Editing Clause (section)

===Gerund clauses===
The underlined words in the following examples are considered non-finite clauses, e.g.

::a. <u>Bill stopping the project</u> was a big disappointment.{{Snd}} Non-finite gerund clause
::b. Bill's stopping of the project was a big disappointment.{{Snd}} Gerund with noun status

::a. We've heard about <u>Susan attempting a solution</u>.{{Snd}} Non-finite gerund clause
::b. We've heard about Susan's attempting of a solution.{{Snd}} Gerund with noun status

::a. They mentioned <u>him cheating on the test</u>.{{Snd}} Non-finite gerund clause
::b. They mentioned his cheating on the test.{{Snd}} Gerund with noun status

Each of the gerunds in the a-sentences (''stopping'', ''attempting'', and ''cheating'') constitutes a non-finite clause. The subject-predicate relationship that has long been taken as the defining trait of clauses is fully present in the a-sentences. The fact that the b-sentences are also acceptable illustrates the enigmatic behavior of gerunds. They seem to straddle two syntactic categories: they can function as non-finite verbs or as nouns. When they function as nouns as in the b-sentences, it is debatable whether they constitute clauses, since nouns are not generally taken to be constitutive of clauses.