Participles and Gerunds.

Explain the categorial status of these non-finite forms

a. Shes writing a biography of Diana Spencer. Most of her writings are based on statements from well-known people.
Her books are known all over the world. (1. present participle) (2. gerund: conversion, N) (3. past participle: composition,
attributive A)
b. Im interested in modern art. Cubism has always interested me. (1. past participle: conversion, predicative A) (2. past participle)
c. It is very disappointing news. (present participle: conversion, attributive A)
The news that the lecture had been called off was very disappointing. ( 1. past participle) (2. present participle: conversion, A)
Everybody was very disappointed when they learned about it. (past part: conversion, pred A)
d. Every plant is beginning to fade. (present participle)
e. A faded rose is not so pleasing as a blooming daisy. (1. past participle: attrib A) (2. present participle: conversion, pred. A)
(present particple: conversion, attrib A)
f. The rose in your hand is more faded than the one in mine. (past part., conversion: A in comparative structure)
g. Having finished all the work given him to do, he seemed more pleased with himself than usual. (1. pres part AUX; 2.
past part) (3. past part: passive) (4. past part: conversion, A in comparative structure)
h. The convicted murderer broke out of prison yesterday. Having been convicted of more than one crime, he had many
years to serve. (1. past part: conversion, attrib A) (2. pres part AUX, 3. past part AUX, 4. past part)
i. Great things sometimes result from small beginnings. (gerund: conversion: N + plural)
j. I was much pleased on hearing of your success. (1. past participle, 2. gerund)
k. Do you mind my opening the window? (gerund)
l. Do you mind me opening the window? (pres part)
m. Seeing is believing. (1. gerund) (2. gerund)
n. Deepening his voice with the deepening of the darkness, he continued humming a tune. (1. pres. part.) (2. gerund) (3.
pres part)
o. I hope to be returning home at this time tomorrow. (pres. part)
p. His house was built very well, but it is not enough for a house to be well built; it should also be well planned. (past
part in all three cases)
q. The shades of night are falling fast. (pres part)
r. The ending of a word is sometimes a suffix. (gerund: conversion: N)
s. I am tired of swimming; I have been swimming for the last hour or more. (1.gerund) (2. pres part)
t. I enjoy swimming and tennis. (gerund)
u. Building the new road will take ages

In translation training courses, teachers speak about two different uses of the Spanish gerundio, both
corresponding to the English Present Participle. One is ADVERBIAL and corresponds to English free adjuncts, and
the other is ADJECTIVAL and corresponds to English reduced relative clauses. The first one is called
explicativo and the second one is called especificativo. Although these labels sound quite arbitrary and
obscure, the RAE norm states that the adverbial use of present participle clauses in Spanish should be avoided
unless it denotes an action which precedes in time or is simultaneous to (but does not follow) the action
denoted by the matrix verb; whereas the adjectival use should be downright avoided and replaced in all cases
by a finite restrictive relative clause. Only on titles of art pieces is the adjectival use allowed.
Free adjuncts:
Empujando la puerta, Pedro dej encerrados a los ladrones. [empujar precedes dejar encerrados]
*Pancho Castillo naci en 1807, muriendo en 1839. [morir does not precede nacer]
Reduced Relative Clauses:
*Se mud a una casa mirando al mar. [cf. Hombre mirando al sudeste]
NOTE:

with perception verbs and with unaccusative verbs, particularly in existential sentences, the adverbial use of
present-participle clauses is correct because it denotes a simultaneous event:
1. Pedro lleg cantando.
2. Pedro fue durmiendo todo el viaje.
3. Vio a dos mujeres lavando ropa en el ro.
4. Haba un hombre contando dinero. [arguably, this illustrates the adjectival use of present participle clauses]
After aspectual semiauxiliaries, the present partiple is correct:
quedarse durmiendo / ir llegando / ir acomodndose / venir sintiendo dolores / terminar bailando

GO

+ GERUND

Many expressions with the semi-auxiliary verb go followed by a gerund are semantically concerned with physical
activities, sports and recreation, e.g.: go dancing; go skiing; go running.
Complete the following sentences with go plus a suitable gerund.
1. I ____________ yesterday, but I didn't buy anything.
2. I ____________ by the river tomorrow, but I'm sure I won't catch anything.
3. Whenever there's enough snow, we ____________ every weekend.
4. If I had enough money, I'd buy a yacht and ____________ in the Mediterranean.
5. We had a lovely holiday; we ____________ every day; the water was lovely.
Complete the following sentences with a verb from the list below in either the gerund or infinitive form.
e arn/l o o k af t e r/miss /le ave /pay /w o rk/vis it /s ave /buy /s t ay /find/re de c o rate /be able /o ve rdraw /go
Janes a nurse, but shes trying _________ a new job. Although she enjoys ________ people, nursing is not
very well paid, and she cannot afford ________ all her bills. She finds it impossible to live on such a low salary
without ________ her account at the bank. Her flat needs _________, and she would like _________ a car.
She managed __________ enough last year for a short holiday by __________ some extra money in her spare
time, and this year, shes hoping _________ some friends in France. She has stopped ________ to the theatre,
which used to be one of her greatest pelasures. Shes thinking of ________ in America, where she could earn a
higher salary in a private hospital, but would prefer _______ in this country if possible. She likes _________
to see her parens whenever she wants to. A friend of hers went to America after __________ university, but
began __________ her friends so badly that she had to come back.

