The gerund in paradigmatic system of non-finite forms of the english verbs

THE GERUND IN PARADIGMATIC SYSTEM OF NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE ENGLISH VERBS

1.1 Finite and non-finite forms of the English verbs

The verb is a part of the speech expressing grammatical meaning of an action.

The verbs are divided into finite and non-finite. Such division is universal.

The survey of these verb forms appeals from the point of view of the characteristic of grammatical structure of modern English language.

Hornby calls Infinitive (PresentInfinitive,PerfectInfinitive), Participles (PresentParticiple,PastParticiple) and the gerund by non-finite verb forms.

Thus all the others verbs forms are finite.

Due to Hornby non-finite forms of the verb to be are(to) be, (to) have been, being, been, and finite - am, is, are, was, were.

Belyayeva M. A. also divides English verbs into finite and non-finite.

Due to the author, “finite verb forms express mood, tense, voice and in a few cases – person and number. They are only in the function of the predicate in the sentence”.

Belyayeva calls Infinitive, Past Indefinite and Participle II as “the main verb forms of English language”

Infinitive and Participle II take part in formation of different complex verb forms (with auxiliary verbs).

They can be in the function of different members of the sentence, but they can’t be in the function of the predicate.

Belyayeva refers Infinitive, Gerund and Participle to non-finite verb forms.

Non-finite verb forms combine qualities of verb and noun (Infinitive and Gerund) or verb and adjective (Participle).

Thus Belyayeva marks common characteristics of non-finite verb forms, they do not express:

• person, number and mood;

• tenseoftheaction;

• they express the voice: Infinitive to write (Active Voice) - to be written (Passive Voice); Participle and Gerund writing (Active Voice) - being written (Passive Voice).

Kachalova and Izralievich in their book “Practical Grammar of English language” also divide verb forms of the English language into finite and non-finite. They call the last as Verbals, as B. A. Ilyish does.

Finite forms, due to Kachalova, express person, number, mood, tense and voice. Finite verbs are the verbs “in three persons of singular and plural in all tenses of active and passive voice in indicative and conjunctive mood”.

They function as the predicate in the sentence and always have the subject, with that the verb takes a person and number.

The authors refer Gerund, Infinitive and Participle to non-finite forms. They express an action without showing of the person, number and mood. And they do not function as the predicate.

Thus finite verb forms can function only as the predicate and non-finite as different members of the sentence, except the predicate.

1.2 Dual substance of the gerund

The gerund is non-finite verb form that unites features of the noun and the verb. So the gerund is like the Infinitive, but differs from it that the gerund shows the process of the action.

Due to Korneyeva the gerund is one of the latest non-finite forms of the English verb originally. The gerund unites the characteristics of the noun and verb, so it originated from Old-English verbal noun and Participle.

Old-English suffix -ing, -ung transformed into -inge in Middle English, and verbal noun and Participle combined in one form with the ending -ing in modern grammar of English language.

Later the gerund got the verb features and saved syntactic characteristics of the noun.

The gerund has the following features of the noun:

• It can be the subject, predicate and direct object in the sentence;

• The gerund can be prepositional object, attribute or adverbial modifier in the sentence;

• The gerund as attribute can have a possessive noun or a possessive pronoun.

The gerund has the following features of the verb:

• It expresses the voice;

• It expresses the tense of the action in the form of finite verb;

• It can have a direct object;

• It can be defined by the adverbial modifier, expressed by an adverb.

1.3 Morphological qualities of the gerund

The gerund has the next forms: Indefinite Gerund Active, Indefinite Gerund Passive, Perfect Gerund Active и Perfect Gerund Passive.

The gerund is used in form Active when the action, which the gerund expresses, is made by the person or by the subject, to which it refers:

He avoided making the same mistakes again. - Онизбегалсовершатьтехжеошибок.

She enjoys making cakes for her family and friends. – Ейнравитсяпечьтортыдлясемьиидрузей.

