appreciate + Ving

Question

Hi, can anyone help explain the grammatical point for the following sentence?

I appreciate your making the effort to come.

Why does it use "appreciate"+"your (possessive)"+"making (gerund)" + effort (noun)"? What grammatical point is it? Are there other similar examples?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Roy

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,
can anyone help explain the grammatical point for the following sentence?

I appreciate your making the effort to come.

Why does it use "appreciate"+"your (possessive)"+"making (gerund)" + effort (noun)"? What grammatical point is it? Are there other similar examples?

The grammar structure is someone appreciates a noun form (ie something/somebody). eg
Tom appreciates the gift.
Tom appreciates Mary's gift.

A gerund is a noun form of a verb, thus we can say
Tom appreciates Mary's giving him a gift.
I appreciate your making the effort to come.

Note that, in everyday casual English, we often omit the possessive form and simply say
Tom appreciates Mary giving him a gift.
I appreciate you making the effort to come.

Do you have any more questions about this?
Best wishes, Clive

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousWhat grammatical point is it?

The grammatical point is that the subject and verb of a clause is condensed into a possessive adjective for a subject and a gerund (-ing word) for the verb.

He arrived on time becomes his arriving on time.
You made the effort to come becomes your making the effort to come.
They saved some food for us becomes their saving some food for us.
____

This new structure is then embedded into a larger sentence whose grammar requires or permits this structure, such as those with the verbs resent, regret, appreciate, approve of, disapprove of, object to, or with expressions like a good chance of or no question of.
I appreciate his arriving on time. [from He arrived on time.]
Do you regret their leaving so early? [from They left so early.]
Steve disapproves of Mary's being late every time. [from Mary is late every time.]

There's a good chance of my needing more time to complete the task. [from I'll need more time ...]

Do you object to her opening the letter? [from She will open the letter or She opened the letter.]
The tense of the embedded clause is indeterminate in this construction.
CJ

Cool Breeze · Answer

CliveA gerund is a noun form of a verb, thus we can say
I appreciate your making the effort to come.

Hi Clive
So, a noun can have an object in American/Canadian grammar?
Cheers, CB
PS Something Canadian in going to happen in Helsinki! Leonard Cohen will give a concert to an audience of about 11,000 people on October 10. The concert was sold out weeks ago. (I'll be there!

)

Clive · Answer

Hi again,

A gerund is like a noun, but it's not a noun. It focuses on an action or state.

Gerunds can indeed combine with other parts of speech. Consider these examples of what you might call a 'gerund phrase'.

Hitting a truck caused his death.

Driving slowly causes accidents.

This is valid for any country's English.

Clive

Mikael · Answer

CliveNote that, in everyday casual English, we often omit the possessive form and simply say
Tom appreciates Mary giving him a gift.
I appreciate you making the effort to come.

I've seen a rule that when we use verb + person (object) we have to take the infinitive.
For example:
I asked her to come here.
His parents won't allow him to stay out late.
Police are advising people to stay at home.

But with the verb appreciate it doesn't happen.
For example:
I appreciate you making the effort to come.
We would appreciate you letting us know of any problems.

As we've seen, the verb appreciate takes the form verb + person (object) + gerund

Why does that happen? Why isn't tha rule (verb + person + to inf) applied?

CalifJim · Answer

Every verb has its own distinct grammar.
Some take the infinitive, but not all.
Many fewer take the gerund.
There are no general rules that predict which verb takes which construction.
Each verb has to be learned separately.

CJ

Mikael · Answer

CalifJimEvery verb has its own distinct grammar.Some take the infinitive, but not all.Many fewer take the gerund.There are no general rules that predict which verb takes which construction. Each verb has to be learned separately.CJ

That really sucks!

I thought I could simplify by using a rule I've seen in a grammar book:

We use the gerund after possessive adjectives, object pronouns or nouns:
For example: I hope you don't mind him/his/John coming here.

I thought that rule really strange because I've seen verb + object + to inf a lot of times.
For example:
His parents won't allow him to stay out late. (and not allow him staying as that rule suggests)

I think I'd advise him to leave the company. (and not advise him leaving)

So I think that the autor couldn't have generalized that rule because there are a lot of verbs that don't agree with it.

Am I right?

CalifJim · Answer

MikaelSo I think that the autor couldn't have generalized that rule because there are a lot of verbs that don't agree with it.

Am I right?

You're right -- in a way. The "rule" is not really a rule. It's an observation about where you might see a gerund -- not where you should put a gerund.

MikaelWe use the gerund after possessive adjectives, object pronouns or nouns

It doesn't say that we use only the gerund in those cases. That's what saves it from being a lie!

It's like you heard someone say People use cars to get to work. Then you say, "That's not true because I've seen people take the bus to work". Well, not really. It's true, because the statement doesn't say People use only cars to get to work.

CJ

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