Possessive + Gerund
Level B2 · Verb Patterns
When a gerund (-ing form used as a noun) has its own subject different from the sentence's main subject, that subject can appear in the possessive form — my, his, her, their, John's — rather than as an object pronoun. I don't mind him smoking is common in everyday speech, but I don't mind his smoking is the more traditional, formal choice, both meaning the same thing: I don't mind that he smokes.
How possessive + gerund works:
- possessive adjective (my/your/his/her/its/our/their) + gerund, used especially after verbs of like/dislike, mind, and appreciation, and after prepositions: I appreciate your helping me; She insisted on our staying for dinner; Would you mind my opening the window?
- Noun + 's + gerund works the same way for named people: I'm surprised at John's leaving so early; Sarah's winning the award didn't surprise anyone.
- In everyday, informal speech, an object pronoun or plain noun often replaces the possessive before the gerund, without changing the meaning much: I don't mind him smoking (informal) vs I don't mind his smoking (more formal) — both are widely accepted, though the possessive is considered more correct in formal writing.
- The possessive + gerund emphasizes the action itself as the topic, while the object + gerund pattern puts a bit more focus on the person doing it — in practice, this distinction is subtle and both forms are common.
The most common mistake is using a subject pronoun instead of a possessive or object form before the gerund — I don't mind he smoking is wrong; use either the possessive (his smoking) or the object form (him smoking), never the subject pronoun (he). A second mistake is using the base verb instead of the gerund after the possessive — I appreciate your help me is wrong; the possessive still needs the -ing form: I appreciate your helping me.
Look for a gerund (-ing form as a noun) whose 'doer' is different from the main subject of the sentence — if you can rephrase it with 'that + subject + verb' (I don't mind that he smokes), the possessive or object form before the gerund is the pattern being used. In formal writing, prefer the possessive; in casual speech, the object form is just as natural.