2012 – english lab milano - università bicocca - english lab - g canepa1

2012 – ENGLISH LAB2012 – ENGLISH LAB

Milano - Università Bicocca - English Lab - G Canepa 1

TODAY’S MENUTODAY’S MENU

• POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES / PRONOUNS

• POSSESSIVES

• PAST SIMPLE USAGE (see book)

• PRESENT TENSES FORMS (see book)


POSSESSIVESPOSSESSIVES


English can demonstrate the link between two nouns by using possessive forms expressed by

• (i) the so-called Saxon Genitive or ‘s form

• (ii) the preposition of

• (iii) compound nouns

Sometimes all the three forms are possible. Sometimes one form is more likely than another.

‘‘s Form s Form vsvs of Formof Form

Milano - Università Bicocca - English Lab - G Canepa4

‘s form is normally used referring to ownership and possession,

people and animals, personal and professional relationships, or

the origin of something in a country or organisation

Pig’s liver is full of iron and vitaminsStan’s secretary is not even computer literateWales’ natural beauty is on a par with Cornwall’s

My professor’s wife is my neighbour’s sister

‘‘s Form s Form vsvs of Formof Form

In examples relating to country and organisations, i.e. things which are inanimate,

both ‘s form and of form are often possible

The policy of the company / The company’s policy is to recruit staff from all EU countries Italy’s history / The history of Italy illustrates the importance of Art in the cultural development of a country


‘‘s Form s Form vsvs Compound Nouns 1Compound Nouns 1


Certain ideas relating to time require the ‘s form but compound

nouns are sometimes also possible

New Year’s Day fell on a Sunday in 2006

There was twenty minutes’ delay before the lesson could start /

A ten-minute delay was acceptable

Our university is half an hour‘s drive from where we live /

It took them a seven-hour drive to reach their holiday seaside resort


Nouns concerning special days other than December 31st are

formed with compound nouns

Christmas Day

Boxing Day

Good Friday

Easter Day

Bank Holiday Monday



When referring to a specific date the of structure is

used

The news was reported in Education Today

of 16 September 2005

Several students suffered from severe diseases

after the earthquake of 1989


Compound NounsCompound Nouns


Compound nouns are useful in newspaper headlines, in reports, and in the scientific language for

the reason of conciseness

Food production

World Health Organization

Disease control

Research team

In this noun + noun structure the first noun functions as an adjective and is almost always given in

the singular form

Noun + Noun structureNoun + Noun structure


The noun + noun structure is commonly used for expressions which

specify certain kind of things

Return ticket / season ticket

geography / history / maths book

science fiction

gold / silver / bronze medal

theatre ticket

milk chocolate

Adjective + Noun structureAdjective + Noun structure


However there are a number of exceptions where adjective + noun rather than noun + noun is used to describe well-known classifications

Monthly / Weekly ticket or paper

Musical instrument

Personal computer

General knowledge

Natural history museum

Higher education

2012 – english lab milano - università bicocca - english lab - g canepa1

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