Las funciones de las formas verbales

La forma verbal involucra a un verbo que en la oración cumple funciones de sustantivo, adjetivo o de adverbio y conserva al
mismo tiempo alguna de las propiedades verbales. Aunque no funciona en la oración como predicado, la forma verbal puede ser
modificada por un adverbio. Puede tener las cualidades de tiempo y modo, y puede ser precedida o seguida de sustantivos o pronombres
que cumplen funciones de sujetos u objetos. La forma verbal con sus sujetos, objetos (complementos) y otros modificadores forman una
frase verbal. La frase verbal, al igual que algunos verbos simples, puede comportarse en la oración como un sustantivo, un adjetivo o
adverbio.
Antes de entrar de lleno a este asunto recordemos: Las principales formas de un verbo que se usan para formar el presente, pasado y
futuro simples, así como para los y tiempos progresivos y presente perfecto son la forma simple, la forma en pasado, el presente y pasado
participios. Por otra parte, también existe el infinitivo, el cual siempre contiene la preposición TO seguida de un verbo: To love (amar) ;
to run(correr) , to laugh(reír) , to be.
to walk = infinitivo
walk = forma simple del verbo o infinitivo sin TO.
walked = PASADO o PRETÉRITO simple
walked = PARTICIPIO pasado.
walking = PARTICIPIO presente.

to go = infinitivo
go = forma simple del verbo o infinitivo sin TO.
went = PASADO o PRETÉRITO simple
gone = PARTICIPIO pasado.
going = PARTICIPIO presente.

Hay que tener presente, también los tiempos continuos o progresivos (Continuous or progressive tenses):
Los tiempos progresivos son generalmente aquellas frases verbales compuestas por las diferentes formas del verbo be (am, is,
are, was, were, been, being) + el presente participio ( the -ing form) del verbo principal. A saber,
a) The present progressive: am – is – are + present participle ( the -ing form):
I am waiting for you. / She is running./ You are walking into the house./
b) The past progressive: was – were + present participle ( the -ing form):
I was working hard. / They were studying. / It was raining.
c)The future progressive: will be + present participle ( the -ing form):
I will be practicing English. / We will be cooking dinner.
d) The present perfect progressive: have (has) been + present participle ( the -ing form):
I have been painting. / Dr. Smith has been examining me.
e) The past perfect progressive: had been + present participle ( the -ing form):
The students had been listening to you. / You had been permitting the abuse.
f) The future perfect progressive: will have been + present participle ( the -ing form):
He will have been begging her . / My pet will have been sleeping.
Para estos efectos, se deben cumplir ciertos reglas para la debida escritura de algunos verbos principales al formar el particio
presente (la forma –ing):
Los tiempos verbales Continuos (o Progresivos) describen una acción que está sucediendo en un momento en particular. El
presente continuo o progresivo de los verbos regulares e irregulares se forma colocando la terminación –ing después de la forma
simple del verbo: want → wanting ; see → seeing ; ask → asking
Se deben observar las siguientes reglas para hacer lo indicado anteriormente:
A. Si el verbo termina en UNA e, pierde esa letra y se le añade -ing: write → writing; take → taking; love→ loving
B. Si el verbo termina en una consonante (excepto h, w,x,y) precedida de UNA sola vocal , la última consonante se repite
en las palabras de una sílaba: beg → begging ; stop → stopping ;
C. Si el verbo termina en una consonante ( excepto h,w, x,y) precedida de una vocal, se repite la última consonante en las
palabras acentuadas en la segunda sílaba: begin → beginning ; permit → permitting
D. En el caso de algunos verbos que finalizan en las letras ie, éstas cambian a y, y luego se coloca – ing.
die→ dying ; lie → lying ; tie → tying or tieing ; hie → hying or hieing

Hay tres clases de formas verbales: los infinitivos, los participios y los gerundios.
Aquí examinaremos los gerundios (gerunds)
El gerundio y la frase gerundial (The Gerund and the Gerund Phrase)
El gerundio es la forma -ing del verbo usada como SUSTANTIVO o NOMBRE.
Note que el gerundio tiene la misma forma del participio presente, pero funciona de manera diferente en la respectiva oración:
siempre se usa como SUSTANTIVO o NOMBRE.

Swimming is an excellent exercise. : Nadar es un excelente ejercicio físico.

Charlie enjoys dancing. : A Carlitos le gusta el baile (bailar.)

El gerundio puede contener un objeto (complemento), estar precedido por modificadores adjetivales, y le pueden seguir
modificadores adverbiales. Si un sustantivo o pronombre precede al gerundio, debe estar en forma posesiva o adjetival. Los gerundios
nunca tienen sujetos.

Your singing was beautiful.

We admired his expert dancing.
Dorothy was grateful for our attending her graduation.
She was grateful for John’s attending his graduation.
 I appreciate Mary’s going to the hospital with me.
Lucy and Peter did a lot of loud arguing last night.

El gerundio con su objeto u objetos y sus modificadores forman la frase gerundial.Las partes de las oraciones anteriores
destacadas en negritas son frases gerundiales. Subraye cada objeto (complemento) y modificador presentes en esas frases.
El gerundio simple o la frase gerundial se utiliza en la oración en el lugar que ocupa un sustantivo o nombre.
Pueden funcionar como:
Sujeto
Listening requires patience.
Studying all day is hard.

