fused participle

The great grammarian Henry Fowler coined the term fused participle. The structure consists of a noun or pronoun followed by a present participle, that is, an ‑ing verb. The entire unit (noun or pronoun plus ‑ing verb) then enters the sentence and performs the function of a noun. Fowler decried the use of these structures, but they show up in the writing of good writers. The section on Verbs in Parts of Speech on Grammar.com discusses fused participles, and we urge you to study it. Click here for the beginning of that discussion.

Here's an example of a fused participle, using a pronoun and an ‑ing verb.

He hid the jewels without anyone knowing that he stole them.