The purpose of this paper is to analyze gerund construction on the basis of gradience which was proposed by Aarts (2007, 2008), comparing with previous studies such as HPSG (Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar) approach and WG (Word Grammar) approach under multiple default inheritance. This paper explores syntactic properties of gerunds which have both nominal and verbal nature. The nominal nature of gerunds concerns with external patterns to the gerunds, and the verbal nature of gerunds concerns with their internal patterns. Keeping these properties in mind, this paper examines the logic of multiple default inheritance which allows a single node to inherit from two supercategories, in this case from both noun and verb, and then points out some problems. The paper introduces an alternative analysis, that is, the gradience approach, and argues that English gerunds can be explained neatly by the notion of intersective gradience which makes use of the concept of convergence. Above all, this paper devises a gradient diagram on the basis of basic explanations, and ensures that this diagram can help students to understand confusing gerunds.

• 이희정(부산대학교)