Incorrect: Me running ahead bothered him. Re the case of the subject of a present participle used as a non-finite verb: You say the subject must be possessive rather than objective and give the example: I’d like to know Alicia’s thinking about the issue. Don’t criticize my trying to get his attention.ĥ. I’d like to know Alicia thinking about the issue.Ĥ. Don’t criticize me trying to get his attention.ĥ.

The devaluing of the dollar continued throughout the summer.Ĥ. She won three gold medals for swimming.ģ. Working efficiently is required in the restaurant business.Ģ. If there is a noun or pronoun preceding it, make the noun or pronoun possessive.ġ. While this may be included at times for effect, standard formal usage will most often apply the possessive form before gerunds. We can see the nuance being conveyed by changing the possessive adjective to an objective pronoun before the gerund. This would be a style choice specific to a writer’s intent.Įmphasis gerund (action): What do you think of his deciding to go?Įmphasis actor: What do you think of him deciding to go?

In certain cases, a writer may wish to emphasize the actor more than the action. The girl’s dancing won her a trip to Hawaii. Incorrect: Them separating does not mean they won’t continue to be good parents to their three children.īen’s walking improved once his ankle healed. Incorrect: Me running ahead bothered him.Ĭorrect: Their separating does not mean they won’t continue to be good parents to their three children. It is helpful to recognize gerunds because if a noun or pronoun precedes a gerund, it is usually best to use the possessive form of that noun or pronoun. We like talking on the phone every night. Gerunds, like other nouns, may also act as direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of the preposition. Note that in each of the examples above, the -ing word-the gerund-acted as the subject of the sentence. Talking more about this will not change my mind. Hiking up that steep mountain seems impossible. Gerunds, also called verbal nouns, are formed when verbs have -ing added to them and are used as nouns. Is your curiosity at least somewhat piqued? If you are able to pick the gerund(s) out in your sentence, you will avoid a grammar gaffe that often goes unnoticed even by seasoned editors. What is a gerund and why do you need to know? Maybe it would be better to answer the second part of the question first so that you have some motivation to identify gerunds.