Perfect Perfect Passive
having written having been written
Intransitive verbs have no passive forms:
Indefinite Passive
standing ----------
Perfect Perfect Passive
having stood ----------
* She is tired of asking questions.
* She is tired of having asked too many questions.
* She is tired of being asked many questions.
* She is tired of having been asked too many questions.
The Indefinite form expresses simultaneous or posterior actions with regard to the finite form of the verb.
* He tells
told me of his writing a report.
will tell
The Perfect form expresses prior actions which took place in the past.
* I am surprized at his having put so much weight.
However a prior action is not always expressed by the perfect form of the Gerund , in some cases we find the indefinite form of the Gerund instead of the perfect form though the action refers to the past.
It occurs after the verbs:
To remember, to excuse, to forgive, to thank
after the prepositions:
On, upon, after, without
* I don`t remember hearing this story before.
* You must exuse my not answering your letter.
* I thank you for helping me yesterday.
* On leaving the house we directed our steps to the post - office.
* After walking about ten yards he found his hat.
* She went away without saying good -bye.
It is to be observed that after the verbs:
to want, to deserve, to require, to need and
the adjective worth the Gerund is used in the active form though it is passive in its meaning.
* His room needed painting.
* The child deserves punishing.
* They were not worth saving.
* The car wants repairing.
The Gerund the same as the Infinitive combines the characteristics of the verb with those of the noun.
Verbal features: tense and voice forms, can take a direct object, can be modified by an adverb.
Nominal features: can be used with a preposition (after writing, by writing, before writing). Most of the syntactical functions strongly remind us of the noun because the gerund can be the subject and the object of the sentence. Can be modified by a possessive pronoun or a noun in the possessive case.The relations in this case are predicative. Compare: His reading (the verbal noun) has improved . His reading (the gerund) this letter was a mistake.
FUNCTIONS OF THE GERUND IN THE SENTENCE
The Subject
1.
no use
it is useless doing smth
was no good
* It is no use crying. Бесполезно плакать.
* It was no good objecting. Возражать не имело смысла.
2.
There is no doing smth
was
* There was no going back. Назад пути не было.
* There is no hiding these facts. Эти факты не спрячешь.
3.
does smth
Doing sth did smth
will do smth
would do smth
* Crying will do no good.
* Reading love stories made her cry.
The Predicative
1.
The main thing
Smb`s wish
job is / was doing smth
duty
* The main thing is getting there in time.
2.
to feel like ( up to )
to be for / against doing smth
* I don`t feel like walking.
* Are you against staying here?
The Direct Object
(can) avoid
(can) afford
(can) stand
(can) help
need
want doing smth
to be worth
to be busy
to mind
to like
to love
to hate
* I couldn`t avoid speaking to her.
* The coat needs / wants pressing.
* The film is worth seeing.
* Do you mind staying here?
The Prepositional Object
to think
to suspect smb
to accuse of
to be afraid
to object to
to be used
to succeed in doing smth
to be engaged being done
having done smth
to insist on having been done
to depend
to apologize
to be grateful for
to be responsible
to thank smb
to blame smb
to be clever at
to prevent smb from
* He is responsible for keeping the place in order.
* She insisted on being treated as a grown woman.
The Attribute
intention apology harm astonishment
plan capacity skill disappointment
sense passion interest delight
purpose of reason for use in pleasure at
idea reputation point surprise
habit talent difficulty
way excuse experience fantasy about
opportunity gift
thought objection to
* He had the habit of being very strict.
* Have you got any reason for saying such a thing.
* There is little point in doing it.
The Adverbial Modifier
1. of Time after prepositions:
After, before, at, in, on (upon), since
* I hesitated before entering the room.
* After saying this he left the room.
* For the first time since entering the room I looked around.
2. of Cause (Reason) after prepositions:
For, through, owing to, because of
* Excuse me for being so late.
* He caught cold through getting his feet wet.
3. of Manner after prepositions:
by
* He improved his article by changing the end.
4. of Attendant circumstances after prepositions:
Besides, instead of, without
* Besides being clever, he is very industrious.
* Instead of writing the letter himself he asked his friend to do it.
* He left the room without waiting for a reply.
5. of Purpose
Note: The gerund in this function is mainly used in the official language.
after prepositions: for, for the purpose of, with a view to
* He gave these instructions with a view to speeding up the shipment of goods.
* The Commission has been established for the purpose of settling disputes between the organizations.
6. of Condition after prepositions: