NOMINALIZATION AND -ING FORMS

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

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

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

3. Her statement is true Þ 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)