The double nature of the gerund

Week (2 hours)

1. Texts: “Fighting Atmospheric pollution”

2. Grammar: The Gerund

3. Communicative practice: “Eating out”

1. Read, translate and retell the text.

Fighting Atmospheric pollution

"The content of harmful substances in emissions into the atmosphere, water, and soil shall not exceed maximum permissible concentra­tions established with due regard to all economic inter­ests and hygienic standards." The limits were determined by a study on the influence of atmospheric pollutants on the envi­ronment and the conditions of life and health of the population.

Industrial wastes, not heating systems, are of greater concern in certain cities, areas and individual factories. In such cases, purification plants may be built with different methods of purification (mechanical, chemical, electric and complex). The degree of purification obtained is extremely varied as it depends on the physicochemical properties of the pollutants and the efficiency of the method and equipment. There are rough purifi­cation methods which are 70 to 85 per cent effective, medium purification - 95 to 98 per cent, and fine pu­rification - over 99 per cent. The purification of indus­trial wastes not only protects the air from pollution but also saves raw materials and provides the enterprise with additional profit. Trapping and recuperation of useful products in smoke emissions have not only sanitary but also national economic importance.

However, a purification plant is not enough in itself. The most promising way to solve the problem of clean air is to improve technology: reduce emissions into the atmosphere and make maximum use of waste. It is cheaper and easier to find a way of eliminating the possibility of waste formation than to build a purifi­cation plant which may cost more than the production technology itself. For example, it is very difficult and very costly to purify every hour hundreds of thousands of cubic metes of air containing compounds of lead and mercury. The process requires a purification plant costing more than the enterprise itself. But, on the other hand, it is quite possible to design a process whereby the refinement of lead would exclude the possi­bility of vapors and aerosols being freely discharged into the atmosphere and causing giant streams of air and surrounding territory to be polluted by lead.

2. Grammar material:

THE GERUND

The gerund developed from the verbal noun, which in course of time became verbalized preserving at the same time its nominal character.

The gerund is formed by adding the suffix ‑ing to the stem of the verb, and coincides in form with Participle I.

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. (Collins) (SUBJECT)

I like making people happy. (Shaw) (OBJECT)

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)

«Меня удивляет, что Джолион допустил эту помолвку», — сказал он тетушке Энн.

Is there any objection to my seeing her? (Galsworthy)

Кто-нибудь возражает против того, чтобы я повидался с ней?

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)

3. The gerund has tense distinctions; the gerund of transitive verbs has also voice distinctions. The forms of the gerund in Modern English are as follows:

	Active	Passive
Indefinite	writing	being written
Perfect	having written	having been written

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).

Танцы еще не начались.

(b) by an infinitive.

She had tea with Cipriano before leaving. (Lawrence)

Перед тем как уйти, она выпила чаю с Чиприано.

It is no good hiding our heads under our wings. (Galsworthy)

Бесполезно прятать голову под крыло.

(c) by деепричастие.

And without waiting for her answer he turned and left us. (Du Maurier)

И, не дожидаясь ее ответа, он повернулся и вышел.

On seeing Bella he stopped, beckoned her to him, and drew her arm through his. (Dickens)

Увидев Беллу, он остановился, подозвал ее к себе и взял под руку.

(d) by a subordinate clause.

Не regretted now having come. (Galsworthy)

Теперь он сожалел, что пришел.

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)

Когда она рассматривала широкие витрины и внушительные вывески,

она почувствовала, что на нее смотрят.

After having been informed of the conference in my lady’s room... he immediately decided on waiting to hear the news from Frizinghall. (Collins)

После того, как ему сообщили о совещании в комнате миледи... он

сразу решил подождать, чтобы узнать новости из Фризингхолла.