Nominalization and -Ing Forms
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 participlesubject / 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)