Grammar Nazi reporting in

[Charmonium]

I'll just say up front that this isn't one of the more egregious errors I see but it's something you run across all of the time and it's really easy to get in the habit of using the correct form. So if you want to come off a little better in your writing, it's a good thing to get used to.

So what am I talking about? Gerunds. These are verb forms that are used like nouns. An example is something like 'I appreciated she taking the time to read my article.' Here 'taking' is the gerund and 'she' is the modifier. In this case, using 'she' feels awkward. But this isn't a usual case. For example if the pronoun had been 'them' instead, it would sound quite as off.

However gerunds take possessive pronouns. So it should be 'her taking' or 'their taking.' Not only does it sound more natural but it's also grammatically correct.

You can read some more examples here - http://www.getitwriteonline.com/archive/022205posscasegerunds.htm

Or just search something like 'gerunds possessive nouns.'

That's our lesson for today. Feel free to pelt me with sarcasm and abuse. Just try not to throw anything hard or pointy.

 

[Ichinisan]

Achtung!

 

[BoomerD]

English major?

I likes me some grammar nazis...we speek the saym langwayge.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

English major?

I likes me some grammar nazis...we speek the saym langwayge.

I like mine with taters and slaw.

 

[Charmonium]

English major?

No, too much reading and no job prospects. Religion was much more practical. :sneaky:

 

[BoomerD]

No, too much reading and no job prospects. Religion was much more practical. :sneaky:

Gawd hep us.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Gawd hep us.

Amen.

 

[futurefields]

pretty sure nobody asked for a grammar lesson bub

 

[Humpy]

For example if the pronoun had been 'them' instead, it would sound quite as off.

It would? :|

 

[Captante]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8Y-JjWE3Rw

 

[ninaholic37]

I wanted to replace "she" with "her" right away when reading the post. Don't know why. I guess it's just obvious? The examples from your link, on the other hand:

Can you identify a problem in any of the following sentences?

1. I appreciate you taking the time to read our year-end report.
2. The revised plan would result in the family paying for services that previously would have been covered by the public insurance program.
3. All child safety seats must be properly installed to reduce the risk of a child being injured.

In each of these sentences, we need to use the possessive case to modify a gerund. The correct phrases, then, are (1) "your taking," (2) "family’s paying," and (3) "child’s being."

All sounded better to me before the annoying grammar nazi of tongue-twisting gerundspiel came along.

 

[Ichinisan]

Hey, Bub. I wood like an grammar lessen.

 

[destrekor]

I wanted to replace "she" with "her" right away when reading the post. Don't know why. I guess it's just obvious? The examples from your link, on the other hand:

All sounded better to me before the annoying grammar nazi of tongue-twisting gerundspiel came along.

I'm curious if the quoted section is a case of prescriptivist grammar folk who are holding onto something that doesn't really make sense. Because, to this feeble brain, those examples do indeed sound wrong once the suggested corrections are implemented.

 

[Charmonium]

I'm curious if the quoted section is a case of prescriptivist grammar folk who are holding onto something that doesn't really make sense. Because, to this feeble brain, those examples do indeed sound wrong once the suggested corrections are implemented.

That's understandable. Virtually everyone in real life and very, very often, even in printed media (under which I include the internet) uses the non-possessive forms when modifying a gerund. It's so commonplace that I think eventually, it may replace the current rule.

But I hope it doesn't. Using a possessive form with a gerund sounds much better to me although even I will admit that in many cases, just from a gut-check point of view, it generally doesn't sound all that much different.

 

[Fenixgoon]

wouldn't an objective pronoun be used since it is the recipient of the action? I don't think it has anything to do with the gerund necessarily.

You wouldn't say "i appreciated she"

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

The Internet requires...nay, it demands...that grammar Nazis retire their self-appointed post.

Did you notice how I used "their" properly in the previous sentence?

 

[MtnMan]

Theiyr're I fixed it....

 

[disappoint]

Sense I already knew this, I could of done without the grammar lesson thanks very much.

 

[It's Not Lupus]

Remember generic he?

I prefer "to each his own" over "to each their own." I cringe every time I see the latter.

 

[sdifox]

Remember generic he?

I prefer "to each his own" over "to each their own." I cringe every time I see the latter.

To each their own may be correct if the parties in the conversation are all monarchs :awe:

 

[ninaholic37]

Remember generic he?

I prefer "to each his own" over "to each their own." I cringe every time I see the latter.

In French, even inanimate objects are male and female. A nose is a guy, a mouth is a girl, so even if a guy and girl is kissing, they're both girl mouths, or something like that. Glad I don't have to remember if I'm opening a male of female window to look at the male or female sky while drinking my male or female coffee, etc.

 

[feralkid]

nm

 

[Krazy4Real]

we don't take kindly to your type

 

[gorcorps]

Q: Do you understand what I said, even if it's not grammatically correct?
A: Yes

Then stop wasting my time, and try to add something useful to our planet instead

 

[rudder]

Your won of those people I hate.