Difference between “Do you mind closing the window?” and “Do you mind my closing the window?”?

What is the difference between

Do you mind closing the window?

Do you mind my closing the window?

Does the first sentence mean that the speaker asked the listener to close the window? Does the second sentence mean that the speaker asks whether he/she can close the window? Does the difference lie in that the action, «close the window», is done by different person?

Thank you very much!

2 Answers 2

In OP’s first example there’s an implied your (or you) after mind.

1: “Do you mind [your] closing the window?”
(or)
2: “Do you mind [you] closing the window?”

3: “Do you mind my closing the window?”
4: “Do you mind me closing the window?”

Note that 4 has becoming increasingly common over recent decades, particularly in BrE. Syntactically, everything after the word mind is a noun phrase. As a general principle, using the possessive form (my, your, his) in such contexts is «dated», but it survives more in «Do you mind [NP]» because it’s a relatively formal construction anyway (and people tend to stick to older forms in formal contexts).

Also note that we tend not to use mind in this sense unless it’s part of a question («Does your husband mind our/us meeting like this?») or a negation («I don’t mind your/you phoning so late at night»). That’s to say although «I mind your/you smoking while I’m eating» is grammatically «valid», most native speakers simply wouldn’t say it.

Let’s consider the more general context and introduce another syntactically similar verb.

5: I like ice-cream
6: I like your kissing me
7: I like you kissing me
8: I don’t mind your kissing me
9: I don’t mind you kissing me
10: He doesn’t mind our meeting like this
11: He doesn’t mind us meeting like this

I’ve included 5 there as a clearer example of a simple «noun phrase». Although currently most native speakers (particularly, AmE) still use possessive my in OP’s example (because semantically as well as grammatically, it’s a formal usage), they’re much more likely to use the accusative/object forms in 7/9/11 above, rather than 6/8/10.

In light of this ongoing shift away from the possessive in constructions of this general form, I think it’s probably more useful to interpret OP’s first sentence as a «cut-down» version of my example 2, and the second one as a slightly dated version of my example 4. You’ll still encounter the possessive in various contexts, but I don’t think you ever need to produce it yourself.

EDIT: In the interests of «balance», it’s well worth considering StoneyB’s answer to a very closely-related question, where the final «advice to learners» paragraph recommends using the possessive. I’m not going to disagree with that, provided you wish to master «formal» usage, and bearing in mind that it would be slightly «dated, odd» to use the possessive in informal contexts such as example 6 above.

Do you mind closing the windows

Замените придаточные предложения оборотами с герундием, поставив где требуется, соответствующий предлог:
1. Do you mind if I close the window?
2. The doctor insisted that I should stay at home.
3. Will you object if I smoke here?
4. There is a probability that he will be appointed chief engineer at our plant.
5. There is no chance that they will call on us tonight.
6. There is no possibility that we shall see him this week.
7. There is no hope that you will receive a letter from him soon.
8. We were informed that the ship had arrived at the port.
9. You will excuse me if I ask you again.
10. We insisted that he should come with us.
11. Would you mind if he came to your lecture?
12. I have heard that your son has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
13. There is no fear that I shall forget.

1. Do you mind my closing the window?
2. The doctor insisted on my staying at home.
3. Will you object to my smoking here?
4. There is a probability of his being appointed chief engineer at our plant.
5. There is no chance of their calling on us tonight.
6. There is no possibility of our seeing him this week.
7. There is no hope of your receiving a letter from him soon.
8. We were informed of the ship having arrived at the port (or: in port).
9. You will excuse my asking you again.
10. We insisted on his coming with us.
11. Would you mind his coming to your lecture?
12. I have heard of your son’s having been awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
13. There is no fear of my forgetting.

Would you mind opening/not closing the windows?

lotusfan

Senior Member

I did a test the other day, and was truely confused about it.Here it is:

It’s hot in the room, would you mind _______ the windows?
A. not closing B.opening

I would appreciate it if you could help.

Copyright

Senior Member

lotusfan

Senior Member

Bigote Blanco

Senior Member

lotusfan

Senior Member

A. not closing give me an implication that the other person is closing the windows, and «I» am asking him not to.

B. opening suggests that the windows are close, and «I» want to open them

lotusfan

Senior Member

e2efour

Senior Member

lotusfan

Senior Member

A. not closing
give me an implication that the other person is closing the windows, and «I» am asking him not to.

B. opening
suggests that the windows are close, and «I» want to open them

Am I right here?

Bigote Blanco

Senior Member

Copyright

Senior Member

It’s hot in the room, would you mind _______ the windows?
A. not closing B. opening

People who create these tests have a mental picture in mind when they phrase the question. In this case, the person is imagining the windows being either opened or closed. unfortunately, we don’t know which.

