Which is correct?
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RonBee
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"It has two meanings" is correct. Since two is more than one, the plural form is used.
There are many nouns that end in ing: being, ceiling, earring, dealing, feeling, filling, gaming, icing, kenning, leasing, milling, pairing, etc. There are some that usually end in ings: dealings, earnings, failings, fixings, makings, etc.
8)
There are many nouns that end in ing: being, ceiling, earring, dealing, feeling, filling, gaming, icing, kenning, leasing, milling, pairing, etc. There are some that usually end in ings: dealings, earnings, failings, fixings, makings, etc.
8)
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jwschang
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8)ESL-lover said:
You can add "s" because "meaning" as used in your sentence is not a verb acting as a verb, but a verb acting as a noun.
SUBJECT "It" (pronoun) + VERB "has" + OBJECT "two meanings" (adjective "two" describing noun "meanings").
RonBee
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jwschang said:
I am afraid I must disagree. It is a noun acting as a noun. (It is in that sense the same as all the other ing words cited in this thread.)
:wink:
Gerunds are often referred to as "verbal nouns". I believe the adjective 'verbal' serves more to confuse than to enlighten.
Gerunds end in -ing, which makes them look like verbs, but they aren't verbs nor are they 'verbals'. They are, as RonBee points out, nominals.
I believe the term 'verbal noun' means, looks like a verb.
The gerunding that's been going on in this thread has been very interesting.
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jwschang
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Casiopea said:Gerunds are often referred to as "verbal nouns". I believe the adjective 'verbal' serves more to confuse than to enlighten.
Gerunds end in -ing, which makes them look like verbs, but they aren't verbs nor are they 'verbals'. They are, as RonBee points out, nominals.
I believe the term 'verbal noun' means, looks like a verb.
The gerunding that's been going on in this thread has been very interesting.
I think there's no disagreement here. Gerunds ARE nouns, but they are in the FORM of a verb. For practical reasons to avoid confusion, I think it is more effective that the non-native speaker understands gerunds as VERBS acting as nouns, especially when used with the verb DO, e.g. I do the cooking, etc. Many thanks for your and Ron's response. 8)
J
jwschang
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RonBee said:
I'd like to disagree with what you disagreed. Gerunds are different from other words that end in "ing", e.g. ceiling vs cooking. Gerunds are the Continuous Participle (CP) form of a verb but used as a noun. Ceiling is not a CP simply because it is not derived from any verb infinitive, i.e. "Ceil" is not a verb. Meaning is the CP of To mean (verb, not adjective "mean" meaning kind of nasty)8)
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jwschang
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RonBee said:
Thanks, Ron. You got my meaning, but you're too fa away to get to try my cooking. :wink:
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jwschang
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RonBee said:
1. You were right about "meaning" being a noun and not a gerund.
2. Ceilings, floorings, awnings, etc are all nouns only, not gerunds.
3. Meanings, blessings, failings, feelings, washing (as in laundry) are also nouns, not gerunds. Only difference is that they have a TWIN in the gerund (to mean: meaning; to bless: blessing; to feel: feeling.
4. Cooking, swimming, repairing, sleeping are gerunds (which CANNOT be in the plural).
Must make up by letting you try my cooking should you come to Singapore. Cheers. :wink:
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