Grammar

AustraliaandNewZealand

6WorksheetonGrammar
TheingForm

Text: Alexander Chancellor, The Queen is Dead..., from: Martin Arndt/Karl Sassenberg, Australia
andNewZealandDownUnderOnTop,ViewfinderTopics(Mnchen:Langenscheidt,2011),pp.44f.

A THEINGFORMGENERALINFORMATION
Inthetexttheauthorusesvarioustypesofingforms.Theingformcanbeusedlikea
noun,likeanadjectiveorlikeaverb.Thetraditional(Latinoriented)grammardistinguishes
betweentheingformasaGerundandtheingformasa(Present)Participle.

Overspeedingisforbidden.(=theingformasaGerund)/Idon'tlikeworkingin
thegarden./Iadmittellingher./Iavoidspeakingtohim./Ienjoydancing.
Sheisworkingasateachernow.(=theingformasaParticiple)

ManygrammariansdonotliketheexpressionGerund,becausesometimesthereisnoclear
distinctionbetweenaGerundanda(Present)Participle.

Remember:
Notallwordsendinginingare,strictlyspeaking,ingforms,e.g.nounslikethe
building.
TheGerundisanounintheformofthePresentParticipleofaverb.

GRAMMARFILE1

TheGerundcanbeputinto
thePassiveVoice:IlikebeingdriveninaPorsche.
thePerfectTense:Heisgladabouthavingbeenintime.
thePassiveVoiceofthePerfectTense:Hedenieshavingbeendrivenbyhisfriend.

TheingformasaGerundcanbe
thesubjectofasentence:Marketingisaveryinexactscience./Themarketingof
theproductwillcontinueforafewmonthsyet./Readingpoemsishishobby./
Speaking to an audience is always stressful. / Swimming in cold water can be

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healthy. (In German it is often translated with the Infinitive: In kaltem Wasser zu
schwimmen,kanngesundsein.)
theobjectofasentence:Doyoulikediving?/Ienjoyplayingtennis.(=theing
form=theGerundaftercertainverbs;seebelow)
used after prepositions: Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, do some work for
charity. / He is interested in doing sports. / After discussing the topic with her,
I'vechangedmymind./Beforeleaving,youneedtospeaktoOscar./Iamafraid
ofusingaplane./Thereisstillhopeofimprovingyourknowledgeofgrammar./
The player apologized for being unfair. / I am looking forward to meeting you
soon. to: a preposition! (LONGMAN Dictionary of ContemporaryEnglish [LDCE]:
lookforwardtodoings.th.)
usedaftercertainexpressionslikeitshopeless,tobebusy,canthelp,itsno
use,theresnodenying
used, having a subject on its own: His mother dreamt of him passing the exam
(informal). / His mother dreamt of his passing the exam (formal). / His mother
dreamtabouthersonpassingtheexam(informal)./Hismotherdreamtabouther
sonspassingtheexam(informal)
inthePresent,Perfect,Passiveandinthenegative:Ilikeshooting.(Present)/He
doesnotlikebeingseeninhercompany.(Passive)/Hewaschargedwithhaving
committedarson.(Perfect)/Hecomplainedofhavingbeentorturedbythepolice.
(PerfectPassive)

Verb+ingformortoInfinitive
TheGerundmustbeusedaftercertainverbslike:toadmit/toappreciate/toavoid/
tocarryon(=tocontinue)/toconsider/todelay/todeny/todetest/todislike/to
enjoy / to fancy / to finish / to give up (= to stop) / to go on (= to continue) / to
imagine/toinclude/toinvolve/tokeepon(=todos.th.continuously)/tolike/to
mind/tomiss/topostpone/topractise/toputoff(=topostpone/toresent/to
risk/tostop/tosuggest.
SomeverbscanalsobeusedwiththeInfinitivewithoutadifferenceinmeaninglike:
tobegin/tolove/toprefer/tostart.
Some verbs can be used with the Infinitive, but have a different meaning, e.g.: I
rememberlisteningtoaBeatlesrecord=IrememberthatIlistenedto...versusI
remember to write a letter=I remember that I will (have to) write a letter. / I
regret saying what I said. / ! regret to say that I missed the bus. Gerunds are
generallyusedtodescribeanactual,vivid,orfulfilledactionwhereasInfinitivesare
better used to describe potential, hypothetical, or future events, e.g.: Ill never
forgetmeetingthePresident./Imustntforgettodothehomework.

