Even if someone speaks the truth, in the end, everyone can only interpret it in their own way. This is because we do not possess the ability to convey our thoughts precisely or to properly understand others’ opinions.
The protagonist of the movie Being There (1979), Chance the Gardener, is someone who has spent his entire life working only in gardens. When the homeowner passes away, Chance, donning a suit left to him and carrying a trunk, steps out of the house for the first time in his life.
Having no knowledge but an appearance no less than any gentleman, Chance, even in a meeting with the president, speaks only of gardens. However, people interpret his garden stories as his political philosophy.
“As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. Yes. In the garden, growth has its seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.”
This statement is received as an optimistic view that ‘everything has its time,’ and thus, Chance the Gardener is recognized as a significant figure, eventually being asked to write a book. But it is always the same.
Ron Steigler: Mr. Gardner, uh, my editors and I have been wondering if you would consider writing a book for us, something about your um, political philosophy, what do you say?
Chance the Gardener: I can’t write.
Ron Steigler: Heh, heh, of course not, who can nowadays? Listen, I have trouble writing a postcard to my children. Look uhh, we can give you a six-figure advance, I’ll provide you with the very best ghost-writer, proof-readers…
Chance the Gardener: I can’t read.
Ron Steigler: Of course you can’t! No one has the time! We, we glance at things, we watch television…
Chance the Gardener: I like to watch TV.He confidently says to many reporters and the public, “I like to watch TV.”
“I do not read papers. I watch TV…. I like to watch TV.”
And in response to this, a reporter comments,
“Well, few men in public life have the courage not to read the newspapers. None that this reporter has met have the guts to admit it.”
Transitive verbs necessitate the presence of an object to convey a complete idea. These verbs address the “who” and “what” within a sentence by incorporating an object. For instance, in “I like apples,” “apples” serves as the object of “like,” illustrating a simple application of a transitive verb. But, when the intention is to treat an action as an object itself, how should the sentence be constructed?
In short, it’s about turning verbs into nouns. This is called a verbal, which means “verb-like.” That is, it’s not a verb, but it has verb-like qualities.
In English sentences, it could also be interpreted from the perspective that there is only one verb. Since there is a main verb in front, the verbs used as objects need to be a bit humble, and this humility can be thought of as being achieved through verbal.
Gerunds and Infinitives
The simplest way to turn a verb into a noun is by adding “ing” to the verb, a technique known as a gerund. Another method is the “to infinitive,” which involves adding “to” in front of the verb. With these methods, the verb turned into a noun can perform all the roles that a noun does.
Roles as a Subject
THORNDYKE: “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” (My Darling Clementine, 1946)
Don Pedro Aragon: “Talking between men and women never solves anything. Where we think, they feel. They are creatures of the heart.” (A Walk in the Clouds, 1995)
Roles as a Complement
Mike: “The only thing I’m afraid of is wasting the rest of my life with you guys.” (Breaking Away, 1979)
Jennifer: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” (Love Story, 1970)
Roles as an Object
John Keating: “The purpose of education is to learn to think for yourself.” (Dead Poets Society)
Charlie: “What I said about being on the road with you I meant. Connecting. I like having you for my brother.” (Rain Man)
Helen: “I want to enjoy things and have fun and live like every day is the last day.” (The Last Time I Saw Paris)
Using an infinitive allows a verb to be disguised not only as a noun but also as an adjective and adverb.
María José Aragón: “On your wedding night? Ay hija, no. You need room to maneuver.” Victoria Aragón: “Mommy!” (A Walk in the Clouds)
(Note: “hija” means daughter in Spanish)
On the other hand, some verbs have their preferred styles. The following transitive verbs mainly take “to infinitive” as an object. Verbs represented by “Plan” include a future-oriented meaning when they use a “to infinitive” as an object. For example, “Refuse” means to reject something that needs to be done in the future, and “Decide” means to determine something that needs to be done in the future. When these types of verbs take a “to infinitive” as an object, “to do” carries a future sense of “to be done,” not just “doing.”
ask, agree, choose, decide, demand, deserve, determine, expect, mean, offer, plan, prepare, pretend, promise, refuse, request, swear, tend, wish, hope, long
Jim Lovell: “From now on, we live in a world where man has walked on the moon. And it’s not a miracle, we just decided to go.” (Apollo 13, 1995)
Conversely, some verbs only take gerunds as objects. They are often used to express something oriented towards the past. Therefore, they include meanings of completing, stopping, avoiding, delaying, liking, disliking, admitting, denying, regretting, forgiving, contemplating, remembering, providing, and are necessary for expressing things that have been ongoing from the past to the present. For example, “Finish” means to finish what was being done.
acknowledge, admit, allow, anticipate, appreciate, consider, deny, enjoy, finish, give up, help, forgive, imagine, keep, mind, stop
VERA: “Stop making noises like a husband.” (Detour, 1945)
Making an Implied Subject
Since infinitives and gerunds are originally verbs, it’s conceivable that they would have subjects. Such subjects are called implied subjects. Since a gerund is also considered a noun, it can naturally express its subject in the possessive case.
Charlie: “That is right, but I held something back. I see some real genius in your flying, Maverick, but I can’t say that in there. I was afraid that everyone would see right through me, and I just don’t want anyone to know I’ve fallen for you.” (Top Gun, 1986)
Infinitives, being nouns in the sense of “doing something,” can have their corresponding subjects, but they cannot use the possessive case like gerunds. Usually, the preposition “for” is placed before the implied subject in expressions like “for someone to do something.”
Sally Albright: “You see? That is just like you, Harry. You say things like that, and you make it impossible for me to hate you.” (When Harry Met Sally…, 1989)
However, after adjectives that describe a person’s character or nature, such as kind, nice, foolish, wise, clever, cruel, stupid, good, bad, rude, generous, honest, considerate, careless, the preposition “of” can also introduce the subject.
Danny: “It’s awfully nice of you to send a gift to someone who just broke your speed record.” (CSI New York: Playing with Matches)
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