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11-Nov-2008, 23:25
| | Senior Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Country: China
Posts: 768
Current Location: Fuzhou First Language: Chinese Member Type: Student or Learner | |  a/the friend of my father's who
He was a/the friend of my father's who had introduced him to my mother, years ago, in London.
Are both a and the fine for this sentence? Which is better? Any difference?
Could I ask native speakers to help me please? Thank you in advance.
Last edited by joham; 11-Nov-2008 at 23:27.
Reason: something added.
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11-Nov-2008, 23:29
|  | Key Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 2,332
Current Location: Jelenia Gora, Poland First Language: Polish Member Type: Other | |  Re: a/the friend of my father's who
Not a native but... Quote:
Originally Posted by joham  He was a/the friend of my father's who had introduced him to my mother, years ago, in London.
Are both a and the fine for this sentence? Which is better? Any difference?
Could I ask native speakers to help me please? Thank you in advance. | I reckon it was just one friend of your father's that introduced him to your mother. So it's the friend of my father's who...  | | The Following User Says Thank You to engee30 For This Useful Post: | |
12-Nov-2008, 02:32
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Country: canada
Posts: 2,371
Current Location: canada First Language: english Member Type: Other | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
Quote:
Originally Posted by joham He was a/the friend of my father's who had introduced him to my mother, years ago, in London.
Are both a and the fine for this sentence? Which is better? Any difference?
Could I ask native speakers to help me please? Thank you in advance. | 'friend of my fathe r' is correct, not "friend of my father 's".
'friend of my father's (boss)(neighbor)(cousin)' would be correct. | | The Following User Says Thank You to 2006 For This Useful Post: | |
12-Nov-2008, 03:17
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Jan 2008 Country: USA
Posts: 2,548
Current Location: Oakland County, Michigan First Language: American English Member Type: Academic | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
I'd prefer:
He was a friend of my father . . .
(meaning: a certain friend, a particular friend) | | The Following User Says Thank You to susiedqq For This Useful Post: | |
12-Nov-2008, 09:16
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 2,332
Current Location: Jelenia Gora, Poland First Language: Polish Member Type: Other | |  Re: a/the friend of my father's who
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006 'friend of my father' is correct, not "friend of my father's".
'friend of my father's (boss)(neighbor)(cousin)' would be correct. | What seems to be incorrect to some doesn't seem to me, 2006.  Believe it or not, the two are of equal correctness. | | The Following User Says Thank You to engee30 For This Useful Post: | |
12-Nov-2008, 09:44
| | VIP Member | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Country: UK
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Current Location: UK First Language: British English Member Type: Other | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
2006: 'friend of my father' is correct, not "friend of my father's
I don't agree. friend of my father's is correct Standard Brit. Eng.
Also, both 'a' and 'the' are possible.
"No, you're thinking of Paul, one of my cousins. That's John Smith. He was the friend of my father's who had introduced him to my mother, years ago, in London.
"He was a friend of my father's who had introduced him to my mother, years ago, in London. He died last year. This is the only photo of him we have." | | The Following User Says Thank You to David L. For This Useful Post: | |
13-Nov-2008, 00:41
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Country: canada
Posts: 2,371
Current Location: canada First Language: english Member Type: Other | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
Quote:
Originally Posted by David L. I don't agree. friend of my father's is correct Standard Brit. Eng.
" | That's interesting and strange, even illogical.
"friend of my father's" makes me want to ask, 'friend of your father's what? | | The Following User Says Thank You to 2006 For This Useful Post: | |
13-Nov-2008, 01:35
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Country: Poland
Posts: 2,332
Current Location: Jelenia Gora, Poland First Language: Polish Member Type: Other | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006 That's interesting and strange, even illogical.
"friend of my father's" makes me want to ask, 'friend of your father's what? | I'd say that friend of my father is stranger than friend of my father's.
The structure, friend of my father's, where my father's is the possessive noun, is correct; so is the structure, friend of mine, where mine is the possessive pronoun.
Since the structure, friend of my father, where my father is the object of the preposition of, is alright, then friend of me, where me is the object of the preposition of, should be alright as well; but it isn't!
That's why I think it's, so to speak, more 'correct' to say friend of my father's.  But of course the two versions are correct, friend of my father('s). | | The Following User Says Thank You to engee30 For This Useful Post: | |
13-Nov-2008, 03:39
| | Key Member | | Join Date: Apr 2007 Country: canada
Posts: 2,371
Current Location: canada First Language: english Member Type: Other | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
nonsense
a friend of your father's what?
Last edited by 2006; 13-Nov-2008 at 03:49.
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13-Nov-2008, 04:57
|  | VIP Member | | Join Date: Jun 2008 Country: Australia
Posts: 6,401
Current Location: Brisbane First Language: English Member Type: Academic | | Re: a/the friend of my father's who
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2006 nonsense
a friend of your father's what? | I don't know whose post you're referring to, but you could at least engage with the argument.
A friend of your father's acquaintance?
So, do you say "a friend of mine"?
A friend of my what?
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