Nominal gerunds in 16th-century English: the function of the definite article KU Leuven
This paper addresses the variation between two nominal gerund constructions in 16th-century English: definite gerunds on the one hand (the eating of the apple) and bare gerunds on the other (eating of the apple). Although the two constructions are highly characteristic of the period and have played a role in the further development of the gerund, the factors that govern their use are still poorly understood. It is proposed here that the ...