Complemento directo
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
You hate taking medicine.

Complemento del sujeto

My favorite sport is riding horses.
His hobby is making model airplanes.

Objeto (complemento) de una preposición

I am tired of arguing.
Besides resting, you must study.
Apósito
His hobby, making model airplanes, is not expensive.
Mr. Burbank, experimenting with plants, was a magician.

Verbos que frecuentemente son seguidos por un gerundio.

(admit) : The thief admitted stealing the money.

(appreciate) : Greta would appreciate hearing from you.
(avoid) : After their quarrel, your sister avoided meeting her husband.
(consider) : Albert has been considering continuing his studies.
( continue) : Have you continued doing your exercises at home?
(defer) : Please defer paying the bill until after January 2019.
(delay) : The vice-president delayed writing the letter till the last minute..
(deny) : When questioned, the student denied cheating on the exam.
(detest) : How I detest her punishing me!
(enjoy) : They enjoyed going to the beach yesterday.
(escape) : By some miracle George escaped being hurt in the fight.
(finish) : The woman had barely finished putting her room in order when the lights went out.
(forgive) : I cannot forgive your not visiting me when you came to Caracas.
(imagine) : The queen Elizabeth could not imagine your doing that mistake again.
(keep=continue): Jennie keeps hoping for a letter from you.
(mind=dislike) : I do not mind working this semester.
(miss) :Due to the traffic jam, Rebecca missed catching the subway on time.
(postpone) :Jack had to postpone leaving for college.
(practice) :Practice writing that exercise again and again, please.
(prevent) : Nothing can prevent Peter’s talking in class.
(quit) : Quit chatting and carry on with your work!
(resent) : Did Joan resent driving so far?
(resist) : Some girls can not resist buying every dress they see.
(risk) : Would you risk cheating during an exam? No, I wouldn’t.
(suggest) : The Captain suggested having a cup of coffee before we leave.
(stop) : Mr. Miller stopped explaining the lesson when the students got too noisy.
(try=experiment): Please try solving the problem by yourself.
(understand) : The old man had been trying understanding your doing something like that.

Verbos seguidos de gerundio o de infinitivo

advice: My mother advised studying. My mother advised us to study.

allow: That teacher allowed smoking in class. That teacher allowed us _____________________ in class.

attempt: Jane attempted ___________________ during the exam. Jane attempted to cheat during the exam

begin: We began studying. We began ________________________.

continue: The boy continued ______________________ lazy. The boy continued to be lazy.

dislike: Mary dislikes dancing. Mary dislikes ______________________________.

dread: I dread ____________________ to the dentist. I dread to go to the dentist.

hate: My son hates taking medicine. My son hates ____________________ medicine.

intend: Joseph intends ___________________ tonight. Joseph intends to leave tonight.

love: His little sister loves being naughty. His little sister loves _________________ naughty.

like: Brenda likes __________________ to the movies. Brenda likes to go to the movies.

neglect: Mr. Perdomo neglected looking after his business. Mr. Perdomo neglected ______________ after his business.

plan: My grandmother plans ______________ an operation this year. My grandmother plans to have an operation this year.

permit: The professor permitted smoking in class. The professor permitted _____________ in class.

prefer: Lydia prefers ____________________. Lydia prefers to dance.

propose: The Minister proposed starting now. The Minister proposed ____________________ now.

start: The police started __________________ for him. The police started to search for him.

regret: They regret not having seen you. They regret not ________________________ seen you.

try: The students tried ___________________. The students tried to cheat.

forget: The driver forgot putting gas in the car. The driver forgot _____________ gas in the car.

remember: Do you remember __________________ for the book? Do you remember to look for the book?

stop: George stopped thinking about his illness. George stopped ________________ about his illness. .

Verbos seguidos de gerundio o de infinitivo SIN “to”.

Estos se llaman verbos sensoriales.

hear I heard you sing(singing) at the concert.

feel We felt the weather become(becoming) cold.

see Helen saw me cash(cashing) my check.

watch Did you watch the bird make(making) its nest?

observe We observed the doctor perform(performing) the operation.

 Exercises

I. Rewrite these sentences, using gerunds as subject.

Example: It is easy to make mistakes. Making mistakes is easy.

1. It is helpful to use a dictionary. __________________________________________________________.

2. It is not fair to repeat gossip. __________________________________________________________

3. It is pleasant to chat with them. __________________________________________________________

4. It is wrong to treat animals cruelly. ________________________________________________________

II.Rewrite these sentences with the correct gerund for the verbs in parentheses.

1. Leo does not enjoy ____________________________ the relationship with Mary. ( finish)
2. I cannot imagine her ____________________________ so cheerful. (look)
3. We will stop his ______________________________ so much noise. (make)
4. Did you understand their nice _____________________________ at the concert? (play)
5. If you suggest _____________________________ in that restaurant, we must go then.(eat)
6. Alonso fortunately escaped ___________________________ dead in the accident.(be)
7. You ought to keep _____________________________ about your medical operation. (talk)