Is there any difference between these two:
What is the title of the article?
What is the article's title?
What is the title of the article?
What is the article's title?
Difference between two forms
Yes, only the first one sounds right, but I don't know the rules governing this. Maybe some one else can explain.
The 's structure is used to talk about people, animals, ships, cities, countries; also in expressions with time and distance; also in some set expressions.
It is not used with inanimate nouns - "article" is one. So only #1 is correct.
It is not used with inanimate nouns - "article" is one. So only #1 is correct.
Been reading some discussions, and there seems to be a debate over the thing...
I mean what's the point of excluding inanimate nouns if you already include ships, cities, countries, cars, companies...?
Besides, does anybody here say "the logo of the company" instead of "the company's logo"? Sounds so redundant.
I mean what's the point of excluding inanimate nouns if you already include ships, cities, countries, cars, companies...?
Besides, does anybody here say "the logo of the company" instead of "the company's logo"? Sounds so redundant.
I don't know where H learned that rule. There's nothing wrong with using 's with inanimate objects. Is the Beatles song "A Hard Day's Night" incorrect English? Both forms are correct, as is "What is the article title?"
See this page for more information:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm
See this page for more information:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm
Evidently, it's a prescriptivist thing. Just there to make things harder. Unfortunately using the second form chopped off half a grade from my English exam. A instead of A+. That's so miserable.
<<The 's structure is used to talk about people, animals, ships, cities, countries; also in expressions with time and distance; also in some set expressions.
It is not used with inanimate nouns - "article" is one. So only #1 is correct. >>
Where did you hear this "rule" from? Genitive 's' can be appended to ANY English noun, regardless.
<<So only #1 is correct. >>
No, it's not. They are both correct, and I hear them both equally. Granted, the first is easier to say, probably because of the consonant clusters resulting from "articles title", but "book's title", "book's cover", "book's colour" etc are all very normal.
It is not used with inanimate nouns - "article" is one. So only #1 is correct. >>
Where did you hear this "rule" from? Genitive 's' can be appended to ANY English noun, regardless.
<<So only #1 is correct. >>
No, it's not. They are both correct, and I hear them both equally. Granted, the first is easier to say, probably because of the consonant clusters resulting from "articles title", but "book's title", "book's cover", "book's colour" etc are all very normal.
Both forms are completely 100% correct. I have never heard of any rule that would make #2 wrong.
<<Where did you hear this "rule" from? Genitive 's' can be appended to ANY English noun, regardless. >>
That's not entirely true. Words that already end in s generally take just an apostrophe (for instance, books', not books's). Pronouns do not take a possessive 's (although that is not an exception is one considers pronouns to be a category separate category from nouns). And so on.
That's not entirely true. Words that already end in s generally take just an apostrophe (for instance, books', not books's). Pronouns do not take a possessive 's (although that is not an exception is one considers pronouns to be a category separate category from nouns). And so on.
<Is the Beatles song "A Hard Day's Night" incorrect English? >
Please see my post again - <in expressions with time and distance>, e.g.
at a kilometre's distance, a month's holiday.
What I missed is the words "most other":
It is not used with most other inanimate nouns (besides those mentioned).
What is a rule? A generalization of usage. Any generalization is not entirely correct. The rule I mentioned may have more exceptions than an average one.
< Genitive 's' can be appended to ANY English noun, regardless. >
Tsk. Are "the car's door, the street's name" fine with you?
M.Swan:
This is a very complicated area of English grammar. [...] unfortunately there is no easy way to be quite sure which structure is used to express a particular compound idea. [...] in cases of doubt, a good dictionary will often show which form is correct.
Practical English Usage, p.360
Please see my post again - <in expressions with time and distance>, e.g.
at a kilometre's distance, a month's holiday.
What I missed is the words "most other":
It is not used with most other inanimate nouns (besides those mentioned).
What is a rule? A generalization of usage. Any generalization is not entirely correct. The rule I mentioned may have more exceptions than an average one.
< Genitive 's' can be appended to ANY English noun, regardless. >
Tsk. Are "the car's door, the street's name" fine with you?
M.Swan:
This is a very complicated area of English grammar. [...] unfortunately there is no easy way to be quite sure which structure is used to express a particular compound idea. [...] in cases of doubt, a good dictionary will often show which form is correct.
Practical English Usage, p.360
>>Tsk. Are "the car's door, the street's name" fine with you?
Those seem perfectly fine to me.
Those seem perfectly fine to me.
<<Tsk. Are "the car's door, the street's name" fine with you? >>
They would sound OK if they were the names of some songs that people had been saying since ages ago.
They would sound OK if they were the names of some songs that people had been saying since ages ago.
<Those seem perfectly fine to me. >
I'm inclined to follow Michael Swan's point of view, not yours, Thaddeus.
I'm inclined to follow Michael Swan's point of view, not yours, Thaddeus.
So peolpe would be happy with something like
'Meet me at the road's end' instead of 'Meet me at the end of the road'?
They are NOT interchangeable all the ime.
'Meet me at the road's end' instead of 'Meet me at the end of the road'?
They are NOT interchangeable all the ime.
What about
The house's roof
The plate's edge
The bed's bottom
While not utterly incorrect, they certainly aren't what most native speakers would say, and let's face it they sound downright awkward.
Meanwhile
'The car's door' again sounds awkward, but 'the car's engine' doesn't. 'The car door' is also fine.
Maybe it has something to do with being more descriptive, as opposed to a genuine possessive. I don't know.
But it's not straightforward by any means.
The house's roof
The plate's edge
The bed's bottom
While not utterly incorrect, they certainly aren't what most native speakers would say, and let's face it they sound downright awkward.
Meanwhile
'The car's door' again sounds awkward, but 'the car's engine' doesn't. 'The car door' is also fine.
Maybe it has something to do with being more descriptive, as opposed to a genuine possessive. I don't know.
But it's not straightforward by any means.