Gerund is a noun or adjective?

[uhcl]

Hi!

[Continually] drinking of [excessive] [amounts] of alcohol will [inevitably] lead to liver disease.

Some books say "-ing" and "-ed" forms are nouns, some adjectives. If so how can we recognize when we use them as nouns or adjectives?

The problem here is if they are nouns we need to use adjectives to modify them. On the other hand, we have to use adverb to modify.

Thanks,

[leona]

Originally posted by uhcl

Hi!

[Continually] drinking of [excessive] [amounts] of alcohol will [inevitably] lead to liver disease.

Some books say "-ing" and "-ed" forms are nouns, some adjectives. If so how can we recognize when we use them as nouns or adjectives?

The problem here is if they are nouns we need to use adjectives to modify them. On the other hand, we have to use adverb to modify.

Thanks,

Hi uhcl,

I think -ing may be used as a noun.The -ing forms are usually noncount nouns.

Smoking is dangerous for your health.

Everyone enjoyed Tyler's singing-

regards,
leona

[wasleys]

Originally posted by leona

Hi uhcl,

I think -ing may be used as a noun.The -ing forms are usually noncount nouns.

Smoking is dangerous for your health.

Everyone enjoyed Tyler's singing-

regards,
leona

The sentence could be written in one of two ways:

1
Continual drinking of excessive amounts of alcohol...
Here 'continual' is an adjective so presumably 'drinking' is a noun.

2
Continually drinking excessive amounts of alcohol...
Here 'continually' is an adverb so presumably 'drinking' is a verb.

As the test sentence says "...drinking of..." the answer would be continually -> continual.

Michael

[uhcl]

Yep, I got it.

Let's see this example:

Dangerously drinking liquid is banned.

Is it correct? Or we have to use "dangerous" instead of "dangerously"

Thanks

[wasleys]

Originally posted by uhcl

Yep, I got it.

Let's see this example:

Dangerously drinking liquid is banned.

Is it correct? Or we have to use "dangerous" instead of "dangerously"

Thanks

UHCL

Your sentence doesn't make sense. I don't think you would be likely link 'dangerous' and 'drinking' in that way.

Other examples:

"Dangerous driving causes accidents.''

"He only managed to get there on time by driving dangerously."

Michael

[uhcl]

Okie, after all, an -ing form is only a kind of noun or verb.

How about an -ed form? Can it be an adjective?

[vreddy]

-ing form is a verbal/verbid. If it is used as a noun, it is called gerund; If not, it is called participle. Yes, -ed is a participle(adjective).

[uhcl]

Can you explain this question?

Acid rain, [mainly] composed of sulfuric acid, is [responsible] for the [destructing] of many lakes [in the] Northeast United States.

What are the differences between a gerund and a real noun with the same root with the gerund?

Thanks,

[vreddy]

Gerundial noun is not as abstract as real nouns are.

"Destructing many lakes" is not as abstract as "destruction of many lakes"

Check the following forms
Noun1's V-ing Noun2
Noun1's V-ing of the Noun2
The V-ing of Noun2
The V-ing

[uhcl]

What do you mean when saying "check the following forms"?

Actually I don't have any book comparing these forms so Could you give me your explanations, Vreddy?

Thanks,