The Category of Voice (active – passive)

Like other verb forms, the active gerund points out that the action is directed from the subject and the passive gerund indicates that the action is directed towards the subject.

I hate interrupting people. - I hate being interrupted.

I am not used to talking in that way. - I am not used to being talked to in that way.

On telling me the time, he turned away. - On being told some impossible hour, he turned away.

He entered without having knocked at the door.- The door opened without having been knocked on.

The perfect passive gerund is very rarely used.

There are some verbs (to need, to want, to require, to deserve) and the adjective worth which are followed by an active gerund with passive meaning.

Your hair needs cutting.

This house wants painting.

Your suggestion is worth talking over.

Syntactical Functions of the Gerund

Syntactical Functions of the Gerund

The gerund can perform any syntactical function performed by a noun, although in each case it has peculiarities of its own. It may function a) alone, without modifiers, or b.) as the headword of a gerundial phrase, or c.) as part of a gerundial predicative construction.

a.I like driving b. I like playing the piano. c. I like John’s playing the piano

A gerundial phrase consists of a gerund as headword and one or more words depending on it. A gerundial construction contains some nominal element, denoting the subject of the gerund and the gerund itself with or without some other words depending on it. The nominal element can be a noun in the genitive case, or a possessive pronoun. I remember John’s telling me that story once. I remember the weather being extremely fine that summer.

Since the functions of gerundial constructions are identical with those of single gerunds and gerundial phrases we shall not treat them separately.

The Gerund as Subject

As a rule the gerund as subject stands in front position.

John('s) coming tomorrow will make all the difference.

Growing roses, collecting postage stamps or old swords are hobbies.

The subject stands in postposition in sentences opening with an introductory it, which happens when the predicate is a phrase such as to be (of) no use (no good, useless), to make all the (no) difference.

If you want me to help, it's no good beating about the bush.

It will make no difference your being quiet.

Note: In American English the pattern There is no use in doing it is preferable to It is no use doing it.

In sentences with the introductory there the gerund is preceded by the negative pronoun no. Such sentences are usually emphatic.

Well, there's no avoiding him now.

There is no accounting for his strange behaviour.

The Gerund as fart of the Predicate

The Gerund as Part of the Compound Nominal Predicate

(Predicative)

As predicative the gerund may express either (a) state or (b) identity. In the second case the predicative of identity reveals the meaning of the subject.

a) I am all for starting home at once.

Peter was against your joining us.

b) John's hobby is collecting all sorts of bugs and butterflies.

The Gerund as Part of the Compound Verbal Predicate

In combination with phasal verbs the gerund forms a compound verbal predicate of aspect. The finite phasal verb denotes a phase of the action expressed by the gerund. The most common phasal verbs fol­lowed by the gerund are: to begin, to burst out, to start, to continue, to go on, to keep on, to finish, to stop, to give up, to leave off, to cease.

Again you start arguing.

On hearing the joke everybody burst out laughing.

They kept on arguing.

Your health will improve as soon as you give up smoking.

Note 1: This is the only function of the gerund that is not characteristic of the noun, for it is caused by the verbal character of the gerund.

Note 2: A gerundial predicative construction cannot form part of a compound verbal predicate.