What is the difference between the nouns measurement and measuring? Can I say the measurement has stopped the same way I can say the measuring has stopped?
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Syntactically, you have different complements available. The verb measuring simply takes a direct object. The noun measurement and the gerundial noun measuring take PP complements headed by of. Thus you have:
Measuring the elephant was dangerous. (verb)
but:
The measuring of the elephant was fraught with danger. (gerundial noun)
The measurement of the elephant went surprisingly well. (noun)
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One can also say 'Measuring the elephant...' (gerunds are more likely without the article).– MitchCommented Dec 22, 2011 at 15:00
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Sure. The determiner isn't relevant. I suppose I shouldn't have given contrasting determiners in the example. Commented Dec 22, 2011 at 16:59
For one, measurement is a noun, measuring is a gerund.
"the measurement has stopped" refers to the process called measurement.
whereas
"the measuring has stopped" refers to the action of measuring in a modified way, which is why that part of speech is called a gerund.
Both sentences convey the same meaning. However, one refers to an object and the other indirectly to an action.
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Which version refers to an object? Aren't both involving an action? (just looking for a clrification)– MitchCommented Dec 22, 2011 at 14:59
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The verb measuring simply takes a direct object. The noun measurement and the gerundial noun measuring take PP complements headed by of.
