Have + time + v-ing
ex1) Mischel discovered that all of the children had an easier time resisting the immediate reward.
In the structure like 'have+time+v-ing' , 'v-ing' is a gerund form or present participle ?
Some people say that we use a preposition 'in' between a time expression and v-ing, and we can omit 'in'
ex2) Mischel discovered that all of the children had an easier time (in) resisting the immediate reward.
So, people conclude that 'v-ing' is a gerund form, but I don't know whether it is correct or not.
There are some similar expression like....
ex3) I had the hard time preparing for the exam
ex4) We have difficulty completing the project
Top answer
In those cases most grammarians these days just say that the -ing form is used, without trying to decide whether participle or gerund is the better term. Nevertheless, since it doesn't act as a noun in those examples, participle seems a better choice than gerund if it's important to you to label them. CJ
- In those cases most grammarians these days just say that the -ing form is used, without trying to decide whether participle or gerund is the better term.
- Nevertheless, since it doesn't act as a noun in those examples, participle seems a better choice than gerund if it's important to you to label them.
- CJ
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
In those cases most grammarians these days just say that the -ing form is used, without trying to decide whether participle or gerund is the better term. Nevertheless, since it doesn't act as a noun in those examples, participle seems a better choice than gerund if it's important to you to label them.
CJ
0
Related Questions