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Jumanah Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Possessives with gerunds

I don't like him being annoyed about that. Means I'm annoyed because he's annoyed.
I don't accept their being arrested by the police.
I hate my brothers' being annoyed by the girls.
Are they correct?
  

Top answer

Jumanah Are they correct? Yes, but I am one of the last living defenders of the possessive over the objective in all such cases, so to me your first sentence should be: I don't like his being annoyed about that.

— Mister Micawber

  • Jumanah Are they correct?
  • Yes, but I am one of the last living defenders of the possessive over the objective in all such cases, so to me your first sentence should be: I don't like his being annoyed about that.
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7 Answers
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JumanahAre they correct?
Yes, but I am one of the last living defenders of the possessive over the objective in all such cases, so to me your first sentence should be: I don't like his being annoyed about that.
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So, I don't like him being arrested by the police.
I don't his being arrested by the police.
They're correct?
But one is informal l, and the other is formal.
Am I right?
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Yes, that is the way I view them.
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JumanahSo, I don't like him being arrested by the police.I don't his being arrested by the police.They're correct?But one is informal l, and the other is formal.Am I right?
The first one is informal and is much more common in everyday speech. The second one is extremely formal and much less common.
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Is it natural to say "I cannot understand him being arrested by the police."?
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Yes, but I would use this:

I cannot understand his being arrested by the police.
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JumanahIs it natural to say "I cannot understand him being arrested by the police."?
Yes, but I would say I can't understand why the police arrested him.

CJ
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