>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.
http://home.mn.rr.com/wwftd/
