0
Electrum Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
By him saying that...
By him saying that he was sick, I knew he was not going to show up.
I hear this construction all the time. In response to other questions I have posted, most agreed that him should be replaced with his in cases like this.
The question I have now is whether by is the best preposition to use here. By would ordinarily suggest a means to an end rather than the consequence of a random cause.
Shouldn't I say:
From his saying that he was sick...
Because of his saying that he was sick...
Etc,?
I hear this construction all the time. In response to other questions I have posted, most agreed that him should be replaced with his in cases like this.
The question I have now is whether by is the best preposition to use here. By would ordinarily suggest a means to an end rather than the consequence of a random cause.
Shouldn't I say:
From his saying that he was sick...
Because of his saying that he was sick...
Etc,?
Top answer
electrum By him saying that he was sick, I knew he was not going to show up. I hear this construction all the time. My condolences.
- electrum By him saying that he was sick, I knew he was not going to show up.
- I hear this construction all the time.
- My condolences.
- electrum Shouldn't I say: From his saying that he was sick...
- Because of his saying that he was sick...
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
2 Answers
0
electrumBy him saying that he was sick, I knew he was not going to show up.My condolences.
I hear this construction all the time.
00
CalifJimFancy phrasing is fine for literature, but in casual conversation you get no extra points by showing off your grammatical acrobatics!The question was not whether I would earn points by getting fancy in casual converation. Where did you get that idea? I'm trying to isolate fine points in construction in conjunction with an artifical language I ha
0
Related Questions