Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Can "being" be a gerund in this sentence?
I'm a foreign student learning English.
In the following sentence,
"It's hoped that the new high-tech anticounterfeiting features being added to US money will begin to reduce the figure." ('the figure' refers to the amount of money in counterfeit bills.)
it is explained that 'being' is used as a participle that modified 'features'.
But I think 'being' may be analyzed as a gerund as well, which constitute the subject of that-clause, meaning "that the features are to be added will begin to reduce the figure".
Question: 'being' can be a gerund here, or no way it's always a participle?
In the following sentence,
"It's hoped that the new high-tech anticounterfeiting features being added to US money will begin to reduce the figure." ('the figure' refers to the amount of money in counterfeit bills.)
it is explained that 'being' is used as a participle that modified 'features'.
But I think 'being' may be analyzed as a gerund as well, which constitute the subject of that-clause, meaning "that the features are to be added will begin to reduce the figure".
Question: 'being' can be a gerund here, or no way it's always a participle?
Top answer
Not a gerund; it is a participle, and the non-finite participial clause is indeed modifying 'features': It's hoped that the new high-tech anticounterfeiting features [that are] being added to US money will begin to reduce the figure.
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Not a gerund; it is a participle, and the non-finite participial clause is indeed modifying 'features':
It's hoped that the new high-tech anticounterfeiting features [that are] being added to US money will begin to reduce the figure.
It's hoped that the new high-tech anticounterfeiting features [that are] being added to US money will begin to reduce the figure.
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