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Heidi
The name of my dog, my dog's name, both ok?
Both are common, right?
Thank you for help!!I'm wondering about the use of 's and of to indicate ownership. It's said those which are alive can use both, while things not alive use of. For exaplem, the door of the classroom. We cannot say classoom's door.
Oct 7, 2015 12:34 PM
Answers · 11
1
And just to respond to your additional comments:
It's not true that the genitive 's' is only for things that are alive.
It's common to use this form with many other nouns, especially those that have 'names', for example countries, cities, companies, months.
China's trade policy
London's theatres
VW's mistake
July's weather
There are also many other common phrases where the 's' is used with inanimate nouns, for example 'his life's work', 'a day's pay'. You can also say 'the book's cover' and 'the car's speed', for example.
October 7, 2015
1
Hello again Helen,
It is normal to use the 's for possessives - 'My dog's name' is far more natural than the name of my dog. (Although both of your sentences are correct!) I would also say 'the classroom door' - classroom here is an adjective to describe the noun 'door'.
Hope this helps
Bob
October 7, 2015
1
Yes, both OK and both common.
In a statement such as 'My dog's name is Snowy', it would be more common to use the genitive 's'. It's not wrong is to say 'The name of my dog is..', but it's less usual.
In a question, such as 'What is your dog's name?'or 'What is the name of your dog?', either form is common. Often the 'of'' form is clearer.
If the noun phrase is very short, we can use either form. If the noun phrase is long, we use the 'of' form. For example,
'I can't remember the name of the dog that was in my favourite comedy sitcom when I was a child.'
Obviously, it would be very odd to try to use the genitive 's' after such a lengthy phrase. We have two forms for flexibility - some sentences are better with the 's' construction, some with the 'of' construction.
October 7, 2015
Thank you, John!!
October 7, 2015
no its not just for living things and yes you can say the calssroom's door
October 7, 2015
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Heidi
Language Skills
Chinese (Mandarin), English
Learning Language
English
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