Дипломная работа: Syntax and semantics of verbals in English
Being written in pencil the letter was difficult to make out.
Having written some letters he went to post them.
Having been written long ago the manuscript was illegible.
Participle II of transitive verbs has a passive meaning, e. g. a broken glass, a caged bird. Participle II of intransitive verbs has no passive meaning; it is used only in compound tense-forms and has no independent [unction in the sentence unless it belongs to a verb which denotes passing into a new state, e. g. a withered flower, a faded leaf.
2.1.4 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.[14]
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.
1 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:[15]
(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)