Uttered "Paul W. Frields" <stickster(a)gmail.com>, spake thus:
In the spirit of Elizabeth West's recent tips for better
writing,
here's one to consider:
Avoid the gerund wherever possible.
Gerunds are those words in English that end in "-ing." Sentences that
use them tend to feature awkward construction, passive voice, and lack
of conciseness. Gerunds also translate awkwardly in many languages.
Gerunds tend to introduce inverted sentences; although many languages
do tend to such constructions (ala vin ordinare) many do not.
Still, I like using gerunds for topics or outline headings. In these
cases gerunds are dynamic and forceful, setting a clear expectation
of the content.
Gerunding in sentences, however, lead to weak sentences. Why work
harder when simpler is clearer?
Tommy