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Guyper Posted 17 years ago
Grammar

Using possessive

Is it true that when it comes to inanimate objects, it is wrong to use " 's " and should always be "of" structure instead?

1."The door of the car"

2."The screen of the monitor"

If so, is the rule also applied to informal conversation?

Thank you
  

Top answer

Guyper Is it true that when it comes to inanimate objects, it is wrong to use " 's " and should always be "of" structure instead? No. The car's door.

— RayH

  • Guyper Is it true that when it comes to inanimate objects, it is wrong to use " 's " and should always be "of" structure instead?
  • No.
  • The car's door.
  • The monitor's screen.
  • " And for your convenience here is the author's summary from that blog: Summary: In the case of inanimate possessors using ’s, there’s historical usage of such phrases, there’re modern attestations, there’re idioms with it.
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4 Answers
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GuyperIs it true that when it comes to inanimate objects, it is wrong to use " 's " and should always be "of" structure instead?
No.
The car's door.
The monitor's screen.

Here is a link to a
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Guyperwhen it comes to inanimate objects, it is wrong to use " 's "
Not wrong perhaps, but not always idiomatic, so I think it's best to avoid the 's in those cases. In informal conversation the compound noun form seems to me to be much more frequently used.

the car door
the monitor screen
the desk drawer
the piano stool
the ki
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CalifJimI would not use the 's in any of those listed above. Nor would I use the "of" construction.

That's an instructive point, Jim! The genitive is used far more frequently in some languages than it is in English. As a result, some nonnative speakers tend to go for the genitive even in English when there is no need for it. My native languag
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Cool Breeze if I applied Finnish grammar to English.
I promise never to apply English's grammar to Finnish.
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