Simple Gerund Phrase vs Complex Gerund Phrase

[Willy]

Hello Instructors,

Can you please explain the difference between Simple Gerund Phrase vs Complex Gerund Phrase with examples? How one can figure out which phrase is Simple Gerund Phrase or Complex Gerund Phrase?

What I know is that Simple Gerund Phrases can be made into Verb Phrases, for example,

Driving through the crowed cities is my favorite activity.
Bold part is Simple gerund phrase and we can make it verb phrase as follow and it will still make sense.

I am driving though the crowed cities.

I believe Complex gerund phrases can't be turned into verb phrases. Also, Complex gerund phrases starts with an article (a or the) or an adjective in front of the gerund, or sometimes, the phrase employs an of-prepositional phrase.

Is my understanding correct? Also, is there any other easier way to figure out which phrase is simple gerund or complex gerund? Please comment, I am really very much confused between these two.

Thank you.

[divineacclivity]

This is what I've gathered from MGMAT guides & it is useful :)
1. Concrete nouns: pen, fan, flower, rock, week, holiday etc
2. Action nouns: growth, withdrawal, change
3. Simple gerund: swimming, eating, dating, tracking
these look like nouns on the outside and verb on the inside e.g. Tracking satellite accurately is important.
4. Complex gerund: the eating of, the moving of
these are often preceded by an article (a, an, the)
e.g The accurate tracking of satellite is important for the space agency.

Rules:
1. complex gerund || complex gerund

2. Action nouns || Action nouns || complex gerund
e.g. He received a medal for the sinking of an enemy ship and the capture of its crew

3. Simple gerund is NOT || to complex gerund
Unparallel usage: He received a medal for sinking an enemy ship and the capture of its crew - incorrect

[divineacclivity]

Found another link that you might find useful: simple-gerunds-complex-gerunds-and-parallelism-t10203.html

[Willy]

Found another link that you might find useful: simple-gerunds-complex-gerunds-and-parallelism-t10203.html

Thank you divineacclivity!

[divineacclivity]

:)

[tim]

i don't know that any of this will make the slightest difference on an actual GMAT question, but let us know if you have evidence that it does and would like further help on this issue..

[Willy]

i don't know that any of this will make the slightest difference on an actual GMAT question, but let us know if you have evidence that it does and would like further help on this issue..

Thank you for the reply sir. I know we can make complex gerund phrases parallel to action nouns. So, I was looking forward how we can figure out which phrase is complex and which one is simple?

And I believe I have figured it out. Complex one are those which will start with 'an article' (a/an/the) and will have OF preposition.

Is there any exception to above rule?

So, I believe knowing all this will help to figure out correct parallelism issues. Anyhow, thank you once again for the kind reply.

[tim]

again, i have no reason to believe any of this has ever made the slightest difference on a GMAT question. can you provide an example? remember, without actual evidence that the GMAT cares about an issue, we shouldn't waste time on it either.. :)

[Willy]

again, i have no reason to believe any of this has ever made the slightest difference on a GMAT question. can you provide an example? remember, without actual evidence that the GMAT cares about an issue, we shouldn't waste time on it either.. :)

Can you please check out the Q#121 and Q#138 of OG13? I think this concept is tested in Q#121 majorly and partly in Q#138. Also, I have seen this concept being tested on one more official problem. (I am unable to find it right now; I think that was from Verbal review, 2nd ed.)

In Q#121, option B is right because it is complex gerund phrase and is made parallel to action nouns (reversals, the onset, and eruptions)

B) New theories propose that catastrophic impacts of asteroids and comets may have caused reversals in the Earth's magnetic field, the onset of ice ages, the splitting apart of continents 80 million years ago, and great volcanic eruptions.

In Q#138, I know we can find correct answer without knowing this concept but I believe it is tested (though partly) in option B and D (both wrong).

B) Most efforts to combat such mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue have focused either on vaccinating of humans or on the extermination of mosquitoes with pesticides.

D) Most efforts to combat such mosquito-borne diseases as malaria and dengue have focused on either vaccinating of humans or on extermination of mosquitoes with pesticides.

If I am not making any sense, I am really sorry for that.

Thank you for the kind reply.

[tim]

in 138, if you can get to the right answer without using this concept, that means this issue itself makes no difference.. :)

as for 121, you must know by now that no SC answer choice is ever *right* for *any* reason other than the fact that the other four are wrong.. :)

[Willy]

in 138, if you can get to the right answer without using this concept, that means this issue itself makes no difference.. :)

as for 121, you must know by now that no SC answer choice is ever *right* for *any* reason other than the fact that the other four are wrong.. :)

:)

Okay, I just erased this concept from my memory. Thank you sir for offloading my brain and increasing my brain storage. :)

[tim]

anytime! :)

[Willy]

Just recording. I've found another problem in which you can find this concept. Check out Q#28 of OG#12.

Though again we can find correct answer without knowing this concept. :)

[tim]

then, once more, it's not technically a relevant issue.. :)

[Willy]

Just recording another problem for future users. I've found another problem in which you can find this concept. Check out Q#119 of OG#12.

In this problem, I am not sure how to eliminate all other 4 wrong answer choices. So, this concept finally helped me a bit. :)

Tim sir, can you please give some insights on this problem, i.e. how we can eliminate 4 wrong answer choices?

Thank you!