Get talking

[nyggus]

From Swan's book:
"One day I happened to get talking to a woman on a train, and she turned out to be a cousin of my mother's."
Two questions that I have:
1. Why "mother's" and not "mother"?
2. Would there be any difference if I use "I happened to talk to a woman" instead of "I happened to get talking to a woman"?

Many thanks,
Nyggus

[Buddhaheart]

1. This is the double possessive form: a possessive pronoun ‘mother’s’ & a prepositional phrase with ‘of (my mother’s)’. It’s used to mean one or part of a larger group. The cousin you met on the train is one of the few your mother has. If she has only one, you would say she turned out to be my mother’s cousin.

2. I think in this context ‘get talking to’ could mean ‘start talking to’. I happened to get talking to means I had the luck or fortune to start talking to. You may substitute "I happened to get talking to" with "I happened to talk to" with a very slight difference in meaning.

[nyggus]

Originally Posted by Buddhaheart

1. This is the double possessive form: a possessive pronoun ‘mother’s’ & a prepositional phrase with ‘of (my mother’s)’. It’s used to mean one or part of a larger group. The cousin you met on the train is one of the few your mother has. If she has only one, you would say she turned out to be my mother’s cousin.

Thanks, I think I get the point, though need to check it with you. Can I, then, say something like the following:
"This is a car of John's"? This would then mean, "this is one of the cars John has", which would imply John has more cars than just this one, the information that the sentence "This is John's car" does not, of course, carry. Am I right?

Thanks,
Nyggus

[Buddhaheart]

In general we use the possessive form with people more than things when we talk about possession. We don’t say "This is a car of John's;" we say "This is John's car." or "This is one of John’s (many) cars." or "This is one of the cars John has."

[nyggus]

Originally Posted by Buddhaheart

In general we use the possessive form with people more than things when we talk about possession. We don’t say "This is a car of John's;" we say "This is John's car." or "This is one of John’s (many) cars." or "This is one of the cars John has."

So it's good I checked it with you. So the sentence: "This is a colleague of John's" would be correct to mean "This is one of John's colleague", am I right?

[Soup]

Originally Posted by nyggus

So the sentence: "This is a colleague of John's" would be correct to mean "This is one of John's colleague", am I right?

Right. You can get a feel for the distinction in these:

a. This is a picture of John. <John is in the picture>
b. This is a picture of John's. <belonging to John's group of possessions>

c. This is a colleague of John. <same as d>
d. This is a colleague of John's. <belonging to John's group of colleagues>

[nyggus]

Originally Posted by Soup

Right. You can get a feel for the distinction in these:

a. This is a picture of John. <John is in the picture>
b. This is a picture of John's. <belonging to John's group of possessions>

c. This is a colleague of John. <same as d>
d. This is a colleague of John's. <belonging to John's group of colleagues>

Thanks. But what this group of possessions may include? Anything? This is not implied by the sentence (b) so it needs context, am I right?

[Soup]

In other words, b. John owns the picture. It belongs to him personally. The colleague, on the other hand, doesn't belong to him personally (see c. and d.).

[nyggus]

Originally Posted by Soup

In other words, b. John owns the picture. It belongs to him personally. The colleague, on the other hand, doesn't belong to him personally (see c. and d.).

Now I understand, thanks.

In addition, the sentence "This is John's picture" says John is in the picture, as (a) from your list, or that this picture belongs to John, as (b)?

[Soup]

Originally Posted by nyggus

In addition, the sentence "This is John's picture" says John is in the picture, as (a) from your list, or that this picture belongs to John, as (b)?

Both. The structure is ambiguous that way, but context will draw the meaning out:


A: Do you have any of John's pictures? <not of him>
B: Here's one. It's of the Alps. He took it when he was on holiday last year.

A: Do you have any of John's (school) pictures? <of him>
B: Here's one. This is a picture of him in grade 9.