OF or noun+noun?

Question

Why in English they can say "the party members" but also "the members of the party"?
Why do they use the structure "NOUN + NOUN" by using a simple inversion of words (instead of the members' party with genitive), but also "NOUN + OF + NOUN"? Is it the same thing? for example the project realization is equal to say the realization of the project?

Sarahwinyod · Accepted Answer

I also have the same question

Anonymous · Answer

Any noun in English can be used as an adjective, with no inflection, simply by putting it in front of another noun (provided the context is right, however), so, for example, you can say: party member, member list, noun list, etc. But usually not: member party, list member, list noun, etc.

"Members of the party" is a genitive form, with "of the party" the genitive construction. Any noun in English can be used in a genitive construction like this (provided the context is right, however - note that this type of construction is more difficult to use in context), so, for example, you can say: member of the party, realization of the project, financing of the project, construction of the project, etc. But usually not: member of the list, noun of the list, list of the member, list of the noun, etc.

Another genitive construction is with an apostrophied noun that precedes another noun (but again, the context has to be right), for example: party's member, project's financing, project's construction, members' (note that this is a plural genitive construction) list, nouns' list, etc., where party's, project's, members', and nouns' are the genitive construction. But usually not: list's member, list's noun, member's (note that this is a singular genitive construction, which is awkward and usually not used in English like this) list, noun's list, etc. Party's member, party member, and member of the party mean the same thing, that is, the member belongs to the party.

Getting the context right when using the above constructions can be tricky for an adult learner, and you'll just have to learn the right usage by experience, a difficult task for a non-native speaker.

OF or noun+noun?

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