In Genitives^x

Before this thread goes on too long, I wanted to point out that a noun ending in -ing, that comes from a verb, is a "gerund," not a "genitive."

Thank you, Eimai_Anglos. Are you saying a genitive cannot be made a countable noun or used as a countable noun? I think a guru has delivered expert advice on that aspect of grammar and I think it has been said a construction like "a shaking of a ground" means "an instance of shaking of a...

The phrase is incorrect. It should be either: "A barking dog need not be heeded" or "The barking of a dog need not be heeded". Barking can not be made plural. "Barkings" is not an English word. (Like "informations" is also not English). Your alternative phrases are perfectly acceptable. In...

Hi, I think it has been noted in this forum that a genitive (I think it means a noun that has or is from a verbal root) can be (made it to be) a countable noun, possibly like this "a barking of a dog need not be heeded." Here, a barking can be said to be an instance of barking. 1. Why has the...

would you say "John calling" is a noun phrase almost identical to "his calling" where "calling" is a genitive functioning as a noun?No. There is nothing genitive going on here. It's (among other things) a Whiz-Deletion. That will be John who is calling. So calling is part of the verb...

Hi, CalifJim. Thank you. As to your sentence, "That will be John calling upon hearing the phone ring," would you say "John calling" is a noun phrase almost identical to "his calling" where "calling" is a genitive functioning as a noun? And in the phrase "hearing the phone ring," would you say...

From The Elements of Style:Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write, Charles's friend Burns's poems the witch's malice Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names ending in -es and -is, the possessive...

All right. Now, I see . Thank you very much , Clive! Best wishes, Andreas

Hi, Thanks for your answer. But I have to confess that I'm too confused about it now, once I always heard: " the boy's mother" or the "students' school" for example. So could you please, explain me the reason why for 'the husband of the actress' , I have to write = the actress's husband , and...

Thanks for your reply, Loojka! Best wishes, Andreas