4 more questions

[belly_ttt]

Thanks for having answered my questions. However, can we use the structure: What is the format of its?

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by belly_ttt

Thanks for having answered my questions. However, can we use the structure: What is the format of its?

No, because its is not a noun. What you can say is something like:

What is the format of the test?

[belly_ttt]

But, where is the pencil of mine? = Where is my picture?

[aggelos]

But, where is the pencil of mine? = Where is my picture? (picture = pencil??). Is this perhaps the same as the following, only somewhat modified by you? Otherwise, I'd have expected to see that pencil of mine instead of the.

the pencil of mine owne (=my own) conceiving (old English) (= the pencil that I conceived myself). Mine does not refer to pencil here, but to conceiving

I saw that friend of yours the other day = that guy who is your friend/one of your friends.

You use the above structure when you need to use a demonstrative pronoun, as it's impossible to use a demonstrative pronoun right before a possessive adjective (you can't say *this my book or *that my friend, for example).

[belly_ttt]

So how about it refering to the dog/ cat... We can say: A bone of the dog's, cannot we?

[aggelos]

No, I wouldn't advise you to say that. One of the dog's bones would be more acceptable. Better stil, you could use something along the lines of this example: The neighbour's dog stole a bone from our dog. A lot would depend on what you mean to say, though.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by belly_ttt

Thanks for having answered my questions.

Thank you for answering my questions.

Originally Posted by belly_ttt

However, can we use the structure: What is the format of its?

No. We cannot use the word its in place of a noun. For more on this subject, go here: http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...tml#post239702


~R

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by belly_ttt

So how about it referring to the dog/ cat? We can say: A bone of the dog's, cannot we?

We can say "a bone of the dog's," can't we?

Yes, but it's rather awkward and not very idiomatic.

http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/as...tml#post239702

[belly_ttt]

Ah, how about the last question?

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by belly_ttt

Ah, how about the last question?

I am not at all sure which one you are referring to. Maybe you could start a new thread?

~R