English Grammar for University Students. Part 4. Марина Воловикова

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      Predicative constructions (complexes) with the gerund

      In predicative constructions the Gerund is in predicate relation to а nounor аpronoun. A noun can be used either in the common or genitive case:

      I appreciate my friend’s helping me (my friend helping me).

      In the Gerundial complex it is possible to use

      – the possessive pronoun:

      I appreciate his helping us.

      – the personal pronoun in the objective case

      I appreciate him helping us.

      – an indefinite, defining or negative pronoun:

      I don’t remember anybody (anybody’s) saying it .

      He boasted of having beaten his rival at tennis.

      We were surprised atall coming to meet us .

      We apologize for nobody having explained anything to you.

      – а reflexive pronoun.

      She couldn’t stop herself crying .

      NB. At present it’s more common to use the Common case of a noun instead of the Genitive case and the objective case of the personal pronoun instead of the possessive pronoun.

      I don’t mind him joining us .

      We objected to John leaving .

      Predicative constructions are usually rendered in Russian by а subordinate clause.

      Тне gerund & тне infinitive

      The Gerund and the Infinitive have much in common since they both have some nominal and some verbal features. However, in the Infinitive the verbal nature is more prominent, whereas in the Gerund the nominal one. The basic difference in their meaning is that the Gerund is more general, whereas the Infinitive is more specific and more bound to some particular occasion [Кобрина, Корнеева, 2009].

      1. In most cases when Gerunds and Infinitives are used as subject, predicative, attribute, adverbial modifier of purpose, or direct object the Gerund has general meaning while the Infinitive denotes а particular case.

      His task is scrubbing the floors. My task for today is to scrub the floor.

      II. In the function of a part of a compound aspect predicate there can be used both the Gerund and the infnitive. The most common aspect verbs followed by the Gerund are: to burst out, to cease, to give up, to go on, to finish, to keep on, to stop.

      His mother burst out crying.

      He stopped smoking.

      The teacher kept talking.

      The verbs to begin, to start, to continue can be followed by either the Gerund or the Infinitive. As а part of а compound verbal aspect predicate the Gerund denotes а process or multiple actions; the Infinitive denotes а singular action or а repeated one [Шрамко, Степанова, 2009].

      The baby began crying every time when somebody came into the room.

      The baby began to cry when the stranger entered the room.

      After the verb to continue the Gerund is used when the process was not interrupted, whereas the Infinitive is used when the process was resumed after a pause.

      After a pause she continued to speak.

      He continued speaking not paying attention to anyone.

      No Gerund is used:

      a) when the finite verb is in the continuous form.

      It’s beginning to drizzle.

      b) with the verbs to understand and to see (meaning to understand).

      He began to understand how it was performed.

      c) when the subject denotes a thing, not a living being [Кобрина, Корнеева, 2009].

      The doors began to creak.

      The clock began to strike.

      III. Object а) After the verbs remember, forget, regret and the phrase be sorry there is temporal difference – the non-perfect Gerund denotes а prior action, while the Infinitive denotes an action that follows [Шрамко, Степанова, 2009].