This grammar rule involves gerunds, a term many people are unfamiliar with. See my list of the most common mistakes in english. Using the possessive case before a gerund get it write. Gerunds and possessives because gerunds act like nouns, a possessive my, your, his, her, their goes before them. Gerund and infinitive worksheets are in pdf format and consist of a worksheet and answer sheet to check your results. Complete the memos by writing the gerund and possessive forms of the words in parentheses. There is one respect in which gerund and present participle clauses differ in their internal form. Gerunds pdf english grammar pdf rules and exercises. Preceding a gerund with a possessive by maeve maddox. This lesson explains how a possessive or a possessive pronoun can be used preceding a gerund in a sentence. In this paper, we are only interested in those instances of verbal gerunds with subject where there is a choice of form, i. Exceptions occur with irregular verbs, such as swimswamswum the last being the past. Learn how to use a possessive with a gerund with grammarflip. When i first heard about this usage in a grammar lesson in middle school, it sounded weird to me, too.
Because their function is that of a noun, gerunds may be used as the subject of a sentence. Can you identify a problem in any of the following sentences. Jan 20, 2014 this grammar rule involves gerunds, a term many people are unfamiliar with. Like any other noun, a gerund can function as the subject or object of a verb, or as the object of a preposition. Possessive gerund english language learners stack exchange. While that way is more traditional and formal, using object pronouns accusatives is also quite. Using the possessive will affect how we read the sentence. My questions are the following about a sentence the pizzas taste is funny. Using the possessive case with gerunds accu assist. But returning is a gerund, so it should be preceded by a possessive pronoun. Like all things grammar, gerunds do take a tiny bit of detective work to spot. Gerunds and infinitives exercises pdf worksheets, online exercises and grammar rules. Here are 10 exercises to help you practice and learn where to place the possessive apostrophe s to show possession of a noun in english. Complete sentences with these expressions cant help, cant stand, have fun.
Possessive pronouns with gerunds use a possessive pronoun with a gerund, the verb form that functions as a noun. It works the same with gerunds, so the correct phrasing is. Gerunds and infinitives 333 exercise 1 read the following text and underline all gerunds and infinitives. Using possessives with gerunds read the text of two memorandums from a companys director of human resources.
The form of the pronoun preceding the verbal gerund. The revised plan would result in the family paying for services that previously would have been covered by the public insurance program. Find out about a very common mistake that even native speakers make with possessives. Possessives with gerunds can be used only as the subject in a sentence. Preceding a gerund with a possessive daily writing tips. To surf is a verb, but surfing is not the verb in this clause. This rule is broken frequently, with many writers using the objective case rather than the possessive case. Like any other noun, a gerund can function as the subject.
Find out about a very common mistake that even native speakers make with. Grammarflip is an interactive, online grammar program that individualizes student learning and saves hours of time for english. As you doubtless know, verbs have two forms we call participles. Cliffsnotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what youre studying, cliffsnotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. Simply put, possessive nouns demonstrate ownership. We explain possessives and gerunds with video tutorials and quizzes, using our many waystm approach from multiple teachers. Replace the word that by combining the sentences using a possessive and a gerund phrase. Grammar worksheet all things grammar grammar focus possessive pronouns level intermediate answer key my notes 1. Possessives and gerunds tutorials, quizzes, and help.
The class really apreciate the presentation, our dear teacher congratulate us for our excellent powerpoint presentation of the topic. That happens when grammar terms start flying around. Gi003 gerund or infinitive fill in the correct form intermediate. When is a gerund supposed to be preceded by a possessive. I didnt appreciate him returning the car with the gas tank empty. Think about regular nouns and how they use possessives. Gerunds can take either the genitive hisless commonmore formal or the accusative himmore commonless formal as subject or object. Smokes cigarettes he the doctor objects to his smoking cigarettes. 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. An important distinction should be made between 1b and 1ce, or nominal and verbal gerunds.
Possessive with gerunds pdf replace the word that by combining the sentences using a possessive and a gerund phrase. Dont worry if you are starting to hear a highpitched buzzing in your ears. When the possessive alternative is used, it usually focuses attention on the action described in the ing clause. Verb forms ending in ing can function as nouns and are sometimes preceded by pronouns.
Possessives with gerunds can be used as either the subject or object in a sentence. My eating all that cake made me sick to my stomach. Then identify the function of each one subject, subject complement, noun complement, adjective complement, direct object, or object of preposition. Gerunds and infinitives can function b to compose a sonata would take months. Since a gerund is a noun, just as book is a noun, the same rule applies. I appreciate you taking the time to read our yearend report. Instead, it acts as a noun and can do whatever a noun can do. The correct phrases, then, are 1 your taking, 2 familys paying, and 3 childs being. English grammar tests pdf a marked test to download for free. Possessive use with gerunds grammar lesson trailer youtube.
