Simple Gerund and Complex Gerund

[anthonymok930]

Hi experts,

I'd like to find out why you cannot have simple gerund and complex gerund in a series of listing. Is it just one of those standard grammar or strictly GMAT rules?

Thanks

[Ben Ku]

When looking at parallel elements in a list, concrete nouns and action nouns cannot be considered parallel. Whereas concrete nouns are specific things (e.g. rock, cup, year, tiger), action nouns refer to actions (the pollution of ..., the rotation of ...). Simple gerunds (typing, tying, eating, giving) are more like concrete nouns, whereas complex gerunds (the typing of ..., the typing of ..., the eating of ..., the giving)

Incorrect: I enjoy giving presents and the giving of food during the holidays.

Here, although "giving presents" and "the giving of food" are both nouns, the first is a concrete noun/simple gerund, while the latter is an action noun/complex gerund. Just reading the sentence, you can tell why this would not be parallel.

Correct: I enjoy the giving of presents and the giving of food during the holidays.
Correct: I enjoy giving presents and giving food during the holidays.
Correct: I enjoy giving presents and food during the holidays.

Note: There is a subtle difference in meaning between the first two correct sentences. The first one implies that he personally enjoys giving things during the holidays. The second implies that he enjoys the fact that presents and food are given.

Also, between the second and third, the third is better because it's more concise.

Hope that helps.

[ajay.sisodia]

brilliant explanation!!

I surfed through many forums and tutorials, but could not develop a clear understanding on this topic. Reading your explanation I fully understood the topic in 30 secs.


This is the best explanation Thanks a lot Ben Ku.

[jnelson0612]

brilliant explanation!!

I surfed through many forums and tutorials, but could not develop a clear understanding on this topic. Reading your explanation I fully understood the topic in 30 secs.


This is the best explanation Thanks a lot Ben Ku.

I'm glad that this was so helpful! :-)

[rte.sushil]

Correct: I enjoy the giving of presents and the giving of food during the holidays.
Correct: I enjoy giving presents and giving food during the holidays.
Correct: I enjoy giving presents and food during the holidays.

Note: There is a subtle difference in meaning between the first two correct sentences. The first one implies that he personally enjoys giving things during the holidays. The second implies that he enjoys the fact that presents and food are given

so the difference between simple gerund and complex gerund have always some subtle difference or only few times?

e.g. i like drinking water
or I like water drinking
or i like drinking of the water

For me they all meant same. I am not sure.


2.)articles: the , a , an will only be in complex not in simple gerunds.

e.g.: the is with noun
i like drinking THE water
or I like THE water drinking
or i like THE drinking of water

e.g.: article the with verb+ing
i like the drinking water
or I like water the drinking
or i like THE drinking of water

if i change simple to gerund or vice versa, "the" has to be there with the same element or not necessary


thanks

thanks

[tim]

i'm not sure that any of this is relevant to the GMAT. all further discussion about simple versus complex gerunds needs to be accompanied by a reference to an actual GMAT problem that makes use of this distinction. too many students on this forum waste too much time worrying about things that just aren't tested on the GMAT..

[rte.sushil]

Correct: I enjoy the giving of presents and the giving of food during the holidays.


Complex gerunds should only be parallel to complex gerunds, and simple gerund should only be parallel to simple gerunds

complex gerunds: wine tasting or tasting of wine
simple gerund: tasting wine

Now if i write above sentences as:
1st Sentence: I enjoy the presents giving and the giving of food during the holidays.-> one is without of and one is with of
2nd Sentence:I enjoy the presents giving and food giving during the holidays.-> complex gerund without "of"
so both 1st and 2nd should be correct, is it? as i am using complex gerunds and complex gerunds should be parallel. Please confirm

[tim]

Did you read my post?

[rte.sushil]

Did you read my post?

yes , thats why i removed unnecessary question and left with critical query that when to use complex gerund with "of" and when to use without "of" :
wine tasting or tasting of wine-> because both have same meaning.
And, they both are parallel.

[tim]

Um, if you did read my post, you clearly have a different definition of "actual GMAT problem" than I have. I need a problem number if we're going to discuss this issue, and you need to internalize what I've been saying about not worrying about issues that aren't demonstrably tested on the GMAT.

[gauravtyagigmat]

Hi Tim,
I was reading sentence correction book chapter 11 (concrete nouns and action nouns)
question 1.
simple gerund phrases are noun on outside and verb on the inside.
complex gerund phrases are noun through and through.It includes ing for is preceded by articles or adjective.The object is put into of phrase
But in following sentence

Tilting and other deformations of earth's crust are visible.

is tilting a simple gerund or comples gerund?
if "Tilting is a simple gerund". I guess deformation is an action noun so how can they be parallel

trees are tilting earth's crust. here Tilting is acting a verb.last example shows that tilting is a simple gerund.Tilting is not preceded by any article and it is not followed by of phrase
(of phrase is present after deformation not after tilting )
and if tilting is an action noun please explain how?


question 2. can we parallel concrete nouns with simple gerund?

Please explain in confused on above matter.
Thanking you in advance
Gaurav

[rte.sushil]

Tilting and other deformations of earth's crust are visible.

is tilting a simple gerund or comples gerund?
if "Tilting is a simple gerund". I guess deformation is an action noun so how can they be parallel

Tilting of earth's crust is complex gerund here.
COmplex gerund and actions nouns can be parallel

question 2. can we parallel concrete nouns with simple gerund?

No. it won't make logical sense
e.g. Tracking Satellite and Gaurav are important-No logical sense

Please explain in confused on above matter.

Remember: 3 categories
Complex Gerund: tasting of wine OR wine tasting-> can be parallel with action Nouns (some action)
Simple Gerunds: e.g. tasting wine
Action nouns e.g. rock etc.

[tim]

I think people are still not taking to heart what I said earlier. As Ron always says, knowing terms such as "simple gerund" and "complex gerund" (or just about any other terms for that matter) is pretty much irrelevant to GMAT success. Again, I'll issue my challenge for anyone to demonstrate an actual GMAT problem that requires you to distinguish between these two terms in particular.

[GunjanS591]

OG 2020- Question Diagnostic 84:-

[text removed by editor]

My understanding is that

small-scale burning- is simple gerund,
forest thinning, - simple gerund
the training- complex gerund. so, why are these three considered parallel?

PS : - The correct ans is B. This question doesnt test the concept of complex and simple gerund, but I want to understand this for my peace of mind.

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

Please read the forum guidelines before posting: this is a problem from a copyright resource so unfortunately we can't post it here.

I encourage you not to get too fussy about such terms as complex and simple gerund. This problem is a good example of what GMAT considers parallel: I agree that the list in B doesn't totally match up, but clearly it's okay in the eyes of the problem-writers. The problem also gives you a range of issues: the wrong answers have significant meaning or grammar issues, that simply dwarf what might be considered a minor parallelism issue in answer B.