Hi, Anton Shepelev!   
   I read your message from  04.02.2017 17:30   
   about Gerunds.   
      
      
    AH>>> If you can use "the" &/or any other type of adjective to modify a   
    AH>>> word it's a noun... regardless of its origin.   
      
    AK>> We cannot say that a gerund is a form of a noun. Otherwise we   
    AK>> would study it when we study nouns.   
      
    AS> Wherefore the sharp dichotomy, when even conventional grammar   
    AS> acknowledges intermediate, or compound, parts of speech, somewhat   
    AS> similarly to the wave-particle dualism in quantum mechanics.   
      
   But we should remember that "dualism" means that a thing carries _both_(!)   
   qualities simultaneously. Light cannot be called photons OR waves. The same   
   situation with the gerund. It cannot be a pure noun. The gerund means action,   
   not description, although often it sounds similar. IMHO, the gerund is closer   
   to the verb, and that's why the gerund is studied usually after the verb.   
      
      
      
    AS> Participles in ing often become nouns. When preceded by an article,   
    AS> an adjective or a noun or pronoun of the possessive case, they are   
    AS> construed as nouns; and, if wholly such, have neither adverbs nor   
    AS> active regimen: as, "He laugheth at the shaking of a spear."-- Job,   
    AS> xli...   
    AS> 29. [...] A participle immediately preceded by a preposition,   
    AS> is not converted into a noun, but remains a participle, and   
    AS> therefore retains its adverb, and also its government of the   
    AS> objective case; as, "I thank you for helping him so seasonably."   
    AS> Participles in this construction correspond with the Latin gerund,   
    AS> and are sometimes called gerundives.   
      
   IMHO, it is close to my point of view:   
   1. "if a participle preceded by by an article, an adjective or a noun or   
   pronoun of the possessive case..." it is _a [verbal] noun_ - not a gerund.   
      
   2. "A participle immediately preceded by a preposition, is not converted into   
   a noun, but remains a participle, and therefore retains its adverb, and also   
   its government of the objective case... they are sometimes called gerundives.   
   gerundive == gerund. That's it - we have here the definition of the gerund.   
      
   Bye, Anton!   
   Alexander Koryagin   
   ENGLISH_TUTOR 2017   
      
   --- Paul's Win98SE VirtualBox   
    * Origin: Quinn's Post - Maryborough, Queensland, OZ (3:640/384)