The English Gerund-participle: A Comparison with the Infinitive

Couverture
Peter Lang, 2006 - 188 pages
There is considerable confusion regarding the English suffix «ing,» which is usually treated as «progressive.» The sentence «I regret telling him» shows, however, that this is not always the case. The very same form can sometimes evoke an ongoing process and sometimes a completed action. This book brings much-needed clarity to this area of English grammar, proposing a simple coherent explanation based on meaning. ESL teachers will find it a valuable contribution to the «focus on form» approach. It will also be of interest to linguists as it addresses the problems of tense and control that have been the object of considerable debate.
 

Table des matières

Seeking to Define the Meaning of the ing Form
5
Reconstructing the Schematic Meaning of the ing Form
19
The Meaning of to
25
Summary
32
Chapter Three Gerundparticiple vs Infinitive
33
Gerundparticiple and Infinitive Complements with Various Types
53
General Conclusion on Complement Constructions
124
Previous Treatments of the Problem
125
Conclusion
147
The ing as Object Complement
153
Conclusion
159
The Use of the ing Form as an Adjective
165
Notes
171
Index
187
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