a week ago, a careful reader of this blog, Paul Coltrin, sent me an email with a number of examples of gerunds well used as the New grammar of English recently published by the Association of English Language Academies and ESPASA editorial. Wondered if it was only recently permitted uses, if Academies were liberalized or if he had interpreted evil rules. Input, all examples I quoted Mr. Coltrin me except one seemed correct. I will quote another of the same class, also in this section of the New grammar ... (27.7g) because it is shorter, "Demosthenes, my foreman, a letter carrier explaining the situation. " [Esteban Navajas, The agony of the deceased (1977). Madrid, Fondo de Cultura Economica / Documentation Centre Theatre, CREA, 1992]. Indeed! I had always regarded this as improper use of the gerund. And not just me! Here's why.
We know that we should not give value gerund adjective, unless it is to modify the direct object of a verb of perception: "I saw my brother getting the envelope", "I heard the dogs barking during all night. " In this case the verb, portal , but perception is not an ordinary transitive verb as break or choose . The direct object is letter . The phrase explaining the situation , clearly modifies the direct object: letter . Is this a liberalization? A case in which the Academies end up accepting a well-spread use but not seen as right before?
I must say that I, Sandro Cohen, I'm not a grammarian. I've never made a systematic study English grammar or otherwise. I have read, yes, many grammars and consulted almost daily. I do it for fun and also to better my writing classes. One, if a subject taught as Writing, you must have knowledge of the facts, but the grammar itself is not my area of \u200b\u200bexpertise. I'm just a writer! And as such, language fascinates me. Learn to write well beyond mere questions of grammar, and grammar exceeds by far mere drafting points. Twin disciplines but are very different! This is a gerund use that to my knowledge, not previously formed part of what we understood as purism .
's explanation the New Grammar ... unless the point is incomprehensible to many readers. The will copy not leave ... But I can not get discouraged if you do not understand!
constitutes a third group of nouns that support gerunds nominal predicate constructions in a number of NAMES OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION introduced which complements the content that is transmitted: letter, statement, e (e), decree , message, memo, news, cable, etc.. , as castaway's letter asking for help never reached its destination .
In other words, according to New grammar ... now support sentences like "I wrote a letter asking my opinion ", " was issued a decree banning the misuse of the gerund. " Manuel Seco, where Essential grammar of English (4 th ed., 1996) only provides for accepting this use of the gerund when it comes to people: "There was a boy selling postcards ", and argues that it is understood" a guy selling postcards " (9.1.9) . I have always accepted that use, and with the same argument Seco, but the great grammarian who fails a gerund used as well in relation to "name thing" as "a letter ( for help ) "or" a decree ( prohibiting the misuse gerund) " . States that it is preferable to use the form on "a letter asking help", " a decree prohibiting the misuse of the gerund." For those who had considered erroneous constructions of this kind, we can only go through with and move ahead.
But what happens in the photograph that appears at the top of this post? This is an ad that tells us (still can not get used to say "[...] an ad report ") where invoices are issued for parking at the Airport Benito Juarez of Mexico City. (The girl next to the listing is my daughter Leonora, doing screen, trying to distract the police stop me from seeking out this photo) .
As one of the most common uses of the gerund is Modal , we understand the action of the gerund as if it were an adverb: it tells us how action is performed the main verb. For example, if I say "The boy raised his hand threatening his master", I how raised his hand threatening the teacher. But in the photograph read "The issuance of the bills are held down ramp 1B level [...]." The question is: "How are bills issued?". Answer: " down the ramp." Can I issue invoices down the ramp or while you go down the ramp ? It would be dangerous. In addition, the person issuing them must be sitting in an office, not down the ramp .
celebrate the But we have an error unless corrected. But watch out! It is still wrong to say or write "a box containing books", or "the person coming first." This is not names information and communication . By the way: Is not there a smarter way to name this use of the gerund? It opens from now, the suggestion box!
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