1. To find out and classify the function of gerunds in the articles of Jakarta Post Newspaper.
2. To find out the most dominant the function of gerund in the articles of
Jakarta Post Newspaper.
1.4 Significance of the Study
1. To enrich knowledge about gerunds
2. To help the readers understanding about gerunds
3. To know what the dominant of gerunds in Jakarta Post Newspaper used.
1.5 The Method of Research
In this paper the writer uses library research as the method of research. The writer collects some books of grammar as the writer references. And the writer
also collects some articles from Jakarta Post Newspaper as the object of data. Finally, the writer wants to show the dominant the function of gerund that used in
Jakarta Post Newspaper.
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 What’s Gerund
George 1980:268 states that gerund is the - ing form of the verb used as a noun, gerund has the same form as the present participle. However, it functions
differently in the sentence, it is always can function in any noun position.
Harper 2006:234 states that a gerund is a kind of verbal noun
. It behaves as a
verb within a clause so that, for example, it may be modified by an adverb or
have an object, but the clause as a whole sometimes consisting only of one word, the gerund acts as a noun within the larger sentence.
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Example:
•
Editing this article is easy.
Within the clause Editing this article, the word Editing behaves as a verb; in particular the phrase this article is the object of that verb. But the whole
clause Editing this article acts as a noun phrase within the sentence as a whole; it is the subject of the verb is.
2.2 The Function of Gerunds
2.2.1 “Subject” in Gerund Phrases
The subject of a gerund usually donates a live being, but sometimes it designates a lifeless thing or an abstract idea.
In the majority of gerund phrases, especially those functions as objects of verbs or preposition, the “subject” is either understood or is found in another part
of the sentence.
Examples:
•
Playing with guns is dangerous.
•
Fishing in this lake is forbidden.
•
Working in a factory is no disgrace. a. The subject is understood from the general context
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Examples:
•
He suggested eating dinner at the airport.
•
Bringing up that subject will only cause trouble.
•
Going there today isn’t wise. b. The subject is in another part of the sentence
Examples:
•
On Seeing the damage he had done, the child felt ashamed. the subject of seeing is child, the subject of the main verb .
•
We thanked them for making such a generous contribution. the subject of making is them, the object of the main verb.
1. Subject of Gerund in Possessive or Unchanged Form a. Subject a word denoting a live being
The choice of possessive or non – possessive form often depends on whether formal or informal usage is being observed.
In formal usage, possessive forms of nouns and pronouns are required.
Examples:
•
The girl resents her sister’s getting more attention than she does.
•
The idea of Harold’s getting a job as a traveling salesman doesn’t appeal to his wife.
If the gerund phrase is the subject of the sentence, the possessive form is obligatory in both formal and informal usage.
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Example:
•
His undertaking such a difficult task is to be commended.
In informal usage, the unchanged forms of nouns, as well as the object forms of personal pronouns, may be used for subjects of gerunds. These forms
establish a closer relationship with the verb or preposition after which they commonly appear. They are more emphatic than the possessive forms: in speech
they receive greater stress and are followed by a longer pause.
Gerund phrase after a main verb : especially such verbs as dis like, not mind, miss, remember, understand.
Examples:
•
We can’t understand them doing a thing like that.
•
I remember my father being very strict with us.
•
Can you imagine him being elected president
Such a gerund phrase may be considered as the second part of a two – part object.
Gerund phrase after a preposition: Examples:
•
I don’t approve of a woman walking by herself late at night.
•
She was proud of her son winning first prize.
•
She went there without him knowing about it. b. Subject a word denoting a lifeless thing or an abstract idea
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Much less frequent than subject that represents human being. Such a subject of a gerund is usually in non – possessive form.
Examples:
•
They told us a story of a pirate ship having been sunk in these
waters. •
The doctors are afraid of a relapse occurring in a few months.
•
Instead of her health improving after the operation, it got worse.
This type of subject is something also found with possessive endings.
Examples:
•
I can’t understand the door’s not being open.
•
There is a real danger of a war’s destroying the world.
•
Who could imagine a thing’s seeming so different from what it is?
Subjects with modifiers, especially modifiers that follow them, generally do not occur in possessive form even in formal English.
Examples:
•
There is no need of the president of the company attending the meeting.
•
I marvel at anything of such small importance standing in his way.
• I can not bear the thought of my best friend, once so rich and
powerful, being almost destitute now.
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A long gerund phrase functioning as subject of a verb or as object of a preposition is generally awkward, especially if the subject of the gerund has noun
– possessive form. Most experts suggest avoiding such sentences as the following.
Examples:
•
The government inspector walking into the factory without any
previous warning disconcerted the plant superintendent. •
Because of the money not being where he had put it, he was afraid it
had been stolen. In gerund phrases derived from sentences beginning with expletives, it or
its may be used; there remains unchanged.
