of mine/theirs etc

[apparrode]

I always see the "double genitive" being used for people.
e.g A friend/relative/cousin/classmate of mine called me today.

But can it be applied for "things", too?

e.g: Peter´s parents will lend me some cds of theirs?

- The students make many mistakes. Some mistakes of theirs are too elementar.

- The child lost a toy of his.

- My mother hates it when someone breaks a vase of hers.

- The burglars broke into our house and stole some jewels of ours.

etc.....

[RonBee]

Yes. All of those sentences are okay, albeit a bit unusual.

:)

[MikeNewYork]

I always see the "double genitive" being used for people.
e.g A friend/relative/cousin/classmate of mine called me today.

But can it be applied for "things", too?

e.g: Peter´s parents will lend me some cds of theirs?

- The students make many mistakes. Some mistakes of theirs are too elementar.

- The child lost a toy of his.

- My mother hates it when someone breaks a vase of hers.

- The burglars broke into our house and stole some jewels of ours.

etc.....

These constructions are OK, but many could be phrased better by rearranging the words: "some of their CDs", "some of their mistakes", etc.