In Universities^x, Pronouns^x, Gerunds^x

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?...

If you place a word in parentheses, Vincent, then you are indicating that it is optional-- and indeed, (the) is optional in your sentence. My job here is to give learners good, unequivocal usage information, not to open my heart to all forms of use. Your quotes above, Goodman, are from casual...

Yulysess wrote: Hi creolejazz, The rule you search lies, I think, in the grammatical unit called "Nominal Clauses/ Nominal-ing clauses, that is, participle clauses", or as pieanne illustrated above, gerunds. The commomest type of participle clause is that which has no subject. When a is...

Hi creolejazz, The rule you search lies, I think, in the grammatical unit called "Nominal Clauses/ Nominal-ing clauses, that is, participle clauses", or as pieanne illustrated above, gerunds. The commomest type of participle clause is that which has no subject. When a is subject...