No one had told Smith about_____ a lecture the following day.

A. there being B. there be C. there would be  D. there was

【答】因为介词about无法跟that从句，there would be就是一个省略了that的名词性从句。但它可以接动名词或“动名词的复合结构”。所以，there be的“动名词的复合结构”是there being。请仔细体会下列例句。

“动名词的复合结构” there being  作及物动词的宾语：

I don't remember there being aliens in the Battleship game when I was playing. 我不记得，我玩战舰游戏时有外星人这回事。

I can't imagine there being a better place to coach basketball than Lawrence. 我无法想象有一个比劳伦斯教练篮球的更好的地方。

You prefer there being only five houses in a 300-lot development. 你更喜欢在300套房子的开发中，只存在五个房子。

It's hard to imagine there being a more soulful woman in Ireland than Laura. 很难想象世界有比劳拉更深情的爱尔兰女人。

It means there being no settlement blocks in this problem. 这意味着在这个问题上没有什么解决的障碍。

I don’t mind there being any objection to our plan. 我不介意对我们的计划有反对意见。

She denied there being any misunderstanding between them. 她否认他们之间有任何误会。

I wouldn't mind there being something eye-catching at the butcher counter. 我不介意在屠夫柜台上有什么抢眼的东西。

I don't recall there being very much to do about any of those situations. 我不记得，对于那些情况有很多事要做。

The realist acknowledges there being a domain beyond the conceptual sphere. 现实主义者认为，有一个超越概念领域的域。

And yet I don't recall there being any lengthy discussion in baseball circles. 但我不记得，在棒球界中有什么冗长的讨论。

We must avoid there being any harm done to our environment. 我们必须避免对环境造成的任何伤害。

【注意】“There be 结构”的动名词形式作及物动词宾语，这类动词主要是能跟动名词的及物动词，如：remember, recall, deny, mind, imagine, prefer, mean, admit, avoid 等。

“动名词的复合结构” there being  作介词的宾语：

 “There be结构”的动名词形式作介词宾语的情况特别多。一般说来，只要是能跟动名词作宾语的介词，几乎都可以跟there being。例如：

What’s the chance of there being an election this year? 今年举行选举的可能性有多大？

I talked about the possibility of there being another acute phase in this economic crisis. 我谈到了这场经济危机中另有一个严重阶段的可能性。

I never dreamed of there being a picture on the wall. 我根本没想到墙上有张画。

Well, I've never heard of there being any disparity between the two. 嗯，我从来没有听说过两者之间有什么差距。

The Chinese are proud of there being the Great Wall in the north of China. 中国人因为在中国北部有长城而自豪。

He was disappointed at there being no money left. 他对不剩一点钱感到失望。

No one told him about there being a meeting that afternoon. 没有人告诉他那天下午有个会议。

John was relying on there being another opportunity. 约翰指望还另有一次机会。

They were completely unaware of there being anything extraordinary. 他们完全没有觉察到这件事有什么出奇的地方。

I was wrong about there being some misunderstanding between us.认为我们之间有误解是我的错误。

Virtually all of the evidence argues against there being a causal factor. 实际上，几乎所有的证据都反对存在因果因素的说法。

They've gone through debates here without there being any significant effect on their work. 他们在这里进行了多次辩论，但对他们的工作没有任何显著的影响。

And as a result of there being physical violence at home, the couple broke up at last. 由于家庭暴力的结果，这对夫妇最后分手了。

The idea of there being a massive attack in the United States is unrealistic. 在美国有大规模攻击的想法，是不现实的。