Do you mind my smoking?

[vil]

Dear teachers,

counterpart: David L.

1. Would you tell me whether the following sentence is correctly compiled.

Do you mind my smoking? = Do you mind if I smoke.

How about this one?

2. I don't mind your coming late.
3. Do you remember his getting into trouble with the police?
4. Could you imagine her helping them?
5. We can't excuse their cheating us.
6. I hate their borrowing money from us.
7. She is afraid of his leaving her alone.
8. He laughed at my trying to eat with chopsticks (=small sticks used by the Chinese as forks).

There is an opinion that it is inadmissible a possessive pronoun to be before a verbal noun (gerund).

Thank you in advance for your efforts.

Regards.

V.

[belly_ttt]

What is the meaning of "counterpart" here?

[vil]

Hi belly-ttt

The meaning of the counterpart in this case is a normally "copy" (to the attention of Mr.) (for his information)

Regards.

V.

[David L.]

Hi Vil. Those sentences are exactly as I might write them.
Can you tell us the source of the admonition you mention?

[vil]

Hi David L.

When "those sentences are exactly as you might write them", especially when the sentence "He laughed at my trying to eat with chopsticks." is write, why the similar (in my poor opinion) sentence "Do you mind my asking you one or two more questions?" is wrong (see your post in the thread "gerund and infinitive"). There are in both sentences possessive pronouns, which are before a verbal noun (gerund); something that is unallowable, regarding your admonition (in the mentioned above post). I think, there are no two ways about it. I am beginners in mastering of English grammar, by reason of what I'm looking for your backing.

Regards.

V.

[MrPedantic]

I would agree that your sentences are fine, and that a possessive pronoun can appear before a gerund.

1. Do you mind my smoking?

— note that this can mean either "do you mind if I smoke?" or "do you mind the fact that I am smoking?"

It would also be idiomatic to say:

2a. I don't mind you coming late.
3a. Do you remember him getting into trouble with the police?
6a. I hate them borrowing money from us.
7a. She is afraid of him leaving her alone.
8a. Do you mind my asking? = do you mind me asking?

Best wishes,

MrP

[belly_ttt]

Originally Posted by David L.

Hi Vil. Those sentences are exactly as I might write them.
Can you tell us the source of the admonition you mention?

What do you mean by using "admonition" here, David?

And vil, after checking in oxford dictionary, I just found the meaning " a person or thing that has the same position or function as sb/sth else in a different place or situation ", I don't see whether it means copy here

[vil]

Hi Mr.Pedantic,

Thank you for your sterling particularization as well as for your graceful modifications of my original examples.

Your post stocked my mind with further knowledge.

Thank you again for your empathy.

Regards.

V.

[vil]

Hi Belly-ttt

You might see the answer your question in the following excerpt of dictionary (see the written in bold italic)

coun·ter·part (koun'tər-pärt')
n.

1. 1. One that closely resembles another.
   2. One that has the same functions and characteristics as another; a corresponding person or thing: Their foreign minister is the counterpart of our secretary of state.
2. A copy or duplicate of a legal paper.
3. 1. One of two parts that fit and complete each other.
   2. One that serves as a complement.

Regards.

V.

[David L.]

I didn't say that .."my asking" was incorrect. I said ..."me asking" was incorrect and as such, grates on my ears.