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GRAMMARFILE2

Theingformasa(Present)Participleisused
to express the idea that something is happening at or around the very moment of
speaking(InEnglish,nowcanmean:thissecond,today,thismonth,thisyear,this
century,andsoon.)(=progressiveforms)
to express the continuous (progressive) aspect (even of past forms like He was
swimming, past perfect forms like He had been playing golf or future forms like
Hewillbetakingpartinthecompetiton.)
toexpressafixedplaninthenearfuture(e.g.:ImgoingtoEgyptnextweek.)
todescribetemporaryactions
todescribetrends
todescriberepeatedactionswhichareirritatingtothespeaker(ofteninconnection
withadverbslikealways,constantly,forever)
especially with certain signal words like: now, at the moment, still, at
present
asaPredicativeAdjective(e.g.Thenewsisdisturbing.)
as a Participial Adjective (e.g.: a sleeping dog / The Beatles were cheered by
thousandsofscreamingfans.)
after certain verbs (especially those of sensory perception: e.g. I saw her standing
there.)theInfinitiveexpressesthatthecompleteactionisperceived
toreplaceaRelativeClause(e.g.:Themantalkingtoherishernewboss.)
toshortenaSubordinateClause(Time,Reason)(e.g.:Feelingtired,hewenttobed
early./Havingalreadyseentheplaytwice,shedidnotwanttogotothetheatre
again./Openingthegate,themanenteredthecompound./Talkingtoherfriend
she forgot to do the homework. /Being a teacher, he could easily answer the
question.)
toexpressattendantcircumstances(e.g:Heranoutofthegarage,forgettingtoturn
offthelights.)
havingasubjectofitsown(e.g.:Theinterviewhavingcometoanend,thejournalist
wentbacktohisoffice.).OftentheParticipleisprecededbywith.

QUESTIONSANDTASKS

1SeetextTheQueenisDead...

AWhereandwhydoestheauthorusethePresentProgressive?
B Where does the author use the Present Participle to replace a Subordinate Clause
(here:aRelativeClause)?
CWheredoestheingformfunctionasthesubjectofthesentence?
DThereisalsoaCompoundParticiple(noun+participle;adjective+participle;adverb+
participle):Where?

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2WhyistheGerundusedinthefollowingsentences?Whatisitsfunction?
AJoggingkeepsmeinshape.
BThecollegerecommendssendingapplicationsearly.
CHewonthegamebyscoringduringtheovertimeperiod.
DHermostimportantachievementwaswinningthenationalchampionship.

3Whatisthedifferencebetweenthefollowingsentences?
AIwasirritatedbyBill'sconstantinterrupting.
BIwasirritatedbyBill,constantlyinterrupting.

ATheguitarist'sfingerpickingwasextraordinary.
BTheguitarist,fingerpicking,wasextraordinary.

4Choosethecorrectverbform(InfinitiveorGerund).Consultyourdictionary(LDCE).
APleaseavoid

(hit)theprinterifitdoesnotwork.
BWecannotrisk

(lose)thiscustomer.
CHedecided

(look)foranewjob.
DHeremembered

(drive)toofastthatday.
EPleaseremember

(water)thespiderplant.

5 In the following abridged interview with Brian Johnson and Angus Young from the
Australian band AC/DC (Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/06/cdnexclusive
theacdcinterview)somewords/formshavebeenommited.Fillintheemptyspaces.
It'sbeennearlyayearsincetheBlackIcetourended.Inhindsight,howdoyouthinkitwent?
JOHNSON: Fast. It didn't seem like it in the middle, then all of a sudden we were saying
goodbye on the tarmac. I was in shock for over two weeks. I _________________ (to sit)
aroundbackhome,_______________(totwiddle)aboutwiththewifelookingatus.Ididn't
knowwhattodo.Ididn'tknowhowtoliveanormallifeanymore!YOUNG:Istayedinbed
for about a week, but then I just took the guitar down in the studio and started
_______________ (to hammer) away on that. How far along are you in the process of
makinganotheralbum?YOUNG:It'sjustamatterof__________________(totake)thebest
and probably because we're brothers,we can easily say, 'That's good, that's crap, that's
good ... ' The band's 40th anniversary _________________ (to come up) in 2013. What

___________________________(toget)?JOHNSON:Fireworks!

6ShortenthefollowingsentencesbyusingaParticiple.
APeoplewholiveinthecountryreallyneedtheircars.
BLizhurtherarmwhileshewasplayingtennis.
CWhileIwaswalkinghomethatafternoon,IwonderedwhatIwasgoingtosaytoher.
DThefanshadcomeearly,becausetheywerehopingtoseethebandarrive.
EBecauseheisadoctor,heknewwhattodoatthesceneoftheaccident.

