[Grammar] Can we use a possessive pronoun before a gerund?

[Mori]

In writing and formal speaking, use a possessive noun or pronoun before a gerund to show possession.
• Pete's dominating every conversation bothers me.
• Ills dominating every conversation bothers me.

USAGE NOTE: In conversation, native speakers often use a name or an object pronoun before a gerund.
• I don't like Pete dominating every conversation.
• I don't like him dominating every conversation.

Jay Maurer, Focus on Grammar 5 third edition, page 262

Can we use a possessive pronoun before a gerund? Isn't it a mistake? Shouldn't it be:

In writing and formal speaking, use a possessive noun or determiner/adjective before a gerund to show possession.

 

[GoesStation]

I don't like his dominating every conversation is correct.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

How about Maurer's I don't like him dominating . . . ? It's conversational. Is it ungrammatical?

 

[GoesStation]

How about Maurer's I don't like him dominating . . . ? It's conversational. Is it ungrammatical?

If a grammar can't explain a widely-used and -accepted construction, the grammar is faulty.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Got it. Makes sense. Now what do we thing "Ills dominating every conversation bothers me" means? His?

 

[jutfrank]

Can we use a possessive pronoun before a gerund? Isn't it a mistake?

Yes, you're right. It should say "a possessive form of a noun (Pete's) or a possessive adjective" (His/Her/My...). I assume the "Ills" in the second example should be His.

Possessive pronouns are nouns (of course!), such as mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs.

I think you should use a different grammar book.

 

[Mori]

I assume the "Ills" in the second example should be His.

Now I see what GoesStation and Charlie Bernstein were talking about. Actually I just copied and pasted the text from a PDF file, but it seems that some characters have changed:

I think you should use a different grammar book.

I have no choice: It's the textbook in our language school.

 

[Roman55]

This question is about possessive words or forms before a gerund, but that is not the only choice open to the speaker/writer. It is not right to assume that the only correct form is a gerund.

I don't like his dominating every conversation. Dominating is a gerund (and we know that because it's got his before it) and the sentence means that what I don't like is his behaviour.

I don't like him dominating every conversation. Dominating is a present participle and the sentence means that what I don't like is him when he is dominating every conversation. (I might like him at other times.) Perhaps that is exactly what you want to say, and I don't see anything wrong with it.

I don't like him doing that is much more natural than I don't like his doing that.

 

[GoesStation]

I don't like him doing that is much more natural than I don't like his doing that.

The second is more natural for me, but really, this is a relatively rare form and neither version is terribly likely.