2015-12-16 Grammar: possessives + gerund

Greg Malivuk
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http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk
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Homework: p. 109 exercises 1 and 2
exercise 1
1 When I’m asked to do laundry
2 that you cleaned the kitchen while...
3 Peter sleeps on the job
4 they could have problems over the weekend
5 he’s not invited to the picnic / he wasn’t invited to the picnic
exercise 2
1 being asked...skills
2 being so careful with this homework / having been so careful with this homework
3 planning to contact Charlie’s old girlfriend
4 the students’ having forgotten… / the students’ forgetting...
5 not being selected for the scholarship / not having been selected for the scholarship
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If the gerund action happened before the main action, we can use “having” and the past participle.
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p. 111 focus 2
Smoking bothers me. = It bothers me when I or anyone smoke.
His smoking bothers me. = It bothers me when he smokes.

I don’t like speaking so quickly. = I don’t like when I speak so quickly.
I don’t like Greg’s speaking so quickly. = I don’t like when Greg speaks so quickly.

I don’t like Peter’s taking so much time off.
= I don’t like that Peter takes so much time off.
= I don’t like the fact that Peter takes so much time off.

I don’t approve of Peter’s taking so much time off.
= I don’t approve of the fact that Peter takes so much time off.
(we can’t use “that” + clause after a preposition)
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exercise 4 - underline the gerunds in each sentence, and circle the person who does the action
1 Jeff, playing
2 your, helping
3 Peter, looking
4 Matt, taking
5 John’s, spending
6 his, having behaved
7 John, leaving; he, not being able
8 Norman’s, singing and dancing
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I saw John driving. = I saw John while he was driving.
I saw John’s driving. = I saw how he drives (but maybe I didn’t see his face at all, I just saw his car and I knew he was driving).

I found a thief trying to break into my car.
*I found a thief’s trying to break in. (doesn’t make sense)
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Homework: p. 112 exercises 5 and 6