The gerund is used in the Passive Voice when the action, expressed by the gerund, is made by the person or by the subject, to which it refers:

He does not like being read to. - Оннелюбит,когдаемучитают.

I remember having been introduced to him. – Япомню,чтоменяпознакомилисним.

Indefinite Gerund Active is formed by adding of the suffix -ing to the verb base: to write - writing, to read - reading.

Indefinite Gerund Passive is formed by verbal auxiliary to be in the form of the gerund and Participle II of the notional verb: being written.

Perfect Gerund Active is formed by verbal auxiliary to have in form of the gerund and Participle II of the verb base: having written.

Perfect Gerund Passive is formed by verbal auxiliary to be in form of perfect gerund and Participle II of the verb base: having been written.

Negative form of the gerund is formed negative particle not,which is placed before the gerund: not writing, not being written.

Indefinite Gerund Active and Passive are usually used to express the action that happens simultaneously with the action, expressed by the verb-predicate in the sentence in Present, Past and Future tenses:

Hе is interested in reading adventure books. - Онинтересуетсячтениемприключенческихкниг.

He was interested in reading adventure books. -  Онинтересовалсячтениемприключенческихкниг.

He will be interested in reading adventure books.  - Он заинтересуется чтением приключенческих книг.

The gerund in Indefinite Active and Passive form can express the action, that is related to the past or future, independent on the tense of the verb-predicate in the sentence, but it depends on adverbial words or the sense of the whole statement:

I remember seeing you somewhere before. - Япомню,чтогде-товиделвасраньше.

The gerund in form Indefinite Active (seeing) refers to the verb-predicate in the Present Tense (remember), but expresses the meaning, that is related to the past, on which the adverb points (before).

The research team was sure of finding rich seams of coal. - Изыскательская команда была уверена в том, что она найдет богатые пласты угля.

The gerund in the form of Indefinite Active (finding) is connected with the verb-predicate in the Past Tense (was sure), but the gerund expresses the future action through the sense of the whole statement.

Perfect Gerund Active and Passive are used to express the meaning, that precedes the action, expressed by the verb-predicate in the sentence:

He admitted having made the mistake. - Онпризнал,чтосовершилошибку.

He was surprised having been asked about it. – Онбылудивлен,чтоегообэтомспросили.

Sometimes the gerund in the form of Active is used in the meaning of the gerund in the form of Passive:

This skirt needs washing (не being washed). - Этуюбкунадопостирать.

This book is worth reading. ( не beingread). - Эту книгу стоит прочитать.

The gerund can express the meaning that is not related to the certain person or subject:

Smoking is a very bad habit. - Курение - оченьплохаяпривычка.

But most of all the gerund expresses the meaning that is related to a person or a subject:

I dream about going to the seaside next summer. - Ямечтаюпоехатьнапобережьеследующимлетом. Going relates to the pronoun

Thank you for supporting. - Благодарюзаподдержку.Supporting relates to the object you.

1.4 Syntactic characteristics of the gerund

The gerund can function as a subject when in the beginning of the sentence when there is no other word that can function as a subject.

Swimming is good for your health. - Плаваниеполезнодляздоровья.

The gerund can function as a predicative when there is pronoun itbefore the predicative. They usually use the next combinations in such sentences: it is (of) no use, it is useless, it is no good, it is worth while.

It is no use worrying about it. - Бесполезноволноватьсяобэтом.

It is worth while walking to town. - Стоитпройтисьдогорода.

The gerund in the function of a compound predicative is usually used without preceding preposition.

I enjoy listening to classic music. - Ялюблю слушать классическуюмузыку.

Weavoidedtalkingtohim. - Мы избегали разговаривать с ним.

The gerund in the function of compound verbal predicate is used with adjectivesworthyand busy:

When I entered the room she was busy reading the newspaper. – Когдаявошелвкомнату,онабылазанятачтениемгазеты.

The gerund in the function of predicate nominative is used with the following prepositions: against - против, for – за, and also with prepositions that are depending on expressions to be on point (of) and to be far from:

He is against of making changes. - Онпротивизменений.