The concert opens when the curtain is raised to reveal Wilson, the confused yet charismatic
focus, perched on a stool cosseted by his singers. After the interval comes Smile, the music
that precipitated Wilsons mental decline.
Note: the infinitival clause in the first sentence is not a purpose adjunct, but it denotes an event which is
simultaneous to the one denoted by the verb in the adverbial clause of time. The past participles in bold are main
verbs in passive reduced relative clauses.

DESCRIBE the NON-FINITE VERBS in

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

the FOLLOWING SENTENCES:

We couldnt hear (him moving in the dark room). PRESENT PARTICIPLE (ECM)
She saw (the girl shaking the umbrella as she closed it down). PRESENT PARTICIPLE (ECM)
I cant remember (to have seen [them planning their activities together]). CONTROL/PRESENT PPLE (ECM)
Do you remember (them deciding what to do with the money)? GERUND (ECM)[from Buergo 1988]
Do you mind (us smoking here)? GERUND (ECM) [from Buergo 1988]
They take it in turns to have (their jobs guessed). PURPOSE INFINITIVAL CLAUSE/PAST PPLE. (ECM)
A man sat leaning against the wall, his face hidden under an old hat. PARTICIPLES (ADJUNCT/ABS. C.)
Stella stood listening to that fantastic story, her eyes shining with exultation. P. PPLES (ADJUNCT/ABS. C.)
Thinking too much was unwise. GERUNDIAL CLAUSE: SUBJECT
I cant remember (taking photographs during the trip). GERUND (CONTROL)
She stopped weeping over the dog, being too occupied with quarrelling with her husband. G/PrP/G*
That is the least I can do to carry on the job of making the world a happier place to live in. INF/GER/INF
It deals with ways of describing what you and other people do. GERUNDIAL CLAUSE: P-OBJECT
When I get tired of travelling, Im going to start looking for a job. GERUND: P-OBJECT / GERUND (?)
Check comprehension by asking students to explain the meaning of some of the key words. GER. C: D.OBJ.
The mediterranean is getting more polluted. PAST PARTICIPLE: PREDICATIVE

*According to Buergo, weeping in stop weeping is a GERUND / SEE ALSO 4-5

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

TRADITIONAL GRAMMAR

(Mary Dune Buergo 1988)

GERUNDS IN SYNTAX
SUBJECT

Reading after dinner has been his amusement.

It is dangerous driving at such a speed.
DIRECT OBJECT

Begin telling me the story.

Do you mind giving me the photo?
OBJECT TO PREPOSITION

The room bore the evidence of being used as a studio.

He paid attention to creating suspense. [within INDIRECT OBJECT]
PREDICATIVE [EQUATIVE SENTENCES = WHAT?]
The point is choosing the right time.
The best thing will be watching the instructions.
EMBEDDED PREDICATE IN ECM
I hate {them complaining}.
Would you mind {me coming}?
N+N MODIFICATION
walking stick | swimming pool | lightning rod | sleeping bag

PRESENT PARTICIPLES IN SYNTAX

SUBJECT

The dying were removed from the building.

DIRECT OBJECT

He helped the living as much as he could.

AARENT THESE THE SAME?

OBJECT TO PREPOSITION

It was far from the living.

He paid attention to creating suspense. [within INDIRECT OBJECT]
SECONDARY PREDICATE [ADJUNCT of MANNER = HOW?]
He arrived smiling at everyone.
He stood listening to a tune.
EMBEDDED PREDICATE IN ECM
I heard {her passing through}.
I saw {him climbing up the ladder}.
Dont keep {her waiting}.
NOUN MODIFIER
The boy (driving the car) is Tom.
I found nobody singing.
running water | passing stranger | sleeping beauty
VERB/SENTENCE MODIFIER
free adjuncts / absolute constructions

I have lost confidence in (any of the existing political, militaristic societies having the ability
to correct their paths toward a sustainable way of life).
Aunque la interpretacin del ejemplo resulte algo complicada, el complemento de in (luego de confidence)
es una gerundial clause cuyo ncleo es having, ms un overt subject any of the existing political, militaristic
societies. Esto podra ser evidencia en favor de la hiptesis de que el complementante for no existe, sino que se
trata de una preposicin insertada en construcciones infinitivas para asignarle caso objetivo al sujeto explcito.
Dado que ni participles ni gerunds admiten que sus overt subjects sean introducidos por for, cuando estos
verboides tienen sujetos explcitos vg. en las Absolute Constructions, dichos sujetos vienen marcados por
defecto con caso nominativo, por lo tanto podra postularse que, en este tipo de casos, el sujeto explcito obtiene
marca de caso objetivo (ECM) de la P que lo precede en la sintaxis. Si imaginamos la realizacin pronominal del
sujeto del ejemplo, pensaramos en THEM y no en THEY.