From: Steve Davies (steve365@btinternet.com)
Date: Sun Jun 10 2001 - 11:13:44 MDT
-----Original Message-----
From: Lee Corbin <lcorbin@ricochet.net>
To: extropians@extropy.org <extropians@extropy.org>
Date: 10 June 2001 15:49
Subject: Gerunds vs. Present Participles
>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
>
Just to confuse things more there's the gerundive which also ends in "ing"
but is a verbal adjective ie it qualifies a noun or pronoun. eg "the
thinking man" - "thinking" qualifies the noun "man".
Steve Davies
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