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Katinka Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

gerundi ??

"they" I mean the schoolbooks etc. when "they" talk about the present continuous, they say that it is formed with aux. to be and the infinitive + ing.
So the question is: is there a grammar difference between infitive + ing and a gerundi ???
  

Top answer

'A base form of a verb / an infinitive (without 'to') + ing', when preceded by a form of 'be' (such as is / am / are etc), is used to form a sentence in continuous tense, for ex in past or present continuous tenses. For example: I'm writing a post at the moment. A gerund is also an 'ing' form of a verb, for ex writing can be called a gerund.

— Laborious

  • 'A base form of a verb / an infinitive (without 'to') + ing', when preceded by a form of 'be' (such as is / am / are etc), is used to form a sentence in continuous tense, for ex in past or present continuous tenses.
  • For example: I'm writing a post at the moment.
  • A gerund is also an 'ing' form of a verb, for ex writing can be called a gerund.
  • The difference is in how we use an "ing" form.
  • If we use an "ing" form of a verb as a noun / noun phrase, then it's called a gerund (or verbal noun).
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19 Answers
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'A base form of a verb / an infinitive (without 'to') + ing', when preceded by a form of 'be' (such as is / am / are etc), is used to form a sentence in continuous tense, for ex in past or present continuous tenses. For example: I'm writing a post at the moment.

A gerund is also an 'ing' form of a verb, for ex writing can be called a gerund. The difference is in how we use
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Laboriousthe word writing in "I like writing letters to her" is a gerund (a verbal noun).
That is definitely not a noun. Nouns don’t take direct objects; only verbs do. So writing must be a verb.
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Aspara GusLaboriousthe word writing in "I like writing letters to her" is a gerund (a verbal noun).That is definitely not a noun.
But I didn't say that's a noun. I said that's a gerund or a verbal noun.
Aspara GusNouns don’t take direct objects; only verbs do. So writing must be a verb.
Ye
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LaboriousBut I didn't say that's a noun. I said that's a gerund or a verbal noun.
Ah, but when you call it a verbal noun you are essentially calling it a noun.
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Aspara Guswhen you call it a verbal noun you are essentially calling it a noun.
Doesn't a verbal noun have qualities of both a verb and a noun? When it forms a verb phrase, taking direct objects and/or being modified by adverbs, we can see its verbal nature, and when it, together with its co
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LaboriousDoesn't a verbal noun have qualities of both a verb and a noun?
Syntactically, it only has qualities of a noun. A verbal noun necessarily belongs to the part of speech ‘noun’ and can’t take objects or adverbs as dependent.
Here’s a good definition:

verbal noun
1. (grammar) A noun that
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Aspara GusSyntactically, it only has qualities of a noun. A verbal noun necessarily belongs to the part of speech ‘noun’ and can’t take objects or adverbs as dependent.
So what would you call 'writing' in 'I like writing letters to her', please? Would you say it's a verb through and through? If 'writing' in my example is taking 'letters' as its d
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LaboriousSo what would you call 'writing' in 'I like writing letters to her', please? Would you say it's a verb through and through?
Yes. It’s the very same verb as in I am writing a letter and He’s in his room writing to his father. It’s the ·ing form of the verb, or, in my grammar, the gerund-participle.
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Aspara Gus LaboriousSo what would you call 'writing' in 'I like writing letters to her', please? Would you say it's a verb through and through?Yes. It’s the very same verb as in I am writing a letter and He’s in his room writing to his father. It’s the ·ing form of the verb, or, in my grammar, the gerund-participle.
In your grammar, it's a gerund-participle. T
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