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Right: In copying the exercise, I made a mistake.

Exercise 52

In the following sentences, choose the proper form of the substantive from those italicized:

  1. He spoke of John John's coming down.
  2. The idea of his him singing is absurd.
  3. Do you remember me my speaking about it?
  4. What is the use of you your reading that?
  5. He his him being arrested was a sufficient disgrace.
  6. He him his being now of age, sold the farm.
  7. He him his selling it was very unexpected.
  8. You should have heard him his telling the story.
  9. You should have heard his him telling of the story.
  10. To think of them they their having been seen there!
  11. What is the object of Mary Mary's studying French?
  12. It its being John was a great surprise.
  13. What is the use of them they their talking so much?
  14. John John's going to school takes all his evenings.
  15. The beauty of James James's writing got him the position.
  16. He had heard about me my coming to-day.
  17. John John's coming was a surprise.

Exercise 53

Wherever participles or gerunds are improperly used in the following sentences, correct the sentences so as to avoid such impropriety. See §107 for rule as to punctuation:

  1. Having assented to your plan, you try to hold me responsible.
  2. He asked him to make the plans, owing to the need of an experienced architect.
  3. It was decided to send his son abroad being anxious for his health.
  4. On hearing that, a new plan was made.
  5. Moving slowly past our window, we saw a great load of lumber.
  6. Intending to go to the theater, the whole afternoon was spent in town.
  7. He was taken into the firm, thus gaining an increased income.
  8. Not having the lesson prepared, he told John to stay after class.
  9. No letter was written for more than a week, causing considerable anxiety.
  10. Expecting us to come, we disappointed him.
  11. After telling me the story, I left him.
  12. By reading aloud to the class, they do not gain much.
  13. He had to wait several hours for the train, thus causing him to lose a great deal of valuable time.
  14. After listening to his lecture for an hour he became tiresome.
  15. We listened attentively to his lecture, thus showing our interest.

72. Infinitives. The Infinitives are formed by the word to and some part of the verb or of the verb and auxiliary. For see and play as model verbs, the infinitives are as follows:

PRESENT ACTIVEPRESENT PASSIVE
to seeto be seen
to playto be played
PRESENT PERFECT ACTIVEPRESENT PERFECT PASSIVE
to have seento have been seen
to have playedto have been played

The word to is frequently omitted. In general, other verbs follow the same endings and forms as do the infinitives above.