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英语语法:43 Your Singing or You Singing

时间:2010-06-29 01:49来源:互联网 提供网友:laci   字体: [ ]
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Sometimes there’s a topic that doesn’t quite defy explanation but certainly gives one pause in the undertaking1. Lucky us—that’s where we find ourselves today. “Why gerunds take a possessive before them.” Oy.
What's a Gerund?
Let’s start with what a gerund is. It’s a verb form that resembles an adjective or adverb but is actually a noun. It’s one of the “-ing” forms of a verb. In other words, it's a noun that's trying to trick you into thinking it's a verb. The other “-ing” forms are those that are part of a complex verb form (the present progressive), and those that are participles.
So a verb ending with “-ing” can be one of three things: part of the present progressive, a participle, or a sneaky, dirty gerund.
Present Progressive
First let's dispense2 with the present progressive “-ing” form of any verb. It's important to understand the verb forms so you don't confuse them with the gerund—the noun form. Here's an example using the present progressive:
Ignatz is mowing3 the lawn.
It denotes a current, ongoing4 process. The subject is “Ignatz.” the verb is “mowing,” and the direct object is “the lawn.” “Mowing” is a verb. Done.
Participles
A participle is what we call a verb such as “crying” when it is used as a modifier. It can be an adjective, as in,
The crying man’s co-workers comforted him with apples.
Here, the adjective “crying” modifies the noun “man”: “the crying man.”
A participle can also be used as an adverb, as in,
The man ran crying out of the cinema.
Here, “crying” modifies the verb “ran,” describing how he ran: “the man ran crying.”
Gerunds
Now that we have the verbs out of the way, let's move on to gerunds. Here's an example of a sentence with a gerund:
Crying can relieve stress.
Here, “crying” is the subject of the sentence. You can see that it's acting5 like a noun because you can replace it with something that is more obviously a noun: “dogs.” “Dogs are clearly nouns, and you could say, “Dogs can relieve stress.” See how you can replace “dogs” with “crying”? “Dogs can relieve stress,” and “Crying can relieve stress.” “Crying” is a gerund; a thing that looks like a verb but is acting like a noun.
Gerunds and Possessives
OK, so now you understand gerunds. Let's build on that knowledge and figure out how to deal with possessives before a gerund. People ask about this a lot.
Here's an example of a correct sentence:
That baby’s crying is getting on my nerves.
You wouldn’t (or at least shouldn’t) say, “That baby crying is getting on my nerves,” for although the baby may be irritating you, the real source of your nervous irritation6 is the crying itself and, therefore, the subject of the sentence.
Alternatively, you might say, “That crying baby is getting on my nerves,” and then the baby is the subject of the sentence, as well as the object of your disdain7, but “crying” is no longer a gerund in that sentence, it's become an adjective. You can tell because you can't replace ”crying” with a noun anymore. You can't say “That dog baby is getting on my nerves.” At least you shouldn't say that. It would mean something strange and different.
Anyway, back to “the baby’s crying.” It’s the crying, again, that’s the noun and subject, so the modifier needs the proper structure—in this case, a possessive form: “baby’s.” Whose crying is depriving you of your nap on the plane? The baby’s crying, that’s whose.
Let’s take another example, because this is a tricky8 grammatical issue. That’s why it’s so common to hear it said the wrong way—to the point that the wrong way sounds right and the right way sounds wrong. Hold steady, and do it the right way. Be brave.
Let’s say a colleague has agreed to take your work shift so you can attend a family event out of town. How would you express your gratitude9? (Of course, taking that person to lunch would be a gracious gesture, but how would you thank your colleague verbally?)
“I appreciate you filling in for me, Myrtle,” would be the common, though incorrect, way of acknowledging the kindness. Though you might appreciate Myrtle for filling in for you –— and you certainly could express it that way — you really appreciate the “filling in” itself. Therefore, because it’s Myrtle’s filling in that’s the object of the verb “appreciate,” you would say,
I appreciate your filling in for me, Myrtle.
Similarly, you might say,
I love that tenor10’s singing.
Much clearer this time, because the object of your affection is the singing, not the tenor himself. Whose singing do you love? The tenor’s. Maybe you’ve met this fellow, and he’s an insufferable lout11, but his mellifluous12 crooning makes you weak in the knees. “I can’t stand that tenor, but I adore his singing.” Starting to make a bit more sense now?
Remember that the “–ing” form is a noun.
A Quick and Dirty Tip
Some people find it hard to remember, so here’s the Quick and Dirty (and, we hope, simple) Tip to guide you.
Differentiation13 is key. Are you appreciating or abhorring14 the person, or the deed? Almost invariably in this construction, it’s the deed. So, let the person own the deed.
The baby’s crying; the tenor’s singing; Myrtle’s filling in.
Those in the know will notice our saying it and writing it correctly.
Audible

