Grammatical Construction - Name? [closed]

In my essays I use the constructions like the following once in a while:

The implications of someone being elected into higher office are far-ranging.

What are sentences that contain constructions like "being elected into higher office" called? Knowing this would help find and study the rules surrounding this.

Solution 1:

Being elected is a gerund phrase. When expanded to being elected to higher office it is still a gerund phrase. Such phrases start with the gerundial form of a verb. See for example:

Grammarly

A gerund phrase is a phrase consisting of a gerund and any modifiers or objects associated with it. A gerund is a noun made from a verb root plus ing (a present participle). A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative.

"My doctor suggests running to improve my health."

Knowing this may help you compose other prose of the same sort of construction.

Solution 2:

_{Warning: Grammar terms vary.}

Being elected is the passive form of the present participle electing. For example:

Active: The implications of voters electing somebody are far-ranging.

Passive: The implications of somebody being elected [by voters] are far-ranging.

If you remove the subject (e.g. voters) in front of the participles, you can turn them into gerunds (which function like nouns). For example:

Active: The implications of electing somebody are far-ranging.

Passive: The implications of being elected are far-ranging.