Adding /-Ing

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Adding /-Ing
Message from neptostrax posted on 13-10-2015 at 14:52:14 (D | E | F)
Hello,
Could you help me, please ?
I know that there are a lot of English words that are formed by adding the -ING suffix to a verb; however I don't understand whether it is possible to add -ING to any verb, and still get away with it.
For instance, to me the sentence : "the death of 4 people in a car accident" is correct; but is the sentence : "the dying of 4 people in a car accident" equally possible ? Or are there juste some -ING nouns that are considered correct in English ? And does it sound like a made-up word ?
Thanks for any reply.

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Edited by lucile83 on 13-10-2015 15:09

Re: Adding /-Ing from athens2014, posted on 13-10-2015 at 16:07:38 (D | E)
Hello,
I found this link, which seems to be complete.
Link

Re: Adding /-Ing from neptostrax, posted on 13-10-2015 at 19:01:49 (D | E)
Thanks, this is helpful
However, there is still an aspect of it that I can't quite figure out. In the link you mentioned there are two sentences relating to selling car; when it's a more specific situation, the correct use is : "the sale of some cars" / and when it's a more general approach to the topic, then it is : "selling cars" (with the article THE left out). So, what I'm getting at is, is it possible (when talking about something with a general approach to it) to keep the THE article ? Like in : "The selling of cars, in general, is .."

Re: Adding /-Ing from melmoth, posted on 13-10-2015 at 19:18:07 (D | E)
Hello,
Most verbs have an -ing form, with very few exceptions (essentially modals: *canning, *musting and so on are impossible; willing exists only as an adjective).

This -ing form can be used as a noun which has an active sense. The phrase you give as an example is theoretically possible, but sounds queer, because dying is not really an action. It is rather a process one undergoes. "Someone's dying" suggests that someone has actively performed the action of dying, which doesn't make much sense. You could say "Someone's leaving". Or "someone's committing suicide". And you can always say "Dying in one's bed is pretty comfortable". Or "I resented his dying in the middle of my living-room. How disordely of him!". In that case, one suggests that dying there was intentional - and ill-mannered...

Cheers

Re: Adding /-Ing from neptostrax, posted on 13-10-2015 at 19:55:20 (D | E)
Ok, thanks.

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