By Speaking English, Genitives

Grammar Geek wrote:Singing is a gerund, a noun, so it takes the possessive my. This is rather peculiar, I think. I have encountered the same thing on these forums many times. Native speakers say: "A gerund is a noun." Do they teach it that way in American schools and universities? Grammatical...

Believer wrote:Can a gerund function as a countable noun? If so, can you show me how it is done in simple terms?Hi BelieverOf course a gerund can form a plural: his comings and goings.As you see, the plural is formed by adding an s to the word. Some grammarians distinguish between a gerund and a...

Paco -- I'm sorry English is so frustrating! A few comments come to mind: First, I can see how it seems to you that the current chaotic state of English is a result of generations of laziness regarding grammatical rules, but I would prefer to think of it this way: the current flexibility of...