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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Putting the word "not" in front of a gerund?

Hi. Could this be a gerund acting as a noun?

His not doing in the best of his ability has affected his performance level.

His coach was frustrated at seeing his not playing as best as he can.
  

Top answer

Yes, it is still a gerund with the negative adverb in front of it.

— Mister Micawber

  • Yes, it is still a gerund with the negative adverb in front of it.
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6 Answers
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Yes, it is still a gerund with the negative adverb in front of it.
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Adding the "not" has no effect on the basic grammar of the sentence. It only makes the action "absent," so to speak.

Your examples are both gerunds, which, by nature, act as nouns.

His playing well won us the game.
His not playing well lost us the game.

"Not doing in the best" and "as best as he can" are not idiomatic.

His not doing his best has effecte
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AvangiHis not doing his best has effected his performance level. (somewhat redundant)
His coach ws frustrated at seeing his not playing his best.
Hmm...
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Thanks, CB. I've had a life long blind spot on "affected" and always look it up - almost always. (The OP had it right!) Too many singing valentines! Can you believe that nonsense?

I've got to retrain on the other one too. I instinctively think o
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AvangiI've got to retrain on the other one too. I instinctively think of "I saw (witnessed) him making a mistake," and "I saw (understood; viewed) his philandering as unconscionable" as two different senses. (But I suppose that with the case in hand, the coach is observing, rather than forming an opinion.)

Yes,
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Thanks, CB, I needed that. But make the next one a hot toddy. It's colder'n a witches' --- here in sunny southern CA.

BTW, good to have you back!
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