marrying John. 10. I’m surprised at his/John’s making that mistake. 11. I’m surprised at him/John making that mistake. 12. In a flash of insight she [Kitty] had told Charlie that Walter had sent her to him with the threat of divorce as the alternative to her accompanying him to the stricken city in order that she might see for herself how indifferent, cowardly, and selfish he was. 13. I don’t approve of your organizing yourself a harem in house when I am out in the rain in the sorriest handsome cab in North America. 14. «Had it anything to do with Father’s making such a mommet of himself in the carriage this afternoon? Why did he? I felt inclined to dink into the ground with shame!» 15. And nobody dared objecting to the young woman being punished with such a cruelty. 16. He mumbled something about it being a waste of time.(half-gerundial)

Сложное определение A complext attribute

1. There’s no chance of everything being ready on time. 2. There came the sound of the door closing then being locked. 3. I don’t like the idea of Mary’s going home. 4. I don’t like the idea of your father going off to war any more than you do. 5. I couldn’t bear the idea of your living at a hotel. 6. The idea of those unfortunate ladies trying to indulge in small talk with that grim mask not a little diverted her [Kitty]. 7. He had no hope of his revealing him the mystery of his handicraft.

Сложное обстоятельство времени A complex adverbial modifier of time

1. After your breaking your appointment I am never going to speak to you again.  

Сложное обстоятельство условия A complex adverbial modifier of condition

There’s no teaching at school without your loving children. BIOLOGY In case of species exhibiting territoriality, it is obviously necessary for defense. (Baker, 554) (Complex adv. modif. of condition)  

Сложное обстоятельство причины A complex adverbial modifier of cause

1. He felt better for Mary’s having written the letter.  

Сложное обстоятельство уступки A complex adverbial modifier of concession

I stayed at the party a bit longer in spite of her having told me the sad news. (concession) In spite of Roger being 17, Tom looked at him as if he had been a baby.  

Сложное обстоятельство образа действия A complex adverbial modifier of manner

He was wakened by someone knocking at the door. (?????????????? Prepositional obj./manner)  

Сложное обстоятельство A complex adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances

1. The morning passed without my making any decision. (attendant circumstances) 2. It will be tricky to exchange large wads of D-marks or pesetas for euros without questions being asked. 3. She [Kitty] would tell him that she had never cared two pins for him [Walter] and that not a day had passed since their marriage without her regretting it.

Сложное обстоятельство сравнения A complex adverbial modifier of comparison

She was not sure why it was so awful, even more awful than Hugh’s knowing that she had returned.  

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