An American anthropologist and family counselor speaks on the challenges of modern life:
I want to begin by asking all of you. How many of you live your life by the clock? Are you guilty of any of the following: Dividing up your day into small blocks, like half hours or even quarter hours? Getting angry in a traffic jam? Forgetting to eat your meals?
I, too, used to be guilty of overscheduling my life but fortunately, I saw light. My having changed my basic relationship with time is probably the best thing I ever did. I am an anthropologist and about six years ago I did some field work on group relationship among the Navajo people in Arizona and New Mexico. My work included spending time with Navajo elders, observing their activities and recording many of the things they said. One thing I learned very quickly was that hurrying is basically foreign to Navajo.
I spent my days with them watching what they did. I loved being allowed to take part in Navajo culture but at first I was a bit angry with their taking so long to do things, and I’m sure they smiled at my becoming so impatient with them and not wanting to wait. Then I started slowing down and entering into the Navajo lifestyle. I started looking at things in a new way, and today I’d say that my having been given this opportunity to see how another culture deals with time probably taught me more than any other single thing.
It wouldn’t be a good idea if we adopted part of that lifestyle. Too many of us want thing to happen immediately: fast food, microwave meals, instant money from automatic tellers, instant credit. When things don’t go according to the schedule, we feel stress, and stress can kill us. And it keeps us from enjoying as we experience them.
(Adapted from “Focus on Grammar” Longman 1998)
Ex. II. These –ing forms are called “the Gerunds”. Here are some other verbs followed by the gerund:
admit
avoid
consider
delay
deny
enjoy
finish
imagine
involve
mind
miss
postpone
practice
regret
risk
suggest
Ex. III. Read and translate the following examples paying attention to the gerunds:
1. They enjoyed watching an adventure movie last Saturday.
2. Try to avoid getting upset.
3. I suggest getting together next Friday.
4. He admitted challenging the results of the experiment.
5. Would you mind repeating that, please?
6. We delayed having a meeting.
7. By delaying we risk losing the contract.
8. That would involve redesigning many of the programs.
Gerunds: Forms and Functions
| Active | Passive | |
| Simple | writing | being written |
| Perfect | having written | having been written |
1. Simple forms (Active and Passive) express an action simultaneous with the action, expressed by the main verb and can refer to the present, past or future:
I like reading science fiction. (present)
I liked reading fairy tales when I was a child. (past)
I’ll enjoy reading his poems. (future)
2. Perfect form (having + past participle) suggests the past in relations to some other time:
You might remember having seen or heard about that TV program.
I remember having met her before.
3. Gerunds can occur in Passive form with “being or getting + past participle” or “having been + past participle”:
I enjoyed being allowed to participate in the work over this project.
Having been selected to do research on Native American culture pleased me greatly.
He liked neither reading aloud nor being read aloud to.
4. It has verbal and nominal characteristics. Like a noun it can perform the function of subject, object and predicative.
Dancing is healthful. (subject)
Many people love skiing. (object)
Many Americans give dancing an important place in their culture. (object)
A key management responsibility is leading a team. (predicative)
Like a verb it can take a direct object:
You should consider upgrading the system to make the software run faster.
We are interested in buying these goods.
It can be modified by an adverb:
She burst out crying bitterly.
6. To form a negative gerund, add “not” before the gerund:
Not exercising is bad for you.
Not swimming for a week makes me feel lazy.
7. The doer of the action denoted by the Gerund may be expressed by a noun in the possessive case or a possessive pronoun:
These combinations are called Gerundial Complexes:
Everything will depend on the weather changing for the better.
Everybody enjoys his singing.
He objects to my going away on Sunday.
We were sure of Peter's passing this final exam.
Excuse my being late.
8. The Gerund is often preceded by a preposition, for example, after such verbs and expressions, as to look forward to, to object to, to depend on, to be fond of, to be interested in, to go on, to be good at, to make progress in:
I’m fond of travelling.
He’s made a good progress in understanding and speaking their language.
Ex. I. Look through the text in “Presentation” section again. State forms and functions of the gerunds.
Ex. II. Read and translate these sentences into Ukrainian, identifying gerunds:
1. The doctor went on examining him.
2. Is this model worth producing?
3. The young girl was fond of dancing.
4. Why do you object to his joining us?
5. I prefer staying at home to going for a walk tonight.
6. Everything depends on Peter’s getting in touch with them.
7. We are thinking of setting up a joint venture.
8. We are looking forward to meeting you.
9. We believe in spending money on research.
10. We have thought about applying for a grant.
11. John’s telling them about the project was a big mistake.
12. I didn’t remember him (his) telling them about it.
Ex. III. Work in groups. Decide together what is:
exciting
relaxing
good exercise
dangerous
easy
unhealthy
against the law
expensive
takes a lot of time
difficult
saves energy
a good idea
For example: Jogging is good exercise.
Going to restaurants is expensive.
