герундий или существительное?

  • During the seventeenth century banking in England was in the hands of goldsmiths who held deposits, made loans to the merchants and the Crown. В этом предложении
    "banking" - герундий или существительное? Спасибо.

  • I'd say it's a gerund.
    Banking refers to the business of a bank. But banking is not a noun - bank is.
    Therefore banking is made up from the verb (bank, that is) and the -ing ending.
    Example of a gerund:
    Swimming is fun.

    Same as your case:
    Banking was in the hands...

    So, I would think it's a gerund :)

  • Sorry, when I said "banking" is not a noun, what i meant was it ain't original, you know what i am saying. It is more of a verb within a clause as they call it.

  • спасибо, Аглая, за быстрый ответ.