There are three ways to express possession in English:
Las Alas de la Paloma =
- The Wings of a Dove
- Dove’s Wings (Genitivo Sajón)
- Dove Wings
Option 1. is generally more literary or poetic, OR for inanimate objects that by definition cannot be owners:
The Bridges of Madison County
The Scent of a Woman
The Art of War
The Dawn of Time
Option 2. is more conversational and more common. The possessor must have a personality (You can use this in a very wide sense):
David’s sister
A woman’s scent
My father’s car
The dog’s bone*
London’s tourist attractions**
Option 3. is when something is an intrinsic part of something inanimate OR does not specify possession in a real sense. This is effectively an adjective + noun structure:
The bathroom window
Desert skies
The car door
Madison County Bridges
London tourist attractions**
* = A dog is the possessor of the bone. If you need proof, try to take it from him (or her). The possessor does not have to be a person, but it must have ‘personality’. You can use this in a wide sense.
** = There is no direct line to divide one from another. I prefer “London’s tourist attractions”, although it doesn’t follow my explanation. It is an example of what I have written above (*)
Remember that with the ‘Genitivo Sajón’ (…’s) you should eliminate the article and start from the end:
La hermana del marido de mi amiga = The My friend’s husband’s sister.
Notice the difference between the plural and singular:
My brother‘s friends = Los amigos de mi hermano
My brothers’ friends = Los amigos de mis hermanos
This only applies when the plural has an ‘-s’ at the end. If not:
The children’s games = The childrens’ games
Choose: Incorrect (I), Possible (P) or Best Option (B)
1a. The friend of my parents.
1b. My parent’s friend.
1c. My parents’ friend.
2a. The main character of the film.
2b. The film main character.
2c. The film’s main character.
3a. The end of the street.
3b. The street’s end.
3c. The street end.
4a. The wall of the garden.
4b. The garden’s wall.
4c. The garden wall.
5a. The manager of the hotel.
5b. The hotel’s manager.
5c. The hotel manager.
6a. The feet of the sheep.
6b. The sheep’s feet.
6c. The sheeps’ feet.
7a. A fan of Arsenal.
7b. An Arsenal’s fan.
7c. An Arsenal fan.
8a. A glass of wine.
8b. A wine’s glass.
8c. A wine class.
Leave a Reply