In my opinion you are failing to understand the point. However, if you believe that “football” in “football pitch” and “golf” in “golf course” are (true) adjectives then I guess there is nothing further to be said.
[color=blue]You’re being disingenious. We are not talking about ‘true adjecives’. The original poster asked whether it is a ‘gerund’, functioning as a noun, or a present participle, functioning as an adjective.
Where do you see that? The original question that I see is “is it [a] gerund or present participle?” The correct answer is that it is a gerund, as I replied. To some extent it behaves like an adjective, as I have explained.
See the link in message #19. See also:
books.google.co.uk/books?id=7miWzjcN9VIC&pg=PT90
edufind.com/english/grammar/gerund.php
books.google.co.uk/books?id=kJi8 … C&pg=PA280
All these sources (and more that I could give you) correctly explain that “swimming” in “swimming pool” is a gerund or noun. If you don’t believe me or any of the above sources then there is nothing more I can do.
only one readable is the second one
not convinced
see your link post 8
Let’s not waste our time anymore. Others will have to decide for themselves.
[color=blue]Hi Dozy:
one more thing to put on the record
One of your links listed “swimming pool” as a compound noun. I don’t agree with that. I agree that the hyphenated examples are compound nouns and that words like ‘sunrise’ can be considered to be compound nouns.
Maybe Brtish English and American English differ on the definition of compound nouns and on the gerund/present participle isssue, but I am guessing that that is unlikely.
No doubt you are more confused than ever now. Hopefully, this will summarise enough information for you to be able to make up your mind.
I looked at six articles regrading this. Two indicated that the ‘swimming’ in the term ‘swimming pool’ was a present participle… however, one was an exact copy of the other, so I guess really it’s one. The other four indicated it was a gerund.
In addition I looked at ten dictionary definitions, as given earlier in this thread. They all agreed that ‘swimming pool’ is a noun in its own right, indicating that the term is a gerund.
Personally, I don’t see that ‘swimming’ in the term swimming pool’ can be anything but a gerund, because, as Dozy rightly points out, the pool is not the thing that is actually doing the swimming.
Dozy is in accord.
Canadian seems determined to ignore the fact that in message #1 you very clearly asked about the word in relation to the term ‘swimming pool’. (In fact, he ignores it to the point where he actually states in one of his messages, "We are not talking about the term “swimming pool”; we are talking about the word “swimming”.) Well, he may be talking about the word, but I am talking about the term, as this is what you asked about.
I hope that helps answer your original query.
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
Hello, Lilish:
You may be interested in the opinion of two scholars who wrote a grammar book entitled A GRAMMAR OF PRESENT-DAY ENGLISH (second edition, 1963, page 315). Published by Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc., New York. The authors are R.W. Pence and D.W. Emery.
Since this is a serious website dedicated to academic pursuits, I believe that I may legally quote extensively (since I have given full credit).
“Just as an ordinary noun may function as an adjective … so may a gerund. But such a use of the gerund must not be confused with a participle in -ing modifying a noun.”
The Professors then give these two examples (ALL the words are those of the professors, including the words in the brackets .)
A Pullman is a sleeping car. [Sleeping is a gerund functioning as a modifier of car. Sleeping car means, not a “car that sleeps,” but a “car for sleeping.”]
We looked at the sleeping child. [sleeping is a participle that functions as adjectival modifier of child. Sleeping child means “child that sleeps.”]
James
P.S. Cultural note: Before airplanes, Americans traveled by train. If it was a long trip, they slept in special cars (carriages) called sleeping cars. Pullman was the name of the company that built those cars.
James, are you agreeing that “swimming” in “swimming pool” is a gerund?
I looked at six articles regrading this. Two indicated that the ‘swimming’ in the term ‘swimming pool’ was a present participle. [color=blue]I agree with that. however, one was an exact copy of the other, so I guess really it’s one. The other four
indicated it was a gerund. [color=blue]I don’t agree with that.
Canadian seems determined to ignore the fact that in message #1 you very clearly asked about the word in relation to the term ‘swimming pool’. [color=blue]nonsense! (In fact, he ignores it to the point where he actually states in one of his messages, “We are not talking about the term “swimming pool”; we are talking about the word “swimming”.) [color=blue]Of course! The question was 'what is the word "swimming” in ‘swimming pool’? Well, he may be talking about the word, but I am talking about the term, as this is what you asked about. [color=blue]nonsense!! That’s not what was asked! If you can’t be more honest and sensible, stop wasting people’s time.
Hi Lilish,
Are you confused? I am. Your question was:
I would say the word ‘swimming’ here is an adjective, describing the type of pool. In the same way ‘a walking stick’ describes a type of stick and ‘a sewing machine’ is a type of machine.
Alan
[quote=“James M”]
[quote=“Lilish”]
Hello, Lilish:
“Just as an ordinary noun may function as an adjective … so may a gerund. [color=blue]But then it should be called a present participle, as it’s acting as an adjective, not a noun! Gerunds act as nouns and show up in sentences where nouns typically do, often at the beginning of a sentence. But such a use of the gerund must not be confused with a participle in -ing modifying a noun.”
The Professors then give these two examples (ALL the words are those of the professors, including the words in the brackets [ ] .)
A Pullman is a sleeping car. [Sleeping is a gerund functioning as a modifier of car. Sleeping car means, not a “car that sleeps,” but a “car for sleeping.”] [color=blue]But does [color=blue]that really matter? “sleeping” still describes what kind of car it is. A dining car is a car for dining in. No one will think that the car actually dines!We looked at the sleeping child. [sleeping is a participle that functions as adjectival modifier of child. Sleeping child means “child that sleeps.”] [color=blue]actually, child that is sleeping… All children sleep.
[color=blue]Again, the important thing is that present participles modify nouns and occur in the place adjectives do, before a noun.
James
The real nonsense appears to come after I said, "The question was 'what is the word “swimming in 'swimming pool?”
Here’s the ‘nonsense’
Here’s a clue! Read message #1.
I don’t think the context was exactly as portrayed here; but if I said something uncalled for, I apologize.
You still seem to be failing to understand the difference between “a swimming fish” and “a swimming pool”. In the latter case, “swimming” is, as has been repeatedly stated, a gerund. It functions to some extent adjectivally, as does the noun “golf” in “golf course”.
Beeesneees, do you have links to those?
[color=blue]So why do you have such a hard time accepting that it might be a participle??
In a sense — at least in its form or derivation — it is a participle. Some people might say that a gerund is particular use of a participle. However, the way that the original question is framed makes it clear (or so it seems to me) that “participle” is meant to exclude “gerund”. I believe that this is usual when the concepts are being distinguished.
I think tho ‘exchange’ is getting dangerously near a level of absurdity since it now seems totally removed from the original question posed at the beginning. What on earth do you mean by this:
Which ‘original’ question are you talking about?
I had to dig through my history - never an easy task! 
As I said originally, although I found two, one was a copy of the other:
vcchs.co.uk/latin/Year%2011/ … first.html
chompchomp.com/terms/gerund.htm
A direct contrast to:
edufind.com/english/grammar/ … iciple.php
There were others along this line, but that would mean further digging.
Canadian would never get 10/10 for this test, where (b)‘a swimming pool’ has to be marked as a gerund.
llas.ac.uk//materialsbank/mb061/3/18.htm
In a nutshell:
Swimming here is a gerund. It is acting as a noun. The pool is for swimming. It’s not doing the swimming.