NOMINALIZATION AND -ING FORMS
1. nominalization: (a) write  writing, buy  buyer
(b) They rejected my complaint  their rejecting my complaint, their rejection of my complaint
2. William conquered England  William's conquest of England; The residents protested angrily  the residents' angry protests
3. Her statement is true  the truth of her statement
4. the critics' hostile reception of the play, the play's hostile reception by the critics
5. -ing: N ---------- V
(a) Brown's paintings of his daughter
(b) Brown's deft painting of his daughter is a delight to watch
(c) I dislike Brown's painting his daughter
(d) I dislike Brown painting his daughter
(e) Brown painting his daughter that day, I decided to go for a walk
(f) The man painting the girl is Brown
(g) Brown is painting his daughter
Quirk
deverbal noun
verbal noun
participle
participle
participle
participle
participle
Traditional grammar
deverbal noun
verbal noun
gerund / verbal noun
half gerund / fused
participle
(present) participle
(present) participle
(present) participle
6. difference between (a) deverbal nouns and (b) verbal nouns:
deverbal noun: concrete (pictures, photos)  verbal noun: abstract (representation, depiction)
deverbal noun: painting, building, destruction  verbal noun: painting
7. difference between (b) verbal nouns and (c) the gerund:
The playing of ball games is prohibited. (verbal noun)  Playing ball games is not allowed. (gerund)
The quick reading of a book is not useful. (verbal noun)  Reading a book quickly is not useful. (gerund)
8. ambiguity:
I do not like the boy talking to her. (fused participle: 'I do not like the fact that the boy talks to her' or nonfinite postmodifier: 'I do not
like the boy who is talking to her')
I did not like his writing. (gerund: 'I did not like the fact that he wrote' or deverbal noun: 'I did not like what he wrote')
9. gerund: verbal and nominal
They appreciate my visiting their parents regularly.
He denies having told anyone.
I can't help not being amused by these silly jokes.
10. gerund and participle:
function/position
gerund
-ing participle
subject
Smoking is bad for you
adverbial
She walked out of the room smoking
subject complement
My hobby is reading
John has become very boring (participial adjective)
be +
My hobby is reading
You’re frightening me (participle) Such a prospect
is frightening (participial adjective)
verb +
Someone suggested going for a walk
People ran screaming for help
verb + noun phrase +
I dislike Tom's watching television
I caught someone trying to take my drink
I dislike Tom watching television
preposition +
I did it without thinking
noun +
It was a mixture consisting of oil and vinegar
there + be + no +
There is no doubting them now
+ noun
sleeping pill
sleeping child
A criterion that can help us in the case of -ing + noun: paraphrase with Verb  participle: the travelling public 'the public that travels';
paraphrase with the nominal use of the -ing form  gerund: a travelling rug 'a rug for travelling (with)'
11. Quirk's arguments for using the term "-ing participle" to cover gerunds and participles:
Painting a child is difficult. (gerund)
BUT: Origin: Verbal noun and Gerund: -ung/-ing
Painting a child that morning, I quite forgot the time. (participle)
Participle: -ende/-inde/-ande
To paint a child is difficult. (infinitive)
To paint a child, I bought a new canvas. (infinitive)