[Grammar] appalled by hearing or appalled to hear?

[wandersonxs]

Hello folks.

I have a doubt about the sentences below. Could you help me to find out whether they are correct?

I'm appalled (or shocked) by hearing that you were fired.

I'm appalled (or shocked) to hear that you were fired.

Thanks in advanced.

Cheers
Wanderson

 

[Raymott]

Hello folks.

I have a doubt about the sentences below. Could you help me to find out whether they are correct?

I'm appalled (or shocked) by hearing that you were fired.

I'm appalled (or shocked) to hear that you were fired.

Thanks in advanced.

Cheers
Wanderson

Only the second one sounds right. The first isn't colloquial. (It's grammatical, but no one would actually say it).
You might occasionally read, "He was appalled on hearing that Peter had been fired."

 

[nyota]

Only the second one sounds right. The first isn't colloquial. (It's grammatical, but no one would actually say it).
You might occasionally read, "He was appalled on hearing that Peter had been fired."

How about "at"? "He was appalled at hearing that Peter had been fired."

 

[~Mav~]

@Raymott

How about, "He was appalled at your/Peter's having been fired."? It sounds absolutely grammatical to me (and I can't help but like possessive forms with gerund :-D ), but I wonder how it sounds to an English ear. (Even if you deem it to be unnatural, maybe your being right doesn't necessarily mean my being wrong. :-D Would you use a sentence like this? :-o I promise NOT to stretch it any further.;-) )

 

[bhaisahab]

@Raymott

How about, "He was appalled at your/Peter's having been fired."? It sounds absolutely grammatical to me (and I can't help but like possessive forms with gerund :-D ), but I wonder how it sounds to an English ear. (Even if you deem it to be unnatural, maybe your being right doesn't necessarily mean my being wrong. :-D Would you use a sentence like this? :-o I promise NOT to stretch it any further.;-) )

"He was appalled at your having been fired" is grammatical but I would probably never use it. It's very formal and quite dated.

 

[~Mav~]

Thank you for your prompt reply, bhaisahab. :up:

 

[wandersonxs]

thanks folks.
It really helped me.

 

[riquecohen]

@Raymott

How about, "He was appalled at your/Peter's having been fired."? It sounds absolutely grammatical to me (and I can't help but like possessive forms with gerund :-D ), but I wonder how it sounds to an English ear. (Even if you deem it to be unnatural, maybe your being right doesn't necessarily mean my being wrong. :-D Would you use a sentence like this? :-o I promise NOT to stretch it any further.;-) )

I, too, like the possessive + -ing form. It is grammatically correct and I use it and frequently hear it when I'm in the US.