Maureen,
The term "gerund" comes up from time to time on list and often gets an
argument going. Some of us have trouble with it. At any rate, it is
usually used for the -ing form of the verb when the structure it heads
is in a noun phrase role. I like Bruce's analysis of #2 as a complement
of "trouble or "trouble with". But I don't think even a gerund advocate
would use gerund for the other two.
The usual explanation for these participle phrases or clauses is that
they modify their implied subject. (Hence we get the notion of
"dangling participle" when this subject seems missing or misleading. "I
found a dollar walking down the street.") By this analysis, one and
three would modify their implied subjects ("I"). The fact that they
seem to add adverbial meaning (how the time was spent) is worth
pointing out. This isn't unusual for these structures. "Flailing my
arms, I pushed my way through the crowd." Even though this says "how",
it is usually described as an adjectival modifier of its implied
subject, "I".
A word group like "building a shed" is more predicate like than noun
like. "Building" retains its verb like quality, even taking a direct
object complement ("shed") just as it would if this were a primary
clause. "I am building a shed." "I built a shed." For that reason, plus
the fact it's not in a noun phrase role, I would say "gerund" is
inappropriate even for a gerund fan.
We do have the problem that "Smiling, I spent the morning" seems to
mean something different, at least in nuance, from "I spent the morning
smiling." That might be best explained as a sort of special quality of
the verb "spend". which seems to ask for a "how" complement, especially
in relation to a period of time. That way, at least, we won't get too
bogged down with the classification problem. Verbs govern the nature of
the predicate, and they are under no obligation to follow our ideas
about them.
These are fine questions, by the way, very much what we often talk
about on the list.
Craig
To ATEG folks-
> I have joined this listserve at the suggestion of NCTE in order to
> seek advice about the following grammar issue. As a brash newcomer,
> I will dive right in. I beg the indulgence of veterans for any
> lapses of local culture or etiquette.
>
> Here are 3 model sentences:
> #1. I spent the morning smiling.
> #2. I have trouble dancing in the dark.
> #3. I spent the weekend building a shed.
>
> What are those "ing" words? They're not gerunds used as direct
> objects; "morning," "trouble," and "weekend" seem to be the direct
> objects.
> -Possible explanation A: Participles that are oddly placed? (smiling I,
> dancing I, building I)
> -Possible explanation B: Are they gerunds in understood prepositional
> phrases that serve as adverbs to modify the verb?
> I spent the morning [in] smiling
> I have trouble [with] dancing in the dark.
> I spent the weekend [in] building a shed.
>
> -Possible explanation C: Some sort of obscure direct object? (Doesn't
> really fit the definition or word order - IO before DO).
> -Possible explanation D; A Latinate structure. For example, ablative
> absolute in Latin becomes a nominative absolute in English. Although the
> Latin specifications for an ablative absolute seem to fit, the English
> versions provided on the web don't fit the model.
>
> With sincere thanks for any light you can shine on this mystery,
> Maureen
>
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