Examples:
•
In spite of its informal, it being a rainy night, he went out for a
long walk. •
We were mistaken about there being a meeting tonight. 2. Subject of gerund an of Phrase
An of phrase subject of a gerund may denote a live being or an inanimate
thing. This kind of subject is used mostly with intransitive verbs. The occasionally another determiner initiates the phrase.
Examples:
•
The plotting and intriguing of the ambassador for his own ends finally caused his dismissal.
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•
The shouting of the children disturbed his sleep.
Personal pronoun are not used as subjects in of phrases --the shouting of them.
A subject representing a live being may something be put either in an of
phrase or in s’ possessive form – the shouting of the children or the children’s shouting. The gerund with the possessive subject has greater force as a verb ; the
gerund with the of phrase subject has greater force s a noun.
3. Subject of gerund a by phrases
A by phrase subject marks the passive voice of a transitive verb in a
gerund phrase. Examples:
•
The broadcasting by that station comes from the top of a skyscraper.
•
He resents being nagged by his wife.
2.2.2 “Objects” in Gerund Phrases
The form of an object in a gerund phrase may depend on what precedes the gerumd. If the introduces the gerund, the object of the gerund is in an of
phrase.
Examples:
•
The shooting of those rare birds appalled us.
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•
The storing of merchandise became a problem after the warehouse
burned down.
Determiners other than the – for example a, this, some, any – occasionally initiate a gerund phrase containing an of phrase object.
Examples:
•
We must put an end to this killing of innocent people.
•
Some cutting of taxes will result from this law.
In the construction the . . . – ing + of phraseobject, only the – ing ending is usedfor the gerund can not have perfect or passive form, nor can it be made
negative. If there is no the or possessive subject preceding the gerund, the object of
the gerund remains unchanged.
Examples:
•
Repairing that lamp will not be expensive.
•
They plan on setting aside some money each month for their old age. If a possessive subject precedes the gerund
a. The object may remain unchanged Examples:
•
Their returning the money was a surprise.
•
I can’t understand her losing the ring.
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b. The object may be in an of phrase less frequent
Examples:
•
His reporting of the war won him an award for good journalism.
•
The dictator was hated by many people for his silencing of all oppsition.
Sometimes choices of objects with or without of are possible.
Examples:
•
Shooting those rare birds or the shooting of those rare birds.
•
The government’s suppresing the news or the The government’s suppresing of the news.
Of phrase objects are not used at all with gerunds that represent nonaction
- the remembering of, the thinking of, the needing of. But, compare with abstract noun phrases – the remembrance of, the though of, the need of.
Personal personal objects of gerund phrases as well as subjects can not
be put in of phrases - the launching of it, their finding of it. In a gerund construction that is given passive force only by a by phrase, an
of phrase expresses the original object. Examples:
•
The sailor told us a story about the shinking of a ship by pirates..
•
They complained about the shooting of the birds by the hunters.
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Without a by phrase, a gerund construction containing of phrase may
sometimes be interpreted as either or passive. Thus, in the shootingof the birds disturbed him, the gerund phrase my be considered as being derived from either
someone shot the birds or the birds were shot by someone.
After verbs that have both a transitive and an intransitive sense, an of phrase may cause ambiguity, since it functions either as subject or object of the
gerund.
Examples:
•
The ringing of the bells may be derived from the bells are ringing or someone is ringing the bells .
• The sinking of the ship may be derived from the ship is sinking or
someone sank the ship .
2.2.3 Adverbs in Gerund Phrases
In a gerund phrase, a word used as an adverb may remain unchanged or it may take adjective form.
a. Adverb in unchanged form
Such adverbs may be used in final position, or , less commonly, in initial position.
1. Final Position
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Examples:
•
The company appreciated his handling the affair dicreetly.
•
Eating and drinking intemperately.
•
He received a reward for returning the lost money promptly.
An unchanged adverb is rare in a the . . . + of phrase construction, but occasionally such a form appears in final position.
Example:
•
The administering of artificial respiration immediately may save a
person’s life. Adverbs in final position in gerund phrase subjects are sometimes
ambiguous in written English - his leaving the country immediately made the police suspicious of him. In this sentence, it is not clear whether immidiately
refers to the gerund subject leaving or to the main verb made. In the spoken language, the slight pause before or after immidiately would signal which
construction the word belonged to.
2. Initial Position Examples:
•
He received a reward for promptly returning the money.
•
His employer was irritated at his never getting to wrk on time.
•
Needlessly criticizing other people is cruel.
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Gerunds are usually preceded by the the same types of advebs as those that precede finite verbs – usually manner or frequency advebs.
b. Adverbs Changed to Adjective Form
