When a transitive participle is converted into a noun, of must be inserted to govern the object following. “He was very exact in forming his sentences,” “He was very exact in the formation of his sentences.”
Omit the possessive
The possessive case should not be prefixed to a participle that is not taken in all respects as a noun. It should, therefore, be expunged in the following sentences: “By our offending others, we expose ourselves.” “She rewarded the boy for his studying so diligently.” “He errs in his giving the word a double construction.”
The possessives in such cases as the following should be avoided: “I have some recollection of his father’s being a judge.” “To prevent its being a dry detail of terms.” These sentences may be improved by recasting them. “I have some recollection that his father was a judge.” “To prevent it from being a dry detail of terms.”
When the noun or pronoun to which the participle relates is a passive subject, it should not have the possessive form; as, “The daily instances of men’s dying around us remind us of the brevity of human life.” “We do not speak of a monosyllable’s having a primary accent.” Change men’s to men, and monosyllable’s to monosyllable.
After verbs
Verbs do not govern participles. “I intend doing it,” “I remember meeting Longfellow,” and similar expressions should be changed by the substitution of the infinitive for the participle; as, “I intend to do it,” “I remember to have met Longfellow.”
After verbs signifying to persevere, to desist, the participle ending in ing is permitted; as, “So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them.”
Place
In the use of participles and of verbal nouns, the leading word in sense should always be made the leading word, and not the adjunct, in the construction.