[Grammar] the property of the residents

[kadioguy]

You may be on the right track, but I don't think it's a hard and fast rule. She's an old girlfriend of mine definitely works. That's an old guitar of mine would not, I think, raise eyebrows. It's an old house of mine is more of a stretch.

That's true. However, I think that a possessive form of pronouns (e.g. mine) and a person's name (e.g. Tommy) are not in the same situation.

I mean,

1. Can't you throw out that old bike of Tommy? (X)

2. Can't you throw out that old bike of mine? (O)

Here, I referred to a person's name, not a possessive form of pronouns.

Here is my guess:

"Friend" and "Susi" are the same kind of thing (people), so the expression works. "Bike" and "Tommy" are not, so the expression doesn't work

------------

Replace "mine" with Tommy's and only the "girlfriend" sentence works.

Do you mean that the following two don't work?

That's an old guitar of Tommy's.

It's an old house of Tommy's.

But (k) works. Why? :-?

k. Can't you throw out that old bike of Tommy's?

 

[kadioguy]

Hello friends,
I'll make this discussion easier to understand for those who may be interested in it.

1.
kadioguy:

j. Can't you throw out that old bike of Tommy? (X)
h. I'm a friend of Susi. (O)

Here is my guess:
"Friend" and "Susi" are the same kind of thing (people), so the expression works. "Bike" and "Tommy" are not, so the expression doesn't work.

GoesStation:

You may be on the right track, but I don't think it's a hard and fast rule. She's an old girlfriend of mine definitely works. That's an old guitar of mine would not, I think, raise eyebrows. It's an old house of mine is more of a stretch.

kadioguy:

That's true. However, I think that a possessive form of pronouns (e.g. mine) and a person's name (e.g. Tommy) are not in the same situation.

I mean,
(1) Can't you throw out that old bike of Tommy? (X)
(2) Can't you throw out that old bike of mine? (O)

Here, I referred to a person's name, not a possessive form of pronouns.
-----------
2.
She's an old girlfriend of mine
That's an old guitar of mine
It's an old house of mine

GoesStation: Replace "mine" with Tommy's and only the "girlfriend" sentence works.


Does GoesStation mean that the following two don't work?

(3) That's an old guitar of Tommy's.
(4) It's an old house of Tommy's.

But (k) works. Why?

k. Can't you throw out that old bike of Tommy's?
=============
(Update)

I think that this thread is still a little mixed up, so I'll start up a simpler one. :roll:

Please reply Here. I have messaged a moderator to help me close this long thread.

 

[Tdol]

Closed by request of the OP.

Apparently, a less confused debate can go on here: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/threads/280394-That-s-an-old-guitar-of-Tommy-s