Is it I can see "him running" or "his running"

Question

Often, we make errors about thus notation, but it's not that complex once you figure it out!

Answer 1

Both "I can see him running" and "I can see his running" are grammatically correct, but they convey slightly different meanings.

"I can see him running" implies that you are observing a person who is currently running. In this sentence, "him" is the object of the verb "see," and "running" is a present participle acting as a verb complement."I can see his running" suggests that you are observing someone's overall running or their act of running in general. In this sentence, "his" functions as a possessive pronoun modifying "running," which acts as a noun.

So, the choice between "him running" and "his running" depends on whether you want to emphasize the person who is running (him) or the act of running itself (his running).

Answer 2

What a great question! It sounds like a quick lesson in pronouns vs possessive adjectives is in order!

Pronouns are easiest understood by breaking them into four categories - let's call them buckets! Before diving into each bucket, let's remember that English is a tricky language full of exceptions to most rules...and this case is no different!

Remember that if your pronoun falls into bucket number three, we no longer consider it to be a pronoun, per se. The catchphrase "in bucket number three, no pronouns I see!" can be helpful for English language learners. To be clear, the words in bucket number three (my, your, his, her, their, our, its) are technically pronouns, but we are repurposing them for something entirely different! Read on for more information :)

Okay, let's understand each bucket:

Bucket 1: Subject Pronouns (I, You, He, She, They, We, It)

We use Subject Pronouns as the subject of the verb (before the verb). For example:

1. I live in California
2. You are a Wyzant community member.
3. We see clouds in the sky.
4. I can see his/him running. ***Note: we’ll dive into how to think about “his” vs. “him” a little bit later.

Bucket 2: Object Pronouns (Me, You, Him, Her, Them, Us, It)

We use Object Pronouns as the object of the verb (after the verb or preposition). Examples include:

1. I see you over there.
2. Can you help me?
3. We gave it to him last week. 
4. I can see him running. ***Note: in this case, we use “him” as the object of the verb “see” and “running” is just another verb, conjugated into the gerund form, which we use to follow a verb with another action. If you intend to use “running” as a verb (not a noun) then “him” is the correct choice!!

Bucket 3: Possessive Adjectives (My, Your, His, Her, Their, Our, Its)

We use Possessive Adjectives before a noun (they modify a noun). For example:

1. My dogs are friendly!
2. Her response was awesome!
3. Our dinner was delicious!
4. I can see his running. ***Note: in this case, “running” is now a noun and no longer a verb. As a native English speaker, when I read this, “his running” connotes the action or movement of a runner. As your sentence is now, it almost feels incomplete and would read better with a few words added, for example: “I can see his running technique has improved” or “I can see his running over the years on YouTube.” I hope that makes sense! 

Bucket 4: Possessive Pronouns

We use Possessive Pronouns to replace nouns while showing possession. Possessive Pronouns are never followed by a noun - here are some examples: 

1. That bike is mine!
2. The car is hers.
3. This home is ours.

In conclusion, English pronouns carry a ton of nuanced rules and without writing a book, it would be impossible to cover it all. Here’s hoping I’ve answered your question in a way that’s digestible! Of course, I’m happy to elaborate further if you or anyone else has additional questions. Cheers! 

Answer 3

Hi there,

The grammatically correct sentence would be "I can see him running." This is because "him" is the objective form of the pronoun “he," a pronoun used to refer to an individual who identifies as male, while the word “his” is the possessive form of the pronoun “he.”

While the word “his” is used to convey ownership, the word “him" is used as an object of a verb or of a preposition. Since running is not a possession, "his running" is correct. In addition, "him running" is correct because the word "him" is the object of the verb "see."

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like more examples of this notation.

Hope this helps!