Monocomplementive, tran-sit I vc The railings

§ 17. The double nature of the gerund.
As a natural result of its origin and development the gerund has nominal and verbal properties. The nominal characteristics of the gerund are as follows:
1. The gerund can perform the function of subject, object and predicative.
They say smoking leads to meditation. (Col/ins) (Subject)
I like making people happy. (Shaw) iobjecd
The duty of all progressive mankind is fighting for peace.
(PREDICATIVE)
2. The gerund can be preceded by a preposition.
I am very, very tired of rowing. (Hemingway)
3. Like a noun the gerund can be modified by a noun in the
possessive case or by a possessive pronoun.
'I wonder at Jolyon's allowing this engagement," he said to
Aunt Ann. (Galsworthy)
«MeHH y.flHB-'ifleT, mto H>ko;ihoh AOiiycTH/i 9Ty noMO-RBKy*, —
CKa3a/i on TeiyuiKe 3hii.
Is there any objection to my seeing her? (Galsworthy)
KTO-HHCy^b B03pa>KaeT npoTHB toio, mto6h h noBHAa^ca c nett?
The verbal characteristics of the gerund are the same as those of the participle:
1. The gerund of transitive verbs can take a direct object.
I had now made a good progress in understanding and speaking their language. (Swift)
2. The gerund can be modified by an adverb.
She burst out crying bitterly. (Hardy)
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There is no gerund in the Russian language and the English gerund is rendered in Russian in different ways:
(a) by a noun.
Dancing had not begun yet... (Mansfield) Taiim.i eme ne naMa/iHCb.
(b) by an infinitive.
She had tea with Cipriano before leaving. (Lawrence) Tlepea TeM KaK yfiTH, OHa Bunn/ia Maio c HmipnaHo. It is no good hiding our heads under our wings. (Galsworthy) Becno.ie3iio npmaTb ro/iOBy hoa Kpu/io.
(c) by fleenptmacTue.
And without waiting for her answer he turned and left us.
(Du Maurier)
H, He flowHflaacb ee OTBeTa, oh noBepHy/ica h Buuie-a.
On seeing Bella he stopped, beckoned her to him, and drew her
arm through his. (Dickens)
yBHAeB Be^^y, on odaiiOBH/icfl, noA03Ba;i ee k ce6e h b3h;i noApyny.
(d) by a subordinate clause.
He regretted now having come. (Galsworthy) Tenepb oh cowa/ie;], mto npnuie/i.
It should be observed that though the active forms of the gerund may be rendered in different ways, the passive forms are nearly always rendered by a clause.
As she contemplated the wide windows and imposing signs, she
became conscious of being gazed upon. (Dreiser)
Kor^a ona paccMaTpnBa/ia uinpoKne bhtphhm h BHymiiTe/ibHbie
BbiBecKH, ona nowyBCTBOBa/ia, mo Ha Hee cmotpsit.
After having been informed of the conference In my lady's
room... he immediately decided on waiting to hear the news
from Frizinghall. (Collins)
Ilocjie Toro, nan eMy coo6m.HJiH o conemanHH b KOMHaTe mh-
jieAH, ... oh cpa3y peuiw^ noj,o>KAaib, mto6u y3Harb houocih
H3 pH3HHrxo;i/ia.
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