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Semantics and syntax of the to possessive in English

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Robert L. Chapman
Affiliation:
Drew University, Maddison, New Jersey, U.S.A.

Extract

The to possessive may be defined as that phrasal possessive construction using to which interchanges with either an inflected possessive or an of possessive or both, and with a sentence using a form of the verb have. For example:

(1) father to the bride (to possessive, henceforth to-Poss)

(2) bride's father (inflected possessive, henceforth gen-Poss)

(3) father of the bride (of possessive, henceforth of-Poss)

(4) the bride has this father.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

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References

REFERENCES

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