Here, the notion of the word pizza is an inanimate being. Here is a simple example to help you see the difference between a present participle, which may be preceded by the objective case of a pronoun or by the plain form of a noun, and a gerund, which needs the possessive form to. A gerund is an ing verb form that is used as a noun. For each of the following sentences, fill in the blank with the possessive adjective which agrees with the noun or pronoun shown in brackets. Jul 08, 20 gerunds and possessives because gerunds act like nouns, a possessive my, your, his, her, their goes before them. Possessiveing and accusativeing constructions in english. Possessive forms are frequently modifiers for verb forms used as nouns, or gerunds. The correct grammar rule is to use a possessive pronoun prior to a gerund. I dont like marys cooking or i dont like mary cooking.
What noun is used instead of the possessive johns in the first sentence. Since we have a noun modifying another noun, we need the possessive form, your. Aug 27, 2009 the class really apreciate the presentation, our dear teacher congratulate us for our excellent powerpoint presentation of the topic. Now that we have the verbs out of the way, lets move on to gerunds. 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. Which functions of gerunds and infinitives are most common in this selection. Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Although it is a verb form, a gerund does not act as a verb. A gerund is a word that is normally a verb but is being used as a noun. The short answer is, for english grammar purists, that jose is correct. Possessive pronoun with gerund pronoun games turtle diary. The reason behind my asking this question is that the reason we use the possessive form is because we are discussing the particular characteristic. Look twice at the meaning of the phrase, because the participle often. We use a possessive before a gerund to indicate the performer of the action.
Theyre very easy to spot, since every gerund is a verb with ing tacked to its tail. For instance, im worried about joe running in the park after dark means that im worried about joe and the fact that he runs in the park after dark the word running is a present participle. Possessive pronouns and verb with ing form english. Use a possessive pronoun with a gerund, the verb form that functions as a noun. The possessive case of you is not used with the gerund taking, so the writer ends up making the illogical statement at least in this context i appreciate you. Beware of a present participle the ing form of a verb when it directly follows a noun or a pronoun. Grammarflip is an interactive, online grammar program that individualizes student learning and. Thanks a lot for a clear explanation about possessive gerunds. As in the linked page in your answer, my teacher taught us that using possessive pronouns also known as genitives is the only grammatical way to mark subjects of gerund clauses. When a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund in a sentence, it must take the possessive form.
Sep 20, 2012 i dont like marys cooking or i dont like mary cooking. The possessive pronoun my should be used with a gerund a verb with ing that is acting as a noun. If we write surfing was dangerous during the storm, the subject of the clause is surfing. The trick with a gerund is that when you place a noun or pronoun in front of it, you must make the word possessive. Browse other questions tagged syntacticanalysis gerunds gerundsvsparticiples or ask your own question. The reason behind my asking this question is that the reason we use the possessive form is because we are discussing the particular characteristic beingdefinedness of the subject under scrutiny, so in the next part of the sentence, can we use it to refer to the characteristic without ambiguity. In these instances, possession is acting as a modifier. The construction is illustrated with examples 1a and 1b. As i said, no urgency, but i appreciate your looking at it.
For example, a gerund can be the subject or object of a verb or the object of a preposition. In effect, making it possessive makes it a modifier rather than a stand alone noun. The turtle diary game practicing the use of possessive pronouns with gerunds is an important element in developing a childs language arts skills. I didnt like his going not him going to new york without me. Gerunds and infinitives some important rules the form of the verb that ends in ing is called a gerund when used as a noun. Adv 2 unit 7 possessives with gerunds free download as pdf file. English grammar pdf grammar rules with examples from everyday english.
A gerund is a verb form ending in ing, such as being, doing, having, going, reading or writing. The possessive form of a noun includes an apostrophe and the letter s and the possessive forms of pronouns are my, your, his, her, its, our, their and whose. This is a subtle point, and hard to explain without using the sort of technical language i usually try to avoid. Grammar tip pronouns with gerunds ontario training. First of all, it doesnt consist of any gerund, does it secondly, why this is the right one in the quiz. Jun 18, 2018 learn how to use a possessive with a gerund with grammarflip. Sep 26, 2003 since a gerund is a noun, just as book is a noun, the same rule applies. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. When a gerund is modified by another noun, that noun must be possessive. The fictional possessiveswithgerunds rule lingua franca.