Saxon Genitive and Possession

When the second noun is the subject of the second noun, we use genitive:

• The volcano erupted: The volcano's eruption

• Islam arrived: Islam's arrival

• He fell in love with the milkman's daughter

It is used to express possession:

• Mary has a book: Mary's book

• This land belongs to bears: A bear's land

We use 'of' when we do not know who the subject of the action is:

• The expulsion of the Moorish

We also use 'of' when there is an equivalence relation (A = B):

• The reign of Spain

• The wide territory of Mexico

The preposition 'of' is also used when something contain something else:

• A cup of tea

• A packet of crisps

• A land of bears

• The chest of monsters

This kind of structures are used in the following cases:

• Type of/Kind of:

  • Mountain flowers

  • Water well

  • English work

  • My mother fishes river fish

• Part of:

  • Aristotle hair