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#2 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 15:08 pm Not Gerund? |
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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. _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13015
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#3 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 16:09 pm Not Gerund? |
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Could you please show a couple of examples Mr.Micawber? Thanks. _________________ Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting. |
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Kitosdad Language Coach

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 13417 Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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#4 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 16:53 pm Not Gerund? |
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Hi Bill,
What about this? Swimming is good for you (gerund)
A good place to swim is in a swimming pool (adjective)
Alan _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Present Simple |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 13895 Location: UK
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#5 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 18:25 pm Not Gerund? |
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Many thanks Alan. _________________ Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting. |
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Kitosdad Language Coach

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 13417 Location: ESSEN, Germany, (but English.)
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#6 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 18:52 pm Not Gerund? |
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Can I say “ the swimming guy is very good at swimming and he is swimming very fast now” ?
swimming – adjective swimming – gerund swimming – verb
Nick* |
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Nick* You can meet me at english-test.net

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 78 Location: Toronto, Canada
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#7 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 19:29 pm Not Gerund? |
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I like it!
Alan _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 13895 Location: UK
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#8 (permalink) Sat Jul 11, 2009 23:10 pm Not Gerund? |
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| Quote: |
A good place to swim is in a swimming pool (adjective)
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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 |
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MrPedantic I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 1326 Location: Southern England
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#9 (permalink) Sun Jul 12, 2009 0:23 am Not Gerund? |
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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! _________________ Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach
Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 13015
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#10 (permalink) Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:12 am Not Gerund? (I was met by a -welcoming- party at the airport.) |
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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:
1. four falling feathers
— participial adjective (the feathers are falling).
2. a case of falling sickness
— adjectival gerund (the sickness relates to falling).
Best wishes,
MrP |
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MrPedantic I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 1326 Location: Southern England
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#11 (permalink) Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:43 pm Not Gerund? (I was met by a -welcoming- party at the airport.) |
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“The meeting room is a place for meeting and the boss is meeting with some clients now. I am looking forward to meeting you there ASAP.”
meeting – ? meeting – gerund meeting – verb meeting – gerund
Is the "meeting" in "The meeting room" not necessarily to be an adjective ?
Nick* |
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Nick* You can meet me at english-test.net

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 78 Location: Toronto, Canada
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#12 (permalink) Sun Jul 12, 2009 12:51 pm Not Gerund? (I was met by a -welcoming- party at the airport.) |
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Hello Nick,
I would call "meeting" in "meeting room" a gerund, and the form in "is meeting" a participle.
Best wishes,
MrP |
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MrPedantic I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 1326 Location: Southern England
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#13 (permalink) Sun Jul 12, 2009 23:11 pm Not Gerund? (I was met by a -welcoming- party at the airport.) |
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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 “meeting” in “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 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 always preceded by a “verb to be” such as “ He is driving a school bus” . For a gerund, sometimes it is preceded by a “verb to be” depending on the context such as “His job is driving a school bus”. For an adjective, it never preceded by any “verb to be”.
So, to me : “The boss is meeting with clients” - progressive verb - (verb form). “The boss’ job is meeting with clients” – Gerund – (noun form). However, I can’ think out any example of “be + verb + ing” 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* |
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Nick* You can meet me at english-test.net

Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 78 Location: Toronto, Canada
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#14 (permalink) Sun Jul 12, 2009 23:23 pm Not Gerund? (I was met by a -welcoming- party at the airport.) |
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Hello Nick,
I'm sorry to have caused confusion; but I think we are more or less in agreement.
1. meeting room
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.
2. * A very meeting room / a quietly meeting room
In this case:
3. The boss is meeting with some clients
I take "meeting" as a participle, which in combination with "to be" forms the present progressive.
Best wishes,
MrP |
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MrPedantic I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 1326 Location: Southern England
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| Every time Or Each time? | in weks or for weeks |