Q. The screen on my bank's ATM machine closes all transactions by telling me, "We appreciate you choosing (Bank XYZ)." Instinctively I feel that it should be "We appreciate your choosing (Bank XYZ)." Or is the bank, as always, right? — Curt Vazquez, Pittsburgh, Pa.

A. To quote the Monopoly card, "Bank Error in 'Your' Favor!" In this sentence, "choosing" could function either as a gerund (noun) or as a participle (adjective) modifying "you."

Now if the bank wants to emphasize that it appreciates you (the person who chose it), then, "We appreciate you choosing Bank XYZ" would be correct. In that sentence, "choosing" functions as an adjective modifying "you," so it doesn't need the possessive "your" preceding it.

But what the bank presumably wants to emphasize is that it appreciates your choosing it. Then, "We appreciate your choosing Bank XYZ" would be correct. In that sentence, "choosing" functions as a noun and thus needs the possessive "your" preceding it.

Your decision to treat a word ending in "-ing" as either a participle or a gerund can affect your meaning. Consider the subtle but important differences between these sentences:

"I object to you driving" (emphasizes you) versus "I object to your driving" (emphasizes the driving).

"I've seen him acting" (emphasizes him) versus "I've seen his acting" (emphasizes the acting).

"I don't like those kids bullying you" (you don't like the kids) versus "I don't like those kids' bullying you" (you don't like the bullying).

Q. Which is correctly used when the following is written?: "My son and his family are holed up (or is it 'hold up') at their aunt's house due to the snow storm in Colorado." — Larry McAdoo, Virginia Beach, Va.

A. When I first heard the phrase "holed up" as a kid, I wondered about it, too. Because this term was often used to describe fleeing bank robbers, I somehow associated it with "hold up."

To compound the confusion, people who are "holed up," that is, hiding out as if in a cave or hole, sometimes do so because of another kind of "hold up," that is, a delay, such as your son and his family experienced.

Interestingly, "holed up" is almost always used as a past participle ("they were holed up") and very rarely as an action verb ("I will hole up at my aunt's house").

And what does an aunt serve her fugitive nephew? Lam.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254