OK, this week, Rob Reinalda from Ragan.com has a book recommendation for us:

“A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle is a remarkable15 guide to reclaiming16 your true self from your “ego,” which focuses on your thoughts and worries about social and professional status, and your “pain body,” that part of you that feeds on internal and external anger. It’s such a freeing, uplifting book, and Eckhart Tolle’s narration17 helps you transcend18 your daily worries and long-held spiritual constraints19. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Audience Survey

It's been quite a while since I've asked you to tell me about yourself, so we put a listener survey back up in the sidebar of the Grammar Girl section of quickanddirtytips.com. If you could take a minute to visit the website and take the survey, I would appreciate it. Of course, we ask about your demographics, but there is also a free form section where you can tell us what you like and dislike about the show, and I really enjoy reading those.

Also, I'll be starting my book tour in a couple of weeks, and in that same sidebar is a sign up button for the free Grammar Girl e-mail newsletter. Sign up for that newsletter to get all the details about the tour and a free daily grammar tip.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 undertaking Mfkz7S     
n.保证,许诺,事业
参考例句:
  • He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
  • He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小,不敢从事任何事业。
2 dispense lZgzh     
vt.分配,分发;配(药),发(药);实施
参考例句:
  • Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
  • The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱,可自行适当分配。
3 mowing 2624de577751cbaf6c6d7c6a554512ef     
n.割草,一次收割量,牧草地v.刈,割( mow的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The lawn needs mowing. 这草坪的草该割了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • "Do you use it for mowing?" “你是用它割草么?” 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
4 ongoing 6RvzT     
adj.进行中的,前进的
参考例句:
  • The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
  • The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
5 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
6 irritation la9zf     
n.激怒,恼怒,生气
参考例句:
  • He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。
  • Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说,但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。
7 disdain KltzA     
n.鄙视,轻视;v.轻视,鄙视,不屑
参考例句:
  • Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
  • A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。
8 tricky 9fCzyd     
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
参考例句:
  • I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
  • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
9 gratitude p6wyS     
adj.感激,感谢
参考例句:
  • I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
  • She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。
10 tenor LIxza     
n.男高音(歌手),次中音(乐器),要旨,大意
参考例句:
  • The tenor of his speech was that war would come.他讲话的大意是战争将要发生。
  • The four parts in singing are soprano,alto,tenor and bass.唱歌的四个声部是女高音、女低音、男高音和男低音。
11 lout 83eyW     
n.粗鄙的人;举止粗鲁的人
参考例句:
  • He's just an ill-bred lout.他是个缺乏教养的乡巴佬。
  • He had no training, no skills and he was just a big, bungling,useless lout!什么也不行,什么也不会,自己只是个傻大黑粗的废物!
12 mellifluous JCGxc     
adj.(音乐等)柔美流畅的
参考例句:
  • Soon the room is filled with Bates' mellifluous tones.很快,房间里便充满了贝茨动听的声音。
  • Her voice was distinctive,soft and mellifluous.她的嗓音甜美,清脆而柔和。
13 differentiation wuozfs     
n.区别,区分
参考例句:
  • There can be no differentiation without contrast. 有比较才有差别。
  • The operation that is the inverse of differentiation is called integration. 与微分相反的运算叫做积分。
14 abhorring 3a93bc74bf02fa9a7683159da58c0ae8     
v.憎恶( abhor的现在分词 );(厌恶地)回避;拒绝;淘汰
参考例句:
  • He is a very upright man, abhorring evil as a deadly foe. 他具有正义感,一向嫉恶如仇。 来自互联网
15 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
16 reclaiming 4b89b3418ec2ab3c547e204ac2c4a68e     
v.开拓( reclaim的现在分词 );要求收回;从废料中回收(有用的材料);挽救
参考例句:
  • People here are reclaiming land from the sea. 这儿的人们正在填海拓地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • How could such a man need reclaiming? 这么一个了不起的人怎么还需要别人拯救呢? 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
17 narration tFvxS     
n.讲述,叙述;故事;记叙体
参考例句:
  • The richness of his novel comes from his narration of it.他小说的丰富多采得益于他的叙述。
  • Narration should become a basic approach to preschool education.叙事应是幼儿教育的基本途径。
18 transcend qJbzC     
vt.超出,超越(理性等)的范围
参考例句:
  • We can't transcend the limitations of the ego.我们无法超越自我的局限性。
  • Everyone knows that the speed of airplanes transcend that of ships.人人都知道飞机的速度快于轮船的速度。
19 constraints d178923285d63e9968956a0a4758267e     
强制( constraint的名词复数 ); 限制; 约束
参考例句:
  • Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
  • What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么? 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
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TAG标签:   英语语法  Singing  You  英语语法  Singing  You
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