0
Olgaa Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Possessive case
Could you explain to me the rule according to which we say smth is half an hour's walk from here. Why is possessive case used here? Can we say "two-hour drive from here" or it should be ''two hours' drive from here"? And which words can we use in such phrases: walk, drive and flight?
Top answer
Time nouns are just a special case of genitive use. If you like, you can think of it as: Half an hour's walk = a walk of half an hour Two days' drive = a drive of two days The mode of transportation is irrelevant (walk, drive, fly, sail, jog, etc)
- Time nouns are just a special case of genitive use.
- If you like, you can think of it as: Half an hour's walk = a walk of half an hour Two days' drive = a drive of two days The mode of transportation is irrelevant (walk, drive, fly, sail, jog, etc)
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
1 Answers
0
Time nouns are just a special case of genitive use. If you like, you can think of it as:
Half an hour's walk = a walk of half an hour
Two days' drive = a drive of two days
The mode of transportation is irrelevant (walk, drive, fly, sail, jog, etc)
Half an hour's walk = a walk of half an hour
Two days' drive = a drive of two days
The mode of transportation is irrelevant (walk, drive, fly, sail, jog, etc)
0
Related Questions