Parallelism gerund noun

pepeprepa · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:03 am Post subject: Parallelism gerund noun

According to anthropologists, the use of human language covers a wide spectrum from practical communication between people engaged in the same task to the establishing of hierarchy within a social group.

A) practical communication between people engaged in the same task to the establishing of hierarchy
B) practical communication between people engaged in the same task to the establishment of hierarchy

Why A is wrong given that "the + gerund" is a noun ?

bourne159 · Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:22 am Post subject:

Isn't A awkward compared to B.
practical communication is parallel to establishment in B.
establishing seems awkward.

As to your question about the + gerund.
I am no expert at this but doesn't gerund be either a subject or an object of a clause. It seems establishing is a present participle (functions as a verb) than as a subject or an object.