NOMINALIZATION AND -ING FORMS

1. nominalization: (a) write  writing, buy  buyer

(b) They rejected my complaint  their rejecting my complaint, their rejection of my complaint

2. William conquered England  William's conquest of England; The residents protested angrily  the residents' angry protests

3. Her statement is true  the truth of her statement

4. the critics' hostile reception of the play, the play's hostile reception by the critics

5. -ing: N ------V

Quirk / Traditional grammar
(a) Brown's paintings of his daughter / deverbal noun / deverbal noun
(b) Brown's deft painting of his daughter is a delight to watch / verbal noun / verbal noun
(c) I dislike Brown's painting his daughter / participle / gerund / verbal noun
(d) I dislike Brown painting his daughter / participle / half gerund / fused participle
(e) Brown painting his daughter that day, I decided to go for a walk / participle / (present) participle
(f) The man painting the girl is Brown / participle / (present) participle
(g) Brown is painting his daughter / participle / (present) participle

6. difference between (a) deverbal nouns and (b) verbal nouns:

deverbal noun: concrete (pictures, photos)  verbal noun: abstract (representation, depiction)

deverbal noun: painting, building, destruction  verbal noun: painting

7. difference between (b) verbal nouns and (c) the gerund:

The playing of ball games is prohibited. (verbal noun)  Playing ball games is not allowed. (gerund)

The quick reading of a book is not useful. (verbal noun)  Reading a book quickly is not useful. (gerund)

8. ambiguity:

I do not like the boy talking to her. (fused participle: 'I do not like the fact that the boy talks to her' or nonfinite postmodifier: 'I do not like the boy who is talking to her')

I did not like his writing. (gerund: 'I did not like the fact that he wrote' or deverbal noun: 'I did not like what he wrote')

9. gerund: verbal and nominal

They appreciate my visiting their parents regularly.

He denies having told anyone.I can't help not being amused by these silly jokes.

10. gerund and participle:

function/position / gerund / -ing participle
subject / Smoking is bad for you
adverbial / She walked out of the room smoking
subject complement / My hobby is reading / John has become very boring (participial adjective)
be + / My hobby is reading / You’re frightening me (participle) Such a prospect is frightening (participial adjective)
verb + / Someone suggested going for a walk / People ran screaming for help
verb + noun phrase + / I dislike Tom's watching television / I caught someone trying to take my drink
I dislike Tom watching television
preposition + / I did it without thinking
noun + / It was a mixture consisting of oil and vinegar
there + be + no + / There is no doubting them now
+ noun / sleeping pill / sleeping child

A criterion that can help us in the case of -ing + noun: paraphrase with Verb  participle: the travelling public 'the public that travels'; paraphrase with the nominal use of the -ing form  gerund: a travelling rug 'a rug for travelling (with)'

11. Quirk's arguments for using the term "-ing participle" to cover gerunds and participles:

Painting a child is difficult. (gerund)BUT: Origin: Verbal noun and Gerund: -ung/-ing

Painting a child that morning, I quite forgot the time. (participle)Participle: -ende/-inde/-ande

To paint a child is difficult. (infinitive)

To paint a child, I bought a new canvas. (infinitive)