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7CombinethesentencesbyusingaParticiple.
ATheywatchedthethreeworkmen.Theworkmenpulleddownthehouse.
BWhenweleftourhouse,wesawanaccident.
CManypeoplewholiveinthistownareAfroAmericans.
DWhenwelookedupinthesky,wesawthreekitesflyingintheair.
ETherearesomanypeopleillatwork.Thereismuchmoretodothanusual.

8 Decide whether to use the Gerund or the Infinitive with to. You may have to add a
preposition.Consultyourdictionary(LDCE).

AGoon

(toread)thetext.(LiesdenTextweiter.)
BI

(tomean)tophoneyourmother,butmymobiledidn't
work.(=IchwolltedeineMutteranrufen,abermeinHandywardefekt.)
CStop

(toread)thetext.(Hrauf,denTextweiterzulesen.)

DIremember

(tolend)someonemycalculator,butIdon'tknowwho!

(tostudy)forthetestonFriday.

FWhenIwasyoungerIused

(todrive)veryfast!

GI'mnotverygood

(toplay)chess.

HAreyouinterested

(tocome)tothecinemawithmetomorrow?

EPleaseremember

9Fillinthemissingformoftheverb.ThetextistheendoftheshortstoryWithHookand
LinewrittenbyLouisBeck(source:http://www.classicreader.com/book/3796/1/)
Inconclusion,letmeadviseanyonewho__________________[tocontemplate]avisitto
Australia,andmeans________________[todevote]anyofhistimetoeitherriverorlake
_____________ [to fish] to take his rods with him; all the rest of his tackle he can buy as
cheap in the colonies as he can in England. Rods are but little used in salt water
__________________[tofish]inAustralia,andareterriblyexpensivetobuy.Thosewhodo
use a rod are usually satisfied with a bamboo a very good rod it makes, too, although
inconvenienttocarrywhen________________[totravel]butthegeneralityofpeopleuse
handlines.Andthevisitormustnotbepersuadedthathecangetreallygoodriverfishing
without_______________[togo]somedistancefromSydneyorMelbourne.Thatthereis
someexcellentsporttobeobtainedinPortJacksoninsummeristrue,butitislackingina
veryessentialthingthequietudethatisdeartotheheartofeverytruefisherman."

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10Choosethecorrectanswerforeachgapbelow.

A Nate deserved _______________ [to win] the prize for _____________[to write] that
amazing short story about _____________ [to travel] through Peru. I don't understand
______________________[he;nottoreceive]theaward.

BIcan'tbelieveyouwanted___________ [to go] ________________ [to fish], and you

forgot__________________[tobring]afishingpole.Howdidyouexpect______________
[tocatch]anyfish?Wereyoujustgoingtositintheriver____________[tocatch]fishwith
yourbarehands?Youwouldhavehadahardtime____________[todo]that!

CVinceisdetermined___________[tosave]enoughmoneytotraveltoSouthAfricanext
year.Ifheavoids_____________[towaste]hismoneyandmanages___________[tosave]
whatheneeds___________[tomake]thetrip,hemaybeable______________[toleave]
inJune.

D When Sam mentioned ______________ [to want] _________ [to go] swimming, Nina
warned him_________________ [not to go] into the river. She explained that thenational
park administration did not allow ______________ [visitors; to swim] for several reasons.
Thenumberonereasonfor______________(not;topermit]visitors________________[to
swim]wasthelargenumberofcrocodilesinthepark.

E The Oscarwinning actor avoids ____________ [to talk] to his fans and refuses
_____________ [to give] his autograph. Moreover, he has difficulty ___________ [to give]
interviewsandseems_____________[tohave]problemswithotherpeople.

(MartinArndt)

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