>Notice talking to can become a noun phrase in some cases.

actually, talking-to with the hyphen is a noun. but you're probably thinking of the verbal noun, analogous to the L. gerund, a noun derived directly from a verb or verb stem and in some uses having the sense and constructions of a verb; to wit, talking.

and as for any thread of mine that elicited one response in those early days, don't let me witness the accursing, castigating and excommunicating of that poor, benighted soul.

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