Well, I know that I can colloquially say:
It has nothing to do with you being poor
The whole bolded phrase acts as a noun or gerund. Can I apply the rule so that the phrase acts as an object of a verb?
Don't let you being tired affect your enthusiasm
That led to him breaking up with her
Can I use it as subject as well?
You standing here doesn't mean that you are the criminal.
Are these type of sentences confusing? or is it commonly used and well-understood? I'd like the answer to be according to the colloquial American accent.
Answer
You might use the genitive/possessive rather than the accusative/objective; that's a matter of preference, though. "Me being poor"/"my being poor", "him breaking up with her"/"his breaking up with her". Which is more natural will depend on dialect.
These are all examples of a gerund phrase. In such cases, the -ing form of a verb is called the gerund. Gerunds are often used on their own as nouns - "running is good for you". In that case, while they are still a form of verb, they function as a noun on their own, and have neither subject nor object. However, in a gerund phrase they can have subject, object, or both - and thus the gerund's nature as a verb is clearer, but the whole phrase acts as a noun in the same way that a gerund might on its own. It is certainly widely understood, and indeed widely used.
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