Hi everybody,
That’ right. ‘-Ing’ verb forms used as adjectives are not gerunds because a gerund is defined as an ‘-ing’ verb form used as a noun.
Could you please show a couple of examples Mr.Micawber? Thanks.
Hi Bill,
What about this? Swimming is good for you (gerund)
A good place to swim is in a swimming pool (adjective)
Alan
Many thanks Alan.
Can I say “ the [color=green]swimming guy is very good at [color=red]swimming and he is [color=blue]swimming very fast now” ?
[color=green]swimming – adjective
[color=red]swimming – gerund
[color=blue]swimming – verb
Nick*
I like it!
Alan
Ing-forms of this kind are usually parsed as gerunds: it is a pool for swimming, not a pool that swims.
(The noun “swimming” is used attributively, in much the same way as “kitchen” in “kitchen table”, or “laptop”/“gene” in “laptop/gene pool”.)
All the best,
MrP
So, it’s a gerund used as an adjective? Thanks, Mr P-- I think I ended up in this muddle once before-- but I thought the consensus had emerged in the opposite direction!
I would say yes, MM – an adjectival noun, in effect. (Prizes for everyone.)
Thus the OED presents e.g. “eating” in “eating apple” as a substantive.
At the risk of muddying the waters still further, I would say:
— participial adjective (the feathers are falling).
— adjectival gerund (the sickness relates to falling).
Best wishes,
MrP
“The [color=green]meeting room is a place for [color=red]meeting and the boss is [color=blue]meeting with some clients now. I am looking forward to [color=red]meeting you there ASAP.”
[color=green]meeting – ?
[color=red]meeting – gerund
[color=blue]meeting – verb
[color=red]meeting – gerund
Is the “[color=green]meeting” in “The [color=green]meeting room” not necessarily to be an adjective ?
Nick*
Hello Nick,
I would call “meeting” in “meeting room” a gerund, and the form in “is meeting” a participle.
Best wishes,
MrP
Hi MrP,
Thank you very much for your quick response.
However, I found that the more I know the more I am confused because it seems to be contradicted to my basic knowledge.
To my basic understanding, an adjective is used to modify a noun or noun equivalent. Sometimes a noun can act as an adjective when it is used to modify another noun especially when the two “nouns” are put together. In the phrase “a school bus”, for example, the second noun “bus” is a true noun while the word “school” preceding it acts as an adjective to modify the true noun “bus”.
In the case of “The meeting room”, to me, the noun is “room” while “meeting” is the word to modify such a noun so I consider it as an adjective.
In your opinion, you said that the word “[color=green]meeting” in “[color=green]meeting room” is a gerund. Since gerund is a noun therefore “meeting room” is a “noun noun” combination. Once again, the second noun “room” is a true noun and the first “noun” “meeting” preceding the true noun eventually functions as an adjective also. If it functions as an adjective, should we call/treat it as an adjective or a noun ?
Secondly, you said that the form in “is [color=blue]meeting” is a participle.
I am even more confused because as I know, there are three forms of “VERB + ing” :
Gerund, acts as a noun; participle, acts as an adjective and progressive verb which acts as a verb.
For a progressive verb, it is [color=brown]always preceded by a “verb to be” such as “ He [color=red]is driving a school bus” .
For a gerund, [color=blue]sometimes it is preceded by a “verb to be” depending on the context such as “His job [color=red]is driving a school bus”.
For an adjective, it [color=red]never preceded by any “verb to be”.
So, to me :
“The boss [color=red]is meeting with clients” - progressive verb - (verb form).
“The boss’ job [color=red]is meeting with clients” – Gerund – (noun form).
However, I can’ think out any example of “[color=red]be + verb + ing” [color=red]in participle – (adjective form).
All the above are merely based on my basic understanding only.
Please correct me with detail explanation if there is anything wrong or not up to date.
Your opinion is highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Nick*
Hello Nick,
I’m sorry to have caused confusion; but I think we are more or less in agreement.
I take this as a noun-noun (gerund-noun) combination, where the gerund acts adjectivally. It is still essentially a noun, however; thus we can’t (for instance) modify it with an adverb, e.g.
In this case:
I take “meeting” as a participle, which in combination with “to be” forms the present progressive.
Best wishes,
MrP