A morpho-syntactic analysis of Participle I and Gerund in short stories by O`Henry

Introduction
To carry out a morpho –syntactic analysis of Gerund and Participle I in O`Henry`s works.
If Gerund and Participle I are the same
form of verb
To define criteria of differentiation of these forms
To find examples in the text material (stories
by O. Henry)
It would serve as a good manual for those who want to master modern English language.
Problems
Practical
significance
Purpose
Scientific hypothesis

Our research is based on the short stories «The ransom of Red Chief», «The Gift of the Magi»
and «The last leaf» by O. Henry

Theoretical part

Gerund VS Participle

Practical part
The specificities of short stories by O`Henry.
O.Henry occupies an exceptional place in American literature. He is a master of «short story" genre. William Sydney Porter (real name of the American writer О. Henry) is the author of bright, brilliant novels, which are popular worldwide. Years and decades pass, and readers ' love for O. Henry is not exhausted. The works by his author have been chosen because of its proximity to spoken language.

Gerund
There was a fire burning behind the big rock at the entrance of the cave. – SUBJECT
The fun of camping out in a cave had made him forget that he was a captive himself – ATTRIBUTE
I`m tired of playing Indian myself – OBJECT
We got him to go by telling him that his father had bought a silver-mounted rifle – ADVERBIAL MODIFIER

Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher – ADVERBIAL MODIFIER
Sue stopped whistling, thinking she was asleep. – OBJECT
Then they looked at each other for a moment without speaking.-
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER

Participle I
We're making Buffalo Bill's show look like magic lantern views of Palestine in the town hall. - a part of predicate
When I got to the cave I found Bill backed up against the side of it, breathing hard –ATRIBUTE
So now Della's beautiful hair fell about her, rippling and shining like a cascade of brown waters.- ADVERBIAL MODIFIER

Johnsy lay, scarcely making a ripple under the bedclothes, with her face toward the window. – ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF MANNER
She was looking out the window and counting—counting backward. – A part of predicate
The cold breath of autumn had stricken its leaves from the vine until its skeleton branches clung, almost bare, to the crumbling bricks. - ATRIBUTE

Conclusion
Based on the results of scientific evaluation, our hypothesis is rejected. The conclusion can be drawn that words with – ing are used as participle I more often than as gerund. The participle I is most often used as a part of predicate. The gerund is most frequently used as an adverbial modifier. These non-finite forms of the verb are different.