It is an accident that the present participle and the gerund are now spelled alike. Present participles once ended in end, ind, ende, or inde; while gerunds ended in ung. For example, the present participle of the verb learn was leornend, while the gerund was leonung. The two sounded similar and so came to be pronounced and finally spelled alike. However, they are usually easily distinguished, since one is used as an adjective and the other as a noun. But when a verbal ending in ing is used as predicate attribute we must decide what kind of predicate attribute it is before we can tell whether it is a gerund or a participle. A gerund so used must express classification or identification (§ 18).

Exercise 237

Describe participles and gerunds. Show that the gerunds can be used in five noun constructions.

Models

(1) Listening to the storm, Mary became nervous.

The verbal listening expresses an action of Mary. It is an adjunct of the noun Mary and is used as an adjective. It is a participle.

(2) Listening to the storm made Mary nervous.

The verbal listening is the subject of the sentence. It is used as a noun and is a gerund.

1. Preparing the meal required but a short time.

2. Looking keenly among the crowd of archers, the sheriff leaned forward.

3. Charcoal burns without making smoke.

4. His work is repairing fine jewelry.

5. His work, repairing fine jewelry, requires skill.

6. He is repairing the jewelry.

7. Standing apart from the childish throng, Little Hilda was silent and sad.

8. We cannot look upon a great man without gaining something from him.

9. Taking daily exercise strengthens one.

10. I remember reading the book long ago.

11. He worked away, whistling cheerily.

12. Her mistake was speaking so hastily.

13. She was speaking to the child.

14. She lives in a house painted green.

15. He that is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else.

16. They ceased firing the heavy guns.

17. Their mistake, deceiving the poor child, made much trouble.

18. Working the soil makes the top light and loose, and keeps the moisture in the ground.

Exercise 238

In Exercise 72 find nine verbals having the root form (§ 65). Give the construction of each. These verbals are called infinitives.