Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
of me doing it...of my doing it
English answer:
both OK
Added to glossary by
Joyce A
Mar 26, 2010 13:07
14 yrs ago
4 viewers *
English term
of me doing it...of my doing it
English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
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!
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!
Responses
| 4 +1 | both OK |
Sheila Wilson
|
| 3 +3 | me or my - depends |
Rolf Keiser
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| 4 | "me doing" - in this particular sentence |
Alexandra Taggart
|
Responses
+1
1 day 5 hrs
Sheila Wilson
Spain
Spain
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Spain
20 years producing 100% natural English
Native in: English (Variant: British) 
Works in: English, French to English
Related KudoZ points
:
44
Selected
both OK
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.
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.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Jim Tucker (X)
2 hrs
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Thanks
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you, Sheila!"
+3
17 mins
Rolf Keiser
Switzerland
Switzerland
Native in English
&
English
Switzerland
Translate complexity through simplicity
Native in: English (Variants: US, British) 
, German (Variants: Germany, Swiss)
Works in: German to English, English to German, English, and 1 more.
me or my - depends
"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."
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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."
Note from asker:
| So, which is correct (would you use) in this particular sentence? |
Peer comment(s):
| 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
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"everyone likes his"??? are females inferior in your world?
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| agree |
Yasutomo Kanazawa
9 mins
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Thanks, Yasutomo
|
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| agree |
Veronika McLaren
: no need to "split hairs" here!
32 mins
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Thanks, Veronika
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| agree |
jccantrell
: As Andrew said, both are heard here in the USA.
56 mins
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Thanks, jccantrell
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| 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
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once in combination with a noun and once with a verb
|
8 hrs
Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
Russian Federation
proficient translation
Native in: English , Russian
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English
Related KudoZ points
:
14
"me doing" - in this particular sentence
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.
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.
Discussion
Without what comes before this sentence, as above, this makes no sense at all to the reader. It doesn’t to me I should say. Looked after which house? Hers? His? Theirs? And in what way did she looked after the house and so on. Too much ambiguity and debate is present for clarification re: your question. If it is in a dialog form try to copy and paste it as it appears in the original, or type it as it appears in same.
God send every one their heart's desire!
[Much Ado About Nothing, Act III Scene 4]
There's not a man I meet but doth salute me,
As if I were their well-acquainted friend.
[Comedy of Errors, Act IV Scene 3]
And of course the illustrious stylist Oscar Wilde:
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/austheir.html