Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 77 стр.

      He was never tired of talking to me about her, and I was never
tired of hearing (Galsworthy). I am well used to trav. elling... (Dickens).
I was always fond of visiting new scenes and observing strange charac-
ters and manners (Irving). Silvii was overjoyed at receiving an early
reply from her mother... (Mackenzie).
      c) To nouns derived from verbs and adjectives such as hope,
intenfion, difficulty, necessity, possibility, etc.:
      ...She felt a strange certainty of being watched, and turning saw
Irene in the open doorway (Galsworthy). ...She had corn for good,
and had no intention of ever going again (Dickens). There was no
possibility of taking a walk that day (Bronte).
      6. As attribute (always with a preposition, mostly of) such nouns
as habit, idea, risk, method, way, custom, etc.:
      ...She begged the favour of being shown to her room... (Dick-
ens). There was an old door in this play-ground, on which the boys
had a custom of carving their names (Dickens). I am getting into your
involved habit, Watson, of telling a story backwards (Dîóle).
      7. As adverbial modifier (always with a preposition):
      On arriving at the garden entrance, he stopped to look at the
view. (Galsworthy) (time). ...After talking to us for a moment he left
to get his train on the other side (Crîïin) (time). Maggie soon got
out of breath with running... (Eliot) (cause). The rain poured down
without ceasing (Maugham) (manner).
      For the function of the gerund as secondary predicate in a gerundial
complex see «Constructions (Complexes) with the Gerund».
      For the function of the gerund as the nominal part of a complex
object with an objective predicative see «The Use of the Pronoun It as
an Object».

                     The Infinitive and the Gerund

      The gerund is of a more general, abstract character than the
infinitive:
      She does not like going there (in general). — Îíà íå ëþáèò
õîäèòü òóäà. She dues not like to go there (on a certain occasion). —
Åé íå õî÷åòñÿ èäòè òóäà. I like skating (in general), but I do not like
to skate today (on such a cold day). The infinitive often serves to
indicate a perfective action: the gerund, an imperfective:


                                 – 77 –