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(a) The rise of price of goods burdens the people.

(b) The rising of price of goods burdens the people.

(c) The ban of plastic bags is a good way to reduce environmental problems.

(d) The banning of plastic bags is a good way to reduce environmental problems.

Which form should I use for the words 'rise' and 'ban' before the preposition? Gerund or noun?

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    A quick aside: that's not the present continuous. That's a gerund. Verbs don't take articles. – RegDwigнt♦ Apr 22 '11 at 0:21
  • Should environmental problem be environmental problems? – jamesbtate Apr 22 '11 at 0:26
  • And that's not the simple present either, it's rise as a noun. – Kosmonaut Apr 22 '11 at 0:49
  • Thanks for telling the mistake i made.I have corrected them. – esy Apr 22 '11 at 2:05
  • @RegDwight: A completely insignificant note: the present continuous is normally a finite verb and doesn't take an article on that account; but you could say a gerund is both a noun and a verb, so that verbs can take articles... I am of that school. – Cerberus_Reinstate_Monica Apr 22 '11 at 3:22
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None of your examples really work. Try:

The rising price of goods burdens the people.

and

Banning plastic bags is a good way to reduce environmental problems.

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  • I would say, "Using a computer helps us to carry out our task in a short period of time." – ian93 Apr 22 '11 at 2:06
  • Thanks for your answer but i am still confused whether to use gerund or noun in the sentence.1)Use of a computer helps us to carry out our task in a short period of time.2)Using a computer helps us to carry out our task in a short period of time.Which one is correct?And is it possible to use using of computer – esy Apr 22 '11 at 2:25
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I would say - The rise of price of goods is a burden on the people.

I prefer this because 'the rise' is an abstract noun and giving it an active verb, while acceptable, can seem somewhat poetic.

As for the second set, I would say your sentence (d) is fine, though I would prefer: Banning plastic bags is a good way to reduce environmental problems.

I prefer this structure because it is a suggestion; 'The banning of' sounds more like something that already exists/has already happened: The banning of plastic bags made a great improvement to the situation.

Hope this helps.

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