call on or come by???? Don't objec to???

[engee30]

Is what apex2000 says about the emphasize correct?

I feel it is.
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...ng-africa.html

[apex2000]

Apex, you cannot take the original poster's use of "his" and change it to "him" with the M bolded to show the change, and not have people think you are correcting an error!

If you think that both his and him are okay (and I do too, because you hear "him" at least as often), then say that. Don't correct his to him and later say you weren't saying it was mistake to use his.

I use red for errors, black for emphasis and blue for other suggestions as far as I can. Apart from that you said I had said it was wrong. I did not.

I may have misread the question which I took to be about the use of him/his to achieve the better understanding. This matter has arisen many times in my experience over the years when I have found it helps to give a better understanding of how to say what people intend. You may find a difference in the US but here we make more use of him.

[birdeen's call]

Apart from that you said I had said it was wrong. I did not.

You may not have said that explicitly, but it seems everybody (including me) thought that was what you meant. Wouldn't you think that

Do you mind him calling on us?
Do you mind him coming by our place?
I don't object to him calling on us.
I wouldn't say no to him coming by.
All these can be used. Be careful with him/his; his is the possessive pronoun.

after the original question means, "'Him' is corect. 'His' is incorrect?" (This punctuation thing drives me mad. How can what I just wrote be correct? )

It often happens on these forums that someone asks, "Which form is correct, A or B?" To my understanding, it is customary that when someone answers "A," it means that A is the correct answer and B is the incorrect answer. Otherwise, we would expect some comment, for example: "Both are correct, but A is preferred where I live."

[apex2000]

You may not have said that explicitly, but it seems everybody (including me) thought that was what you meant. Wouldn't you think that
after the original question means, "'Him' is corect. 'His' is incorrect?" (This punctuation thing drives me mad. How can what I just wrote be correct? )

It often happens on these forums that someone asks, "Which form is correct, A or B?" To my understanding, it is customary that when someone answers "A," it means that A is the correct answer and B is the incorrect answer. Otherwise, we would expect some comment, for example: "Both are correct, but A is preferred where I live."

The OP was not about A or B.
I put forward alternatives, stating 'all these can be used' and the emphasis was given because of number 4, as you can see from another reply I have given below.
I did not indicate in any way 'which form is correct' and I was not asked to do so in the question. On this forum it is usual for further questions to follow which, hopefully will lead to a greater understanding.

[Barb_D]

How is anyone supposed to know that in your posts, you reserve red for errors? You changed "his" to "him" in two separate posts. I'm quite positive that BC and I were not the only people reading your posts to assume you were saying that "him" is correct and "his" is wrong.

Whatever. You answer questions your way. I will answer them my way.

[Coolfootluke]

I am not a teacher.

Use the possessive with a gerund. You will sound educated to other educated people, and to people who have no right to an opinion about grammar, who cares? There are a few cases where what looks like a place for possessive/gerund is not in fact one (I heard you singing.), but you will be able to judge for yourself as your proficiency improves.

[Tdol]

Surely, every member of a speech community has a right to an opinion about their language? Who is to decide whose opinions are not worth hearing?