Background of the Study

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Language is the ability to acquire and use complex system of communication, particularly the human ability to do so, and a language is any specific example of such a system. Language is more than the apparently simple stream of sound that flows from the tongue of the native speaker; it is more than the native speaker thinks it is. It is a complex system of communication with various levels of complexity involving intricate selection and ordering of meanings, sounds, and larger units and arrangement. The scientific study of language is called linguistics. Human use language in order to communicate with each other, to express their personal reactions toward the situations, and how to convey other person about what they mean. Language is closely related to descriptive analysis, the study of a gerund its mean that we study in structuring. Stork 1982 : 9 says, “ Language, however, is not a natural phenomenon; it is a creation of man’s social needs. Like all other living creatures we depend on the air, water and earth around us, and in the same way society depends upon language for its very existence.” Stork’s opinion about language is different with Burgess’s opinion. Burgess 1980 : 66 says, “We all know about language, because we all use language. No similar conclusion is drawn from the fact that we all use kidneys, nerves and intestines.” There are many languages in the world. English is one of them as International language and it has a complicated structure or grammar. Grammar 2 describes the kinds of words in language and the ways the word are fitted together into meaningful groups. On the other hand, grammar is description of language. However, there are so many parts of grammar. Gerund is included in English Grammar. Schmidt 1995:322 gerund is used when abstract noun phrases exist or to express movement and activity in some kind of process. Gerunds have stonger verbal force than noun clauses, infinitives, or abstract noun phrases. That means they put an emphasis on some kind of action. While, Wisthon and Burks 1980:268, a gerund is the –form of the verb used as a noun. The gerund has the same form as the present participle. However, if functions defferently in the sentence. It is always a noun and it can in any noun position. From the meaning of gerund above according to experts can be explained that gerund is a verb + ing form that is used as a noun. Gerund is also found in writings, for example; letter, poem, magazine, novel, etc. Gerund is also often called noun verbal. Gerund is almost like present participle, and both of them are part of verb. The difference of them is that gerund is kind of noun, but present participle is kind of adjective. The gerund and present participle has defferent character each other. There is a case history from this form. In ancient English, Noun Verbal form and Adjective Verbal is very different: writung gerund, writende present participle. Then the two endings – ung and –ende, both of them are slowly using the form –ing, and because of it, now we have only one form as alternate two form for the both of Part of Speech. 3 Writing Gerund, writing Present Participle. Gerund is double part of speech – noun and verb are amalgamated. Not only the character of gerund is as a kind of noun but also gerund is a part of verb. As part of verb, the characteristics of the verb can be still seen from some examples who will be described by writer. Then, there is the patterns of gerund and there are some functions like gerund is as a subject, as an object of the sentence, as an object of certain verb, as an object of preposition, as a predicate complement, as a modifier of noun, gerund with their subjects, and gerund with “it...ing”. They will be described in this paper clearly. The writer chooses novel “Four” who is written by Veronica Roth as an object of study of gerund. Writer chooses this novel because this novel has interesting story. Besides, gerund is one of the grammatical case which is difficult to study. Many people are confused about what the gerund is. Gerund is almost like infinitive or present participle. Whereas gerund sees very different than them. If we can know definition and function with its examples, we can find difference between gerund with other grammar forms.

1.2 Problem of the Study