's

[ripley]

Hello,
I'm sorry but it's the first time I discuss my doubts in a forum and so I have alot of questions to ask...
I know that in the construction with 's no article can precede the possessive case

a : "she' s a Frank's friend": it's incorrect and we should say "she's one of Frank's friends" or "she is a friend of Frank's"

So I presume I can't say: Have you ever been to an Eminem's concert?
Am I right? Should I saY : Have you ever been to a concert of( or by??) Eminem (or Eminem's??)
Why is the title of the Chaplin's film correct? "A dog's life"? ; as far as I know I couldn't use the article before the substantive dog.
Can somebody help me and correct my mistakes?
Thanks
Ripley

[Casiopea]

(a) She's a Frank's friend.

It's incorrect and we should say, "She's one of Frank's friends" or "She is a friend of Frank's."

Apostrohoe -s is a contraction. It represents the verb is, like this,

She is => She's

Note, the apostrophe (') stands for the missing vowel "i".

She's Frank's friend ~ She is Frank's friend. :D
She's one of Frank's friends ~ She is one of Frank's friends. :D
She's a Frank's friend ~ She is a Frank's friend. :(

The reason "a Frank's friend" is incorrect has to do with how articles function. The modify Common nouns. Note that, "Frank", a name of a person, is a Proper noun. :wink:

(b) Have you ever been to an Eminem's concert?
(c) Have you ever been to a concert of ( or by??) Eminem (or Eminem's?)

Try,

(b) Have you been to an Eminem concert? :D (a type of concert)
(c) Have you been to Eminem's concert? :D (name of a person/group)

In (b) "Eminem" functions as an adjective. It tells us what kind of concert, whereas in (c) "Eminem" functions as a Proper noun, the name of a person or a group.

(d) A dog's life :D (any "dog")
(e) The dog's life. :D (specfic "dog")

"dog" is not a Proper noun; however, "Spot", if it's the dog's name, is a Proper noun:

(f) A Spot's life :(
(g) The Spot's life :(
(h) Spot's life :D

All the best, :D

[ripley]

Thanks Casiopea,
I have one more doubt; If I use sentence b, do you interpret the sentence as if I was asking if you have ever been to a concert like that of Eminem; that is rap and hip hop concert, but not necessarily a concert made by Eminen?
And if I use sentence c, do you interpret that as if I was asking if you went to a specific concert by Eminem?
Can I say: Have you ever been to a concert of Eminem's?
Sorry I cannot understand what :) means;
If Spot is the proper noun of the dog, why can I say A Spot's life? according to your explanation I would presume I couldn't say so.
I a a little bit confused about the topic.
Thanks a lot.
Ripley


(b) Have you been to an Eminem concert? :D (a type of concert)
(c) Have you been to Eminem's concert? :D (name of a person/group)

In (b) "Eminem" functions as an adjective. It tells us what kind of concert, whereas in (c) "Eminem" functions as a Proper noun, the name of a person or a group.

(d) A dog's life :D (any "dog")
(e) The dog's life. :D (specfic "dog")

"dog" is not a Proper noun; however, "Spot", if it's the dog's name, is a Proper noun:

(f) A Spot's life :(
(g) The Spot's life :(
(h) Spot's life :D

All the best, :D[/quote]

[ripley]

Hello Cassiopea; sorry but at first i couldn't see the icons but only brackets and semicolon.....
Ripley

[Casiopea]

You're welcome. :D

I use the following emoticons this way:

:D means, OK
:( means, Not OK

(b) Have you been to an Eminem concert? (a type of concert)
(c) Have you been to Eminem's concert? (name of a person/group)


(b) means, Have you ever been to this kind of concert? (i.e., style)
(c) means, Have you been to a concert by the group called Eminem?

Have you ever been to a concert of Eminem's? :D
A Spot's life :(

"Spot" is the name of a living being, so "a" meaning any living thing, and "the" meaning, a specific living being are not used. That is, since "Spot" has a name, "a" meaning any living thing, is not used. Moreover, since "Spot" is already specific--It's the dog's name--"the" is not needed.