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Gene93 Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

hanging

Hello,
Is it natural to say: "My mother's portrait is hanging over the fireplace"?
  

Top answer

Yes. A stickler might argue that you should say "a/the portrait of my mother" (I'm assuming that's what you mean), in order to avoid any quibble that "my mother's portrait" should mean "a portrait belong to my mother" rather than "a portrait depicting my mother". However, in your sentence the latter meaning would normally be assumed anyway.

— GPY

  • Yes.
  • A stickler might argue that you should say "a/the portrait of my mother" (I'm assuming that's what you mean), in order to avoid any quibble that "my mother's portrait" should mean "a portrait belong to my mother" rather than "a portrait depicting my mother".
  • However, in your sentence the latter meaning would normally be assumed anyway.
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4 Answers
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Yes. A stickler might argue that you should say "a/the portrait of my mother" (I'm assuming that's what you mean), in order to avoid any quibble that "my mother's portrait" should mean "a portrait belong to my mother" rather than "a portrait depicting my mother". However, in your sentence the latter meaning would normally be assumed anyway.
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I would probably always take it to mean "A portrait depicting my mother." On the other hand, the portrait might depict my mother, but it might not belong to her. It might belong to my father
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Gene93I realize it might be a little ambiguous, but is it unnatural?
No. Hence my original answer "Yes" to your question "Is it natural?"
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Okay, sorry GPY Emotion: smile. Thank you for your help.
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