Both answers are correct: 1) depending on the windows (see below), 2) if the room is not air-conditioned, and 3) if the intent is to let a breeze in.

A is correct if the windows are open.
B is correct if the windows are closed.

If there is air-conditioning in the room, both answers are wrong because you don’t want the cool air to escape out the window. (I know it says it’s hot in the room, but maybe someone just turned on the air-conditioning and we’re are waiting for it to get up to speed.)

Another problem is that we need a semi-colon or dash in place of the comma in the original sentence, but that’s not part of the test.

Volde

New Member

This is a question about logic.
If it’s hot in a room, that would most likely mean that the windows CAN’T be open, since it wouldn’t be hot then. And even if it was hot in the room with windows open, then it really wouldn’t matter, because closing them won’t change that.

But to be honest, there is not only one right answer to this question. We don’t know anything about the circumstances.. If we were anywhere in a room located in africa for example, then opening the windows would probably make the room even hotter since warm air can get in.. assuming we are in a room located in alaska, then opening the windows would probably make the room colder due to the climate.

//Edit: I thought again. Both answers are right in this case. Though I can’t immagine anybody would say don’t close the windows if it’s hot already, because it’s pretty obvious nobody would close windows in a hot room.

would you mind closing the window

1 would mind

2 ♦ mind

3 would

(conditional) if you asked him he would do it — wenn du ihn fragtest, würde er es tun

if you had asked him he would have done it — wenn du ihn gefragt hättest, hätte er es getan

I thought you would want to know — ich dachte, du wüsstest es gerne or du würdest es gerne wissen

if I were you, I would. — wenn ich du wäre, würde ich.

you would think. — man sollte meinen.

(in indirect speech) she said she would come — sie sagte, sie würde kommen or sie käme

I said I would, so I will — ich habe gesagt, ich würde es tun und ich werde es auch tun

you would be the one to get hit — typisch, dass ausgerechnet du getroffen worden bist

you would think of that/say that, wouldn’t you! — von dir kann man ja nichts anderes erwarten

(insistence) I warned him, but he would do it — ich habe ihn gewarnt, aber er musste es ja unbedingt or um jeden Preis tun

he wouldn’t listen/behave — er wollte partout nicht zuhören/sich partout nicht benehmen

(conjecture) it would seem so — es sieht wohl so aus

you wouldn’t have a cigarette, would you? — Sie hätten nicht zufällig eine Zigarette?

try as he would —

the place where I would be (old, liter) would (that) it were not so! (old, liter) — der Ort, an dem ich sein möchte wenn das doch nur nicht wahr wäre!

would to God he would come —

would to God he hadn’t come — ich wünsche zu Gott, er wäre nicht gekommen

(in questions) would he come? — würde er vielleicht kommen?

(habit) he would paint it each year — er strich es jedes Jahr, er pflegte es jedes Jahr zu streichen (geh)

4 closing

5 потрудиться

потруд|иться — сов.
1. (поработать) do* some work, work;

2. (+ инф.;
счесть нужным) take* the trouble (+ to inf.) ;
он даже не

ился сообщить мне he didn`t even take the trouble to inform me;

итесь закрыть дверь! would you mind closing the door!

6 bondad

7 wonder

8 Permission

Can I speak to Mary, please? — Могу я поговорить с Мери?

Could I use your bicycle? — Можно мне воспользоваться твоим велосипедом?

Yes, you can borrow my bicycle — Да, ты можешь взять мой велосипед.

Children must not be left alone! — Нельзя оставлять детей без присмотра!

John says that we can stay at his house — Джон говорит, что мы можем остановиться у него.

He said I could/can take his umbrella — Он сказал, что я могу взять его зонт.

I was allowed to come in — Мне разрешили войти (здесь употребление could невозможно).

People were allowed to/could start small and medium-sized businesses — Людям было разрешено заниматься мелким и средним бизнесом.

We were not allowed to/couldn’t open that door. — Нам не разрешали открывать эту дверь / Нам не разрешили открыть эту дверь.

— Как предложить вещь, помощь или идею см. Offers and suggestions

9 would you mind taking off your hat?

10 would you be kind enough to/so kind as to open the window

11 would you mind ringing?

12 would you mind?

13 would not mind

14 would you mind something

Would you mind my smoking in here? — Вы не будете возражать, если я закурю?

15 would not mind

yes, I mind it — нет, я возражаю

16 window closing

17 would not mind

18 Are your hands clean? (pause) Would you mind turning my balls over?

19 I liked to look out of the side window and let my mind wander

20 I’m real blah! would you mind awfully if I just went home?

См. также в других словарях:

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