a/an + saxon genitive

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Anxiety

#358853 Tue, 01 May 07 11:43 PM

1. Can somebody explain me why I can write "a child is a God's gift" while "the dog was a Peter's gift" is wrong ?

Isn't "God" (if written with the capital letter) a proper noun as well?

2: Moreover, as for the undefined article before the saxone genitive, please what's the difference between:

"a cousin of Peter" (is it correct?)

"a cousin of Peter's" (does it mean: a cousin of Peter's cousins??)

"one of Peter's cousins" (a cousin among some of Peter's cousins??)

Thanx

Anxiety

Joined on Sun, Nov 19 2006

Italy

New Member (13)

Anxiety[/C] [size=3]If any errors in what I've just written, please tell me! TNX [/size3]

Articles, Capital letters, Difference between, Nouns, Genitives

Yankee

#358887 Wed, 02 May 07 01:48 AM

Hi Anxiety

I don't know that I've ever seen anyone write "a God's gift". I know I wouldn't. I'd write either "a god's gift" or, more likely, "God's gift":
He seems to believe he's God's gift to women.

As to your other sentences, they all mean the same thing to me (although it is perhaps clearest in your third sentence that Peter has more than one cousin): They all refer to 'Peter's cousin' (just one).

You might find this thread interesting:
http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionDoublePossessivesOther/cmcqp/Post.htm

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Senior Member (4,237)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Anxiety

#361608 Mon, 07 May 07 07:11 PM

Hi, Yankee and thank you for your !

Well, the fact is that before asking something here, I check it on the web. I found so many pages with that expression, I gave it for granted.... "Team USA needs a God's Gift to defeat Ghana" was one of the many examples I found on the web (... nothing personal!)

I've just checked it again and the pages that appear are not really reliable, actually... Next time I'll be more careful!

Bye, and thanx again

ps. the link you gave me is very interesting. It will take time to me to have a clear idea on the double genitive but I'm sure I'll work it out... someday!

Anxiety

Expressions, Genitives