Possessive pronoun with gerunds

Question

Hi, how can I tell if this is a gerund or a participle? Knowing which verbal this is helps me determine the case of the pronoun: objective or possessive.

The indication for my progress in regards to time management comes from my completing tasks on time.

Is it 'my' because it is a gerund phrase (noun). A noun has to be the object of the preposition (object of the preposition 'from').

Here is another one:

If you don't mind my asking.

Why is asking a gerund and not a participle modifying 'me' "if you don't mind me asking"

Thanks for your help

Cool Breeze · Accepted Answer

The subject of the gerund need not always be in a possessive form. Mind requires the gerund and that's why asking is a gerund in your example. In informal style the object form is often used: If you don't mind me/my asking... Insisting on a possessive form would give ridiculous results: If you don't mind English's being spoken...

It is chiefly people who don't know enough about English grammar that insist on always using the possessive form for the subject of the gerund.

If you are interested in my opinions about the gerund, you can read them and

CB

Eddie88 · Answer

After reading your posts, I see that you believe either case is correct, and you put forth a strong argument. If I were to use the possessive case with gerunds, however, I firstly need to know if a verbal in a sentence is in fact a gerund or a participle.

Generally, distinguishing between the two non finite verbs is easy, as gerunds take the place of a noun (appositive, subj, object, etc) and participles function adjectivally modifying a noun.

With the two sentences I provided above, could you please talk me through how you determined why they were gerunds. Personally, I determined that they were gerunds by realising they were both objects of the verbs proceeding them, but if you have another way to distinguish them, could you please share this with me.

Additionally, since you seem to know quite a lot about this, can you read over my post on the following discussion (scroll down once you're there). No one seems to know the answer.

The discussion is on the uses/types of ing phrases (free modifiers).

Thanks a load!!

Goodman · Answer

Eddie88,

Within the confine of this type of sentences. It's rather simple to identify the ing form of the verbs and their functions. By locating the pronoun "my", the following ing for of a verb is always a gerrund . If you replace the ing verb with a noun following a pronoun, it obvious that compleing and asking are gerunds

The indication for my progress in regards to time management comes from my completing tasks on time.

Here is another one:

If you don't mind my [question] asking

Eddie88 · Answer

Hi, Goodman.

In regards to your idea of replacing the gernd with a noun, I had thught of that, but I was unsure whether it was full proof or not.

Thanks for letting me know that this is a good test!

I didn't want his getting in the way of things

I didn't want his car in the way of things.

Getting=Gerund

Thanks a lot!

Goodman · Answer

Glad I could help!
It seems like a noun is messing from the sentence here:
I didn't want his brother getting in the way of things

Eddie88 · Answer

I'm sorry, what do you mean? And do you mean *missing?

Cheers

Goodman · Answer

Yes, It's my damned fingers again trying to go faster than my train of thoughts....
I did mean "missing".

Cool Breeze · Answer

Eddie88With the two sentences I provided above, could you please talk me through how you determined why they were gerunds

In the grammatical classification I am familiar with, the first ing-form is a gerund because of the preposition (from) that precedes it. Prepositions are followed by gerunds:

I had an opportunity of visiting Cape Town. | They were talking about leaving the country. | I look forward to seeing him there.

The other ing-form is due to the verb mind, which is one of those verbs that always take a gerund, never an infinitive:

Would you mind opening the window? | I don't mind going there.

As for the thread you referred me to, I don't particularly care what grammatical labels people put on words and expressions. There are so many, and there's always bound to be disagreement and diverse terms used. Native grammarians don't agree on what the parts of speech are in the English language! Why should we care - or agree?

I am far more interested in what is considered correct than these labels. Incidentally, with regard to and in regard to are correct. In regards tois incorrect.

CB

Goodman · Answer

<<I am far more interested in what is considered correct than these lables.
I am in your camp.

This one though caught my eyes: I had an opportunity of visiting Cape Town. I would think "to visit" is more soothing to the ears as well as the eyes. Don't you think?

Cool Breeze · Answer

Goodman I would think "to visit" is more soothing to the ears as well as the eyes. Don't you think?

I couldn' care less which form people use. I could use either one of them. I may be wrong but I think the infinitive is more common in informal style and speech in general. The preposition followed by the gerund is certainly very common in written British texts, soothing or not.

CB

Possessive pronoun with gerunds

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