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Hans51 Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
Structure of 'that temper of Tom's'
He is a friend of Tom's
this book of Tom's
I have learned that this sentence means He is one of Tom's friends and the one of Tom's books and then I think that friends and books are omitted behind Tom's and it can be rewritten to He is a friend of Tom's friends, although friends is always omitted, right?
Anyhow it should be plural forms but here are some phrases I cannot understand clearly,
I cannot stand that temper of Tom's
This Last Supper of Da Vinci's
What can be omitted behind them each? Someone says this is not 'one of Tom's tempers' and not 'one of Da Vinci's Last Suppers' and it means 'that aspect of Tom's character', namely her temper and 'the instance of Da Vinci's work', namley the Last Supper.
However, I think that just characters and works are omitted like Tom's characters and Da Vinci's works or just the same words like a friend and friends in the first example can be possible?
The structure of this book of Tom's and this Last Supper of Da Vinci's is different and should we analyze them differently?
What do you native English speakers think? Thank you so much as usual in advance and I hope this question is clear to understand.
this book of Tom's
I have learned that this sentence means He is one of Tom's friends and the one of Tom's books and then I think that friends and books are omitted behind Tom's and it can be rewritten to He is a friend of Tom's friends, although friends is always omitted, right?
Anyhow it should be plural forms but here are some phrases I cannot understand clearly,
I cannot stand that temper of Tom's
This Last Supper of Da Vinci's
What can be omitted behind them each? Someone says this is not 'one of Tom's tempers' and not 'one of Da Vinci's Last Suppers' and it means 'that aspect of Tom's character', namely her temper and 'the instance of Da Vinci's work', namley the Last Supper.
However, I think that just characters and works are omitted like Tom's characters and Da Vinci's works or just the same words like a friend and friends in the first example can be possible?
The structure of this book of Tom's and this Last Supper of Da Vinci's is different and should we analyze them differently?
What do you native English speakers think? Thank you so much as usual in advance and I hope this question is clear to understand.
Top answer
Just as a native speaker, not as an expert on these sorts of structures, when I say or hear a possessive like Tom's, I process it the same way I would process "my/mine" or "your/yours". Your book: a book that belongs to you, or a book of yours Tom's book: a book that belongs to Tom, or a book of Tom's But I never feel like there's a silent piece I'm omitting, so for example if I were to say "a book of Tom's", I don't feel like I'm starting with "a book of Tom's books" and dropping "books" from the end. It's more as though I think "of Tom's" as more simply meaning "that which belongs to Tom" or "that which is associated with Tom", etc.
- Just as a native speaker, not as an expert on these sorts of structures, when I say or hear a possessive like Tom's, I process it the same way I would process "my/mine" or "your/yours".
- Your book: a book that belongs to you, or a book of yours Tom's book: a book that belongs to Tom, or a book of Tom's But I never feel like there's a silent piece I'm omitting, so for example if I were to say "a book of Tom's", I don't feel like I'm starting with "a book of Tom's books" and dropping "books" from the end.
- It's more as though I think "of Tom's" as more simply meaning "that which belongs to Tom" or "that which is associated with Tom", etc.
- " As far as whether we should analyze the structure of "this book of Tom's" and "this Last Supper of Da Vinci's" differently from your friend/book examples, I think it's just a matter of differentiating between different meanings of "of".
- Sometimes it refers to possession (this book of Tom's: this book that belongs to Tom) and sometimes it is more of an association (this Last Supper of Da Vinci's: this Last Supper that is a work created by Da Vinci) or a characteristic, as seen with the temper example.
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1 Answers
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Just as a native speaker, not as an expert on these sorts of structures, when I say or hear a possessive like Tom's, I process it the same way I would process "my/mine" or "your/yours".
Your book: a book that belongs to you, or a book of yours
Tom's book: a book that belongs to Tom, or a book of Tom's
But I never feel like there's a silent piece I'm omitting, so for exam
Your book: a book that belongs to you, or a book of yours
Tom's book: a book that belongs to Tom, or a book of Tom's
But I never feel like there's a silent piece I'm omitting, so for exam
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