The Gerundial Complex
The gerund can have a subject of its own different from that of the sentence.
Compare: I insist on doing it. I insist on your doing it.
In this case the gerund and its subject form a construction called the gerundial complex. The relations between the elements of the complex are predicative. The first element of the complex may be expressed by:
a noun in the common case;
a noun in the possessive case;
a personal pronoun in the objective case;
a possessive pronoun.
1. I remember his brother taking part in the performance. 2. Do you object to Tom’s taking part in the competition? 3. I don’t like him going there. 4. Don’t fear my forgetting Aunt Alice.
Gerundial complexes are used in the functions of: 1) subject; 2) object; 3) attribute; 4) adverbial modifier.
1. Your coming here is very desirable. 2. I insist upon your staying. 3. We know the reason of your leaving. 4. I enter the room without his seeing it.
Exercise 9. Replace the gerund by a Gerundial complex by adding a subject to it:
Model: Everything depends on getting there on time. — Everything depends on your getting
there on time.
I’m against writing this review. — I’m against Jack’s writing this review.
1. I fail to see the point of raising the question now. 2. We didn’t mind waiting a little. 3. I’ll take the opportunity of being here to ask you some questions. 4. He succeeded only through making the right contacts from the very beginning. 5. He begun to grow fast only after coming to live with us. 6. You go through college without planning and saving. 7. It’s no good trying to make her change her mind. 8. I’m used to coming home very late. 9. She likes being praised and made much of.
Exercise 10. Analyse the syntactical functions of the Gerundial Complex, translate the sentences.
1. All that was after their leaving the place. 2. I had no idea of your being there. 3. Much depends on your taking the job. 4. There is little sense in your staying here now. 5. Do you mind my waiting here? 6. How can you stand their making all that noise? 7. I am against your going there alone. 8. His saying that made all the difference. 9. It is useless your going there now.
Exercise 11. Translate into English. Use the Gerundial Complex only if the Gerund has a subject different from that of the sentence:
1. Я зроблю все до того, як він повернеться. 2. Чи ти не боїшся, що тебе побачать? 3. Я не бачу великого лиха, якщо він пропустить одну лекцію. 4. Вона попросила вибачення за те, що діти так шуміли. 5. Я відповідаю за те, щоб усе було в порядку. 6. Хто за те, щоб зробити все це в неділю? 7. Хто за те, щоб я зробив усе це в неділю? 8. Не можу терпіти заперечувати і сперечатися. 9. Не можу терпіти, коли ти заперечуєш і сперечаєшся. 10. Зачиніть, будь ласка, двері. 11. Ви не проти, щоб я зачинив двері? 12. Він звикнув залишатися з бабусею. 13. Він звикнув, що Джек залишається з ним. 14. Вона була вдячна за те, що її теж взяли. 15. Вона була вдячна за те, що ми взяли її з собою. 16. Він пішов не попрощавшись. 17. Він пішов так, що ми цього не помітили. 18. Я не могла не бачити його. 19. Я не могла перешкоджати йому бачити вас.