Participle and Gerunds

The Participle

The Participle is a Verbs Adjectives, i.e. it is a Verb doing the work of an Adjective, e.g.

a)    Don’t disturb the sleeping dog. (dog=noun; sleeping = adjective)

b)    The singing bird has a beautiful voice (bird = noun; singing = adjective)

c)    Throw away the broken bottles.

d)    Being tired they went home.

The Present Participle (Active) is used to form the Continuous Tense e.g.

a)    He is reading. They were watching the game.

b)    You have been working several hours.

The Gerund

The Gerund is a Verbal Noun, that is, it is a Verb doing the work of a Noun. It is used as follows:

1. As Subject: Seeing is believing. (What is believing? Seeing).
2. As Object. Stop shouting. (Stop what? Shouting).
3. As a Predicative Noun. There was a barking of dogs. (There was what? A barking)
4. With a Preposition: There was a sound of running. (Of what? Running).

Since the Gerund is a Noun, the Possessive Adjective or the possessive form of the Noun must come before it, e.g

a)    Please excuse my coming into the room. (my = Possessive Adjective; coming = Gerund).

b)    I hope my friend’s coming has not displeases you.

Agreement of the Verb with its Subject, Number and Person

A Verb must agree with its subject in Number and Person. As a Verb has two numbers- Singular and Plural- a Subject in the Singular must also have a Verb in the Singular. If the subject is in the Plural the Verb must be in the Plural, e.g.

Singular: The boy is tall( boy= subject, verb = is)

Plural: The boys are tall (boys = subject, verb = are)

1. If two Nouns refer to the same person, the verb remains in the Singular, e.g.

My friend an adviser is coming.

2. When two Nouns refer to the same person, the article “the” or “a” is used only once and the Verb is in the Singular, e.g.

The manager and owner of the shop was away.

3. If two different persons are referred to, the article is repeated and the Verb is in the Plural, e.g.

The manager and the owner of the shop were away.

4. If two Nouns joined by “and” express one idea, the Verb must be in the Singular, e.g.

a)    Bread and butter was his main food

b)    Slow and steady wins the race.

c)    Tune and tide waits for no man.

Note:

a)    Each of the boys was given a pen. (subject = each; singular verb = was)

If the two of the Nouns or Pronouns joined “or”, “nor” is in the Singular and the other in the Plural, the Verb should be Plural, e.g.

a)    Mr. Kenny or his friends are coming.

b)    Neither he nor his brothers are happy.

c)    He enquired whether that book or those magazines ware more expensive.

If one of the Nouns or Pronouns joined by “or”, “nor” is in the Plural and the other in the Singular, the Verb must be Singular, e.g.

a)    Neither they nor she has come.

b)    Either those boys or the teacher is in the room

c)    Is she or her parents here yet?

If two Nouns are joined by “with” or “well as, the Verb remains in the Singular, e.g.

a)    The King with his ministers was present.

b)    They boy as well as his father is ill.

c)    John’s compact disc player as well as his collection of CD’s has been stolen.