verbatim: SPOGG's NGD

I should have saved yesterday's post for today, since it's—drumroll, please—National Grammar Day (brought to you by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar). On the one hand, it's encouraging that there are that many people around who want to celebrate English grammar in all its weird and wonderful eccentricities; on the other hand, it's kind of sad that we need to make a point to have a day specifically devoted to good grammar. (What's next—National Politeness Day? Actually, that wouldn't be such a bad idea either....)

Unfortunately, I find myself without anything to copyedit today (the cookbook has been delayed a week), so you will have to bear the brunt of my need to do something grammatical in a public way.

Lessee, what haven't we talked about? How about gerunds? (My list of movie titles containing gerunds doesn't count.) The same friend who sent me that email yesterday from her son's teacher recently asked me why her husband wrote in an interview follow-up letter, "I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me yesterday." She had asked him why he said "your taking" instead of "you taking"; he said he didn't know the technical reason, but he knew it was right. And he was. (I bet most of you use gerunds correctly without realizing it.) Strap yourselves in; this one is not for the faint of heart.

We are used to seeing verbs that end with -ing; that's called a participle, and it is part of the entire verb phrase:

I am baking pita bread.
I tune you out when you are whining.
I was giggling all morning.

However, you can also add -ing to a verb and turn it into a noun; that's called a gerund, and it functions in the same way that nouns always function (as subjects or objects):

I love baking.
His whining makes me crazy.
Giggling in class is frowned upon.

How do you know those are nouns? Looky here:

What do you love? Baking!
What makes you crazy? His whining!
What is frowned upon in class? Giggling!

In all three cases, the gerund answers the question "What?"—and thus is a noun. So in my friend's husband's letter, he's thanking the guy for what? For taking the time to meet with him. And here's the final piece of the puzzle: You need a possessive (not an object) pronoun before a noun, thus "your taking" instead of "you taking" (and "his whining" instead of "him whining").

Clear as mud, eh? The question line is open for those of you who need further clarification.