From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@ricochet.net)
Date: Sun Jun 10 2001 - 08:44:42 MDT
Spike writes:
>Lee Im no English grammarian, but a foggy memory is telling
>me a gerund is a verb that is being used as a noun, which these
>are not. One wouldn't say "Hey Lee, pass me a thinking,
>oh and toss in a couple of those enjoyings and an experiencing
>or two." spiking
St. Google writes,
"Every gerund, without exception, ends in -ing. Gerunds are not,
however, all that easy to pick out. The problem is that all
present participles also end in -ing. What is the difference?
Gerunds function as nouns. Thus, gerunds will be subjects, subject
complements, direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of
prepositions. Present participles, on the other hand, complete
progressive verbs or act as modifiers.
Read these examples:
[These here are **gerunds**:]
Since Francisco was five years old, swimming has been his passion.
Swimming = subject of the verb has been
Francisco's first love is swimming.
Swimming = subject complement of the verb is
Francisco gives swimming all of his energy and time.
Swimming = indirect object of the verb gives
[And these here are, I guess, **present participles**:]
Francisco and his coach were swimming at Daytona Beach.
Swimming = present participle completing the past
progressive verb were swimming
A great white shark ate Franciso's swimming coach.
Swimming = present participle modifying coach
Now Francisco only practices in swimming pools.
Swimming = present participle modifying pools"
Lee
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