genitive as a noun -- long question

Believer — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:29:26 GMT

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 person who supposely has written the sentence "a barking of a dog need not be heeded" didn't write it as "A dog bark need not be heeded" or "A dog's barking need not be heeded" eventhough the last one is similar to the first and original one?

2. Why don't I see instances where the plural word "barkings" is used when "barking" can be used as a countable noun? Should I judge its relative acceptance and relative level of usage based on how many times and how frequently I encounter the word in my daily communicative situations (that is in written form as well as in verbal form?)

3, It is my presumption that not all genitives can be readily accepted as a noun, nor its plural form welcomed wholeheartly by some quarters of grammar (linguistic??) academians, but like a fad it can be accepted and be in fashion, so to speak, in due time or as the circumstances allow (like when many people start to use routinely); thus, it should be used circumspectively, being aware of the fact that the act of using a genitive isn't done often. Do you agree or is the logical base of my assumption shaky?

4. In the case of the "reading" in a phrase "a reading", should we resort to looking at the content of the (whole?) writing to determine whether it is being used as "an instance of reading" (that is the act or activity of reading) or a reading, which normally means "an event of reading in front of an audience"?

Note: I am trying to invite more confusion into the matter but to satisfy my curiosity on the matter.

I think this kind of thing can be said to apply similarly to the content in quotation marks. Can it also apply to a parenthetical content? If it can be applied to a parenthetical content, as well as a forementioned content in quotation marks and a genitive, then can you tell me how it can be done for the parenthetical content (I think when you say "a perenthetical content", you are making a reference to some content in parentheses like what I am using to write this parenthetical content)?

Re: apostrophes; business', businesses (Guest:Cas)

Woodward — Thu, 31 Jul 2003 03:30:33 GMT

Businesses is correct. It is the plural of Business.

The apostrophe is used to show that something belongs to something else (It's called the Genitive case). Normally (though not always) the apostrophe or apostrophe + s are followed by a noun.
e.g. The dog's bones = the bones that the dog has...one dog.
the dogs' bones = the bones that the dogs have.....more than one dog...plural.
When a plural word ends in S, that is when we only put the apostrophe alone.
e.g. my parents' car

Search results for 'tag:Plural words tag:Genitives' matching tags 'Plural words' and 'Genitives'

genitive as a noun -- long question

Re: apostrophes; business', businesses (Guest:Cas)