Why?

Hi!
- We objected to _____ up our garden.
A. their cat's digging
B. their cat to dig
C. their cat digging
D.their cat's which dig
The key is C. But why isn't A chosen, please?

hoangkha said:

The key is C. But why isn't A chosen, please?

Click to expand...

To a pedant, A would require 'of' after 'up'

5jj said:

To a pedant, A would require 'of' after 'up'

Click to expand...

Thank Mr.5jj.
Is it correct to write "We objected to their cat's digging up of our garden."
dig sth up or dig up sth.
I think of after up isn't needed.

hoangkha said:

Thank Mr.5jj.
Is it correct to write "We objected to their cat's digging up of our garden."
dig sth up or dig up sth.
I think of after up isn't needed.

Click to expand...

"Of" is required if you consider the "digging up" as a noun which we would have to do to use "their cat's" (possessive).

In "We objected to their cat's digging up of our garden", neither the verb "dig up something" nor "dig something up" is used.

In "We objected to their cat digging up our garden", it is.

emsr2d2 said:

In "We objected to their cat's digging up of our garden", neither the verb "dig up something" nor "dig something up" is used.

In "We objected to their cat digging up our garden", it is.

Click to expand...

Those writers to whom this is important call the first digging up a verbal noun, and the second digging up a gerund. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that some would call both gerunds, and some consider the gerund to be a verbal noun. Most of us don't worry too much about it.

As I said in my first post, a pedant would insist on the 'of' in "We objected to their cat's digging up of our garden", but most native speakers would not. I would never set a test question in which the absence of 'of' was regarded as a mistake.

Thanks for your responses.
I have just found this in PEU by Micheal Swan,page 278 and 279.

2- -ing form with its own object
The -ing form subject, object or complement is still a verb, and can have its own object.
- Smoking cigarettes is bad for you.
- I hate packing suitcases.
- My favourite activity is reading poetry.

3- determiners and possessives with -ing forms
We can often use determiners (for example the, my, this) with -ing forms.
- the opening of Parliament.
- Does my smoking annoy you?
- I don't mind your going without me.
- I hate all this useless arguing.
Possessives 's forms are also possible.
- John's going to sleep during the wedding was rather enbarrassing.
- She was angry at Lina's trying to lie to her.
Note that possessives and pronouns are not used before -ing forms if it is already clear who is being talked about.
- Thank you for waiting.(not Thank you for your waiting.)
When an -ing form is used with an article, it cannot usually have a direct object. Instead, we can use an of-structure.
- the smoking of cigarettes.(not the smoking cigarettes.)

4- object pronouns before -ing forms
In an informal style it is more common to use object forms (like me, John) instead of possessives(my, John's) with -ing forms, especially when these come after a verb or a preposition.
- I don't mind you going without me.
- She was angry at Lina trying to lie to her.

From the above, I think A and C are correct in this sentence.
- We objected to _____ up our garden.
A. their cat's digging
B. their cat to dig
C. their cat digging
D.their cat's which dig

hoangkha said:

From the above, I think A and C are correct in this sentence.
- We objected to _____ up our garden.
A. their cat's digging
B. their cat to dig
C. their cat digging
D.their cat's which dig

Click to expand...

According to Swan, and to me, both are acceptable. However, as I have explained, A is not acceptable to a pedant.