Saturday, July 21, 2007

Gerunds preceded by an object or a genitive

A gerund can be used in combination with an object or a genitive (possessive). The latter is considered more formal, and the only option when an adjective precedes the gerund, but is more common when the second verb applies to a person rather than an object.
We enjoyed them (object pronoun) / their (genitive) singing.
We enjoyed their excellent singing. (an object pronoun is not possible here)

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