The project is far from being ended. - Проектдалекотзавершения.

Besides, the gerund as nominative predicate is used with the verb to be:

Hisbiggestpleasurewasreading. - Чтение было для него самым большим удовольствием.

The gerund and the infinitive are used after some verbs in the function of a compound verbal predicate:

Everyone began doinghisjob. -  Теперь каждый начал делать свою работу.

Не began to tell usabouthisdifficulties. - Он начал рассказывать нам о своих трудностях.

The most common verbs: to begin – начинать, to continue – продолжать, to like – нравиться, to dislike – ненравиться, to prefer – предпочитать, to hate – ненавидеть, to intend - намереваться.

The gerund in the function of the direct object is used after the following verbs: to avoid - избегать, to mind – возражать, to fancy – воображать, to mention – упоминать, to deny – отрицать, to put off, to delay – откладывать, to excuse – извинять, to propose – предлагать, to give up – бросать, to require – требовать, to leave off – перестать, to need – нуждаться, to suggest - предлагать.[17, p. 56]

Hedeniedseeingherlastweek. – Он отрицал, что видел ее на прошлой неделе.

The gerund in the function of the prepositional object is used after the verbs, adjectives and participles: to depend (on) - зависеть (от), to be proud (of) - гордиться, to rely (on) - полагаться (на) (чем-либоиликем-либо), to be fond (of) - любить (кого-либоиличто-либо), to be sure (of) - бытьуверенным (вчем-либо), to agree (to) - соглашаться (на), to hear (of) - слышать (о), to think (of) - думать (о), to be surprised (at) - удивляться (чему-либо), to be interested (in) - интересоваться (чем-либо).

He was surprised at having been asked about it. - Онудивился,чтоегообэтомспросили.

He is interested in developing this project. - Онзаинтересованвразвитииэтогопроекта.

The gerund in the function of prepositional indirect object is not rarely used with the preposition forafter the verbs and nouns and the preposition inafter nouns:

The boy was punished for breaking plate. - Мальчикaнаказализато,чтоонразбилтарелку.

There is no harm in doing that. – Нетвредавтом,чтобыэтосделать.

The gerund in the function of a modifier is often used before the preposition ofand the nouns that express probability(вероятность) and ability(способность):

I’m glad to have the opportunity of talking to you. Я рад возможности поговорить с вами.

There is a little possibility of oxygen being on this planet. - Естьнебольшаявозможностьналичиякислороданаэтойпланете.

The gerund in the function of a modifier is often used after the next nouns: astonishment (удивление), disappointment (разочарование), surprise (удивление), intention (намерение), idea (идея), hope (надежда), importance (необходимость).

The preposition takes place after these nouns:

He does not have an intention of staying. - Унегонебылонамеренияостаться.

I have no experience of building houses. - У меня нет опыта в строительстве домов.

The gerund in the function of the adverbial modifier is always used with a preposition and the meaning of the preposition does not depend on the preceding word:

After saying this he opened the book. - Сказав это, он открыл книгу.

Before going to bed she locked the door. - Передтемкакпойтиспать,оназакрыладверь.

Prepositionsin, on (upon) before the gerund express tense meaning:in - при,вовремя,впроцессе;on(upon) — по,после,при. Theprepositionby - путем, при по­мощи;through -благодаря, из-за.

Thegerundisoftenapartofcompoundnounsintheroleofthesubject,denotedbythenoun: writing-paper почтовая бумага, писчая бумага (бумага для письма), driving force движущая сила (сила для производства движения), drilling machine буровая машина (машина для бурения).

Thus we can say that the gerund can be used in the function of the subject, compound nominal predicate, compound verbal predicate, direct object, prepositional object, modifier and adverbial modifier.

Адрес публикации: https://www.prodlenka.org/metodicheskie-razrabotki/632050-the-gerund-in-paradigmatic-system-of-non-fini