[Grammar] Usage of "suggest"

[Laoiseach]

I've had a test recently, and one of the questions was about the usage of the verb "suggest".

I had to fill in the following sentence:
"Tom suggested ______ a new car."

And the possible answers were:
a) my buying
b) me to buy
c) to buy
d) my buying of

I know that after "suggest" there should be an -ing form, but lot of people I know claim that the correct answer is B. I searched it on Google and it looks like lot of English speaking people do actually use that kind of structure!
So which is the correct answer? I thought it could be D, but I'm not sure. And if it's D, how do you explain the usage of "of"? Maybe you have to use it after transitive verbs?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[TheParser]

I've had a test recently, and one of the questions was about the usage of the verb "suggest".

I had to fill in the following sentence:
"Tom suggested ______ a new car."

And the possible answers were:
a) my buying
b) me to buy
c) to buy
d) my buying of

I know that after "suggest" there should be an -ing form, but lot of people I know claim that the correct answer is B. I searched it on Google and it looks like lot of English speaking people do actually use that kind of structure!
So which is the correct answer? I thought it could be D, but I'm not sure. And if it's D, how do you explain the usage of "of"? Maybe you have to use it after transitive verbs?

Thanks in advance for your help!

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) I believe that the correct answer is A.

(a) What did Tom suggest?

(i) Answer: buying a new car.

(b) Whose buying a new car? My buying a new car.

In other words: Tom suggested that I buy a new car.

(Many native speakers say: Tom suggested me buying a new car.)

***

(2) With the greatest respect, I do not believe many native speakers would

say (b). You could say:


Tom advised/told/ ordered/allowed me to buy a new car.



(Be careful about what you read on the Web -- including this post of

mine!)

 

[White Hat]

I agree with TheParser - the correct answer is a:

"Tom suggested my buying a new car."

The After House: Chapter XVIII (by Mary Roberts Rinehart):
He suggested our raising the yellow plague flag; and this we did, with a ready response from the quarantine officer.

 

[Laoiseach]

(Be careful about what you read on the Web!)

That's why I wanted to check!

Thanks to you all!

 

[Raymott]

A and C are both grammatical; D is also possible.
B is the only answer that I'd consider ungrammatical. You can't suggest someone something.

 

[emsr2d2]

I realise that the point of these exercises is to make students learn a particular structure that they've recently learnt, but it should be noted that I don't know anyone who would actually use that sentence.

I (and almost everyone I know) would say:

Tom suggested that I buy a new car.