“The Use of the Gerund in the English Language and the Ways of its Translation

into Ukrainian”

by Kate Zemlyankina

Group 11-3

Financial-economical lyceum

Teacher: Klachkova Maria Antonivna

English is one of few languages in the world that

have the gerund in their grammar. The word

“gerund” sounds strange and incomprehensible for the Ukrainian learners of

English and creates certain difficulties in its interpretation.

The Word “Gerund”

Objectives of the Work

Working at our topic we used methods of

theoretical research such as analysis, synthesis,

comparison, generalization and also

some methods of empirical knowledge

such as study of literature, analysis of

information.

The objectives of the work

•to analyse and compare the non-finite forms of the verb,•to study the forms and functions of the gerund,•to analyse the ways of rendering gerunds into Ukrainian.  

The gerund as a grammatical form relates to the verbals or the non-finite

forms of the verb. Like the finite forms of the verbs the verbals have

tense and voice distinctions, but their tense distinctions differ from those of

the finite verb.

The Verbals

There are three verbals in English: the participle, the gerund, and the infinitive. In the Ukrainian language

there are also three non-finite forms of the verb, but they do not fully coincide

with those in the English language (дієприкметник, дієприслівник,

інфінітив).

Types of Verbals

The gerund is a verbal that ends in -ing and functions as a noun. The term verbal indicates that a gerund, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on

a verb and therefore expresses an action or a state of being.

General Notion about Gerund

The wide use of the gerund seems to be the most The wide use of the gerund seems to be the most characteristic feature of Modern English, which characteristic feature of Modern English, which distinguishes it not only from the Ukrainian or distinguishes it not only from the Ukrainian or Russian languages, but also from such European Russian languages, but also from such European languages as French and German, with which the languages as French and German, with which the English language has very much in common in the English language has very much in common in the sphere of the verb.sphere of the verb.

Practical Use of the Gerund

For example, we usually say:•I enjoy swimming.•The film is worth seeing.•In the night it started raining.

The nominal characteristics of the gerund:

1. The gerund can perform the function of a subject, an object and a predicative.

2. The gerund can be preceded by a preposition.

3. Like a noun the gerund can be modified by a noun in the possessive case or a possessive pronoun.

The verbal characteristics of the gerund:

1. The gerund of transitive verbs can take a direct object.

2. The gerund can be modified by an adverb.

3. The gerund has tense distinctions; the gerund of transitive verbs has also voice distinctions.

Double Nature of Gerund

There are four forms of the gerund in English: the Indefinite Gerund Active, the

Indefinite Gerund Passive, the Perfect Gerund Active and the Perfect Gerund Passive.

Forms of the Gerund

Forms of the Gerund

Active Passive

Indefinite

Perfect

writing

having written

being written

having been written

The gerund may be used in various syntactic functions, such as: subject (підмет), predicative (іменна частина

присудка), object (додаток), attribute (означення), adverbial modifier (обставина).

Syntactic Functions of the Gerund

1. The gerund as a subject. Talking mends no holes. (proverb) – Розмови не допомагають у

біді.2. The gerund as a predicative. Are you for or against staying here? – Ти за чи проти того, щоб

залишитися тут?3. The gerund as a prepositional indirect object. He didn’t succeed in passing the exam. – Він не склав іспит.4. The gerund as an attribute. I have no intention of discussing this question. – Я не маю наміру

обговорювати це питання.5. The gerund as an adverbial modifier. He talked without stopping. – Він розмовляв без зупинки.

A Gerund Phrase is a group of words consisting of a gerund and some modifiers that function as the direct object, indirect object, or complement of an action or a

state expressed in the gerund.

Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier then what we're trying to do.

finding (gerund)

a needle (direct object of the action expressed in the gerund

in a haystack (prepositional phrase as adverb)

Gerund Phrase

The Gerundial Complex is a construction in which the verbal element

expressed by the gerund is in the predicative relation to the nominal element expressed by a noun or a

pronoun.

I don’t like your going off without any money.

Gerundial Complex

Unlike the participle the gerund may be preceded by a preposition, it may be

modified by a noun in the possessive case or by a possessive pronoun; it can be used in the function of a subject, an object and a predicative. In the function

of an attribute and of an adverbial modifier both the gerund and the

participle may be used, but the gerund in these functions is always preceded

by a preposition.

Gerund and Participle

Gerund Verbal Noun

1) The gerund has a double character — nominal and verbal.

The verbal noun has only a nominal character.

2) The gerund is not used with an article.

The verbal noun may be used with an article.

3) The gerund has no plural form. The verbal noun may be used in the plural.

4) The gerund of a transitive verb takes a direct object.

The verbal noun cannot take a direct object, it takes a prepositional object with the preposition of.

5) The gerund may be modified by an adverb.

The verbal noun may be modified by an adjective.

Gerund and Verbal Noun

The fact that certain verbs in English can be followed

either by the gerund or by the infinitive creates

additional difficulties for translation.

It is believed that the difference between these two forms is of aspective

nature, the gerund representing an action in

progress and the infinitive representing an action as a fact. Besides, the gerund is believed to denote a general

action, the infinitive – a concrete one.

Gerund or Infinitive?

There is no gerund in the Ukrainian language and the English gerund is rendered into Ukrainian in different ways: by a noun, by an infinitive, by a

verbal adverb and by a subordinate clause.

Ways of Translation

a) by a noun.Dancing had not begun yet. - Танці ще не почалися.

b) by an infinitive. She had tea with Cipriano before leaving. - Перед тим, як піти,

вона випила чаю з Чипріано. c) by verbal adverb.

On seeing Bella he stopped and beckoned her to him. - Побачивши Беллу, він зупинився та покликав її до себе.

d) by a subordinate clause.He regretted now having come. - Тепер він шкодував, що

прийшов.

We chose the topic of our work because we consider it to be relevant nowadays. Studying at school, we don’t pay enough attention to such an important aspect of the English grammar as

the gerund. Many students have troubles in using and translating it into Ukrainian. Our research work may be of great help to the

learners of English in avoiding difficulties and improving their knowledge concerning this

grammatical unit.

Conclusion