GER YAML source
code: GER
biber_number: E15
name: Gerunds
definition: >-
Participial forms (-ing) functioning as nouns.
normalization: words
detection:
- requires:
- pos
- dep
semgrex: '{pos:VBG}=ger <nsubj|<dobj|<pobj {}'
description: >-
VBG token functioning as subject, object, or prepositional object.
Dependency role distinguishes gerund (nominal) from progressive or
participial clause (verbal).
- source: pybiber
requires:
- word
- pos
- dep
cql: '[word=".*ings?$" & dep="nsubj|dobj|pobj|nsubjpass" & word!={words}]'
words:
- according
- anything
- beijing
- bing
- bings
- boeing
- bring
- ceiling
- ceilings
- cling
- clings
- darling
- ding
- dings
- during
- evening
- evenings
- everything
- fling
- flings
- inning
- innings
- irving
- king
- kings
- morning
- mornings
- nothing
- notwithstanding
- offspring
- offsprings
- outstanding
- ping
- pings
- ring
- rings
- sing
- sings
- something
- spring
- springs
- sterling
- sting
- stings
- string
- strings
- thanksgiving
- thanksgivings
- thing
- things
- wedding
- wing
- wings
- wrongdoing
- wyoming
description: >-
Token ending in -ing/-ings with nominal dependency role (nsubj, dobj, pobj),
excluding common -ing words that are not gerunds (stoplist).
sources:
- biber_1988
- pybiber
notes: >-
Distinct from [[VBG]] (present participial clauses). Biber counted gerunds
as nominal forms (category E), not verbal.
examples:
- text: the killing of the dragon
- text: his writing impressed them