Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 71 стр.

               The Infinitive in Analytical Verb-Forms

      The infinitive is used to form:
      a) The future and future in the past:
      I’m afraid you will miss the last bus... (Aldington). They told me
Julia would return directly (Sheridan).
      b) The analytical forms of the oblique moods:
      What would have been her thoughts if she had known that he
was steadily regarding her (Dickens) (conditional mood). She pro-
posed that we should go upstairs and see my room. (Dickens) (suppo-
sitional mood).
      c) Negative and interrogative forms of the present and past
tenses (common aspect) and the negative imperative:
      I don’t care about it mother... (Bronte). How do you feel? (Bron-
te). What does she want? (Bronte). I didn’t mean that (London). Why
did I never hear of this? (Brînte). Don’t come near me! (Dickens).



                  Unit II.        The Gerund
                        Origin and Development

      The gerund is a descendant of the Old English verbal noun and
the present partici ple; hence its double nature and its noun and verb
characteristics.
      In the Old English period the verbal noun had the endings -ing,
-ung; in Middle English the ending was -ing(e). The present partici-
ple in Old English had the ending -ende which in Middle English
was replaced by -inge as the result of a confusion of constructions with
the verbal noun and the partici ple. Thus the verbal noun and the
partici ple became merged into one form -ing(e), the modern -ing. As
the result of the blending of the two forms, the verbal noun in -ing
began to develop verbal characteristics under the influence of the
partici ple. In constructions where in Middle English and in Early
Modern English the verbal noun, like any other noun, was preceded
by the definite article and followed by the preposition of (He thanked
him for the saving of his life. Compare: He thanked him for the preser-
vation of his life), the article as well as the preposition of were gradu-

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