of me doing it...of my doing it

English translation: both OK

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:of me doing it...of my doing it
Selected answer:both OK
Entered by: Joyce A

13:07 Mar 26, 2010
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
English term or phrase: of me doing it...of my doing it
This is from a super-selling translated book that I'm reading....

The main character says: As for me, I looked after the house, because he didn't like the idea of me doing it for other people.

I had learned that it should be "my" doing it? Is it now acceptable to say "me" doing it.

I need to have this cleared up for myself because I see this usage recurring and it's driving me bonkers. :-) Thank you!
Joyce A
Thailand
Local time: 12:29
both OK
Explanation:
Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" says that: in an informal style it is more common to use object forms instead of possessives with -ing forms."

The verb pattern with the adjective tired is "to be tired of doing". It can be also be "to be tired of somebody doing" or "to be tired of somebody's doing"



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Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2010-03-28 10:06:04 GMT)
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Note on choice in this context:

If I have understood correctly, this comes from a work of fiction, and it is actual speech, starting with an informal "As for me," - I would continue in the informal vein and use "me".

Whether a grammatician would agree, I don't know, but I think it would be the most common form used in context by native speakers.
Selected response from:

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 05:29
Grading comment
Thank you, Sheila!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +3me or my - depends
Rolf Keiser
4 +1both OK
Sheila Wilson
4"me doing" - in this particular sentence
Alexandra Taggart


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
me or my - depends


Explanation:
"it is my doing", but "she is tired of me doing his work"

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-03-26 14:49:40 GMT)
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in this case "he didn't like the idea of me doing it for other people."

Rolf Keiser
Switzerland
Local time: 06:29
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: So, which is correct (would you use) in this particular sentence?


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Mason: Technically it should always be 'my doing', but like many other expressions, the incorrect version is gaining ground - like for example 'everyone likes their own...' instead of 'everyone likes his....'
3 mins
  -> "everyone likes his"??? are females inferior in your world?

agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
9 mins
  -> Thanks, Yasutomo

agree  Veronika McLaren: no need to "split hairs" here!
32 mins
  -> Thanks, Veronika

agree  jccantrell: As Andrew said, both are heard here in the USA.
56 mins
  -> Thanks, jccantrell

neutral  Jim Tucker (X): Even "she is tired of my doing.." is fine, and preferred by prescriptivists - "doing" is a gerund, thus can be possessed like any other noun. "Tired of me doing" has greater currency, but might be a syncretism based on "of me" (etc. depending on context)
1 hr

neutral  British Diana: Can you explain the difference (why once "me" and once "my" is correct) in your example sentence, please? //- So "doing" is first a noun and then a verb? Do you mean first a gerund and then a participle?Sorry, but Im still confused.
3 hrs
  -> once in combination with a noun and once with a verb
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
"me doing" - in this particular sentence


Explanation:
1)"my DOING" - that is about quality of his doing. Doing badly? Or- too nicely? "Doing action" draws attention. It wouldn't make much sense, so, I'd dismiss "my doing" as useless;
2) "ME doing" - stress falls on "me"; that fact that it was him/her who was doing it becomes important; his partner (?) wasn't happy about that fact that it was him/her who was doing such work .

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Note added at 8 hrs (2010-03-26 21:50:58 GMT)
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"my doing" - gerund as a noun;
"me doing" - continuous tense with missing "is/was" as a peculiar part of English language.

Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Local time: 08:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 14
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
both OK


Explanation:
Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage" says that: in an informal style it is more common to use object forms instead of possessives with -ing forms."

The verb pattern with the adjective tired is "to be tired of doing". It can be also be "to be tired of somebody doing" or "to be tired of somebody's doing"



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day20 hrs (2010-03-28 10:06:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Note on choice in this context:

If I have understood correctly, this comes from a work of fiction, and it is actual speech, starting with an informal "As for me," - I would continue in the informal vein and use "me".

Whether a grammatician would agree, I don't know, but I think it would be the most common form used in context by native speakers.

Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 05:29
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 44
Grading comment
Thank you, Sheila!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jim Tucker (X)
2 hrs
  -> Thanks
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