某字典解釋of跟所有格間的關係，提到說the cap of the child是錯誤的說法，應說the child's cap，那這樣到底the cap of the child真的是錯的嗎?還是說只是「在文法上」是錯的而已呢?感謝您！

I think this might be the difference between "direct" and "passive" voice, you can wait for Mr. Glotynn to give his comment on it.

Quote:

我不認為"the cap of the child"是錯誤的說法, 而只是不順口罷了. 其實, 歐系語言如法文、西班牙文、義大利文...等還是普遍採用of(de, du, des,...etc.)結構的, 在英文當然不能說是錯的. 不過, 英文中對有生命的個體有很方便的"所有格"用法, 便自然而然偏向使用('s)而說成"the child's cap"了. 尤其是當有兩個以上的of時, 使用所有格可避免多個繞口的of, 例如: car of a friend of mine, 可以說成a friend of mine's car, 少了一個of, 較為順口.

此外複合字的所有格, 對單數與複數的所有格又有不同的偏好:
e.g.
單數偏好說法: my brother-in-law's room
複數偏好說法: the rooms of my brothers-in-law
(只是偏好, 而兩種說法在單複數都是可以互用的.)

要注意的是, 所有格('s)未必是由有生命的個體所專用, 它也用於表示時間、度量等的無生命名詞, 例如:
today's newspaper
one dollar's worth
a hard day's night
an evening's entertainment

另外, 表直屬、擬人化的無生命名詞也適用:
the car's radio
the chair's legs
my heart's desire

Agree with Glotynn on "the child's cap" and "the cap of the child" are both correct.
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(more info)

There are 3 main ways in which we can put nouns together so that one modifies another, namely :-

a) "noun noun"
(e.g.- a bicycle factory; a book case; an oil well; a horse race)

b) "noun's noun"
(e.g.- my sister's car; the prisoner's complaint; cow's milk)

c) "noun preposition noun"
(e.g.- the top of the hill; a book on modern music; a feeling of diappointment)

[Unfortunately, the exact differences between the three structures are complicated and difficult to analyse --- this is one of the most difficult areas of English grammar. The so-called "rules" given in these areas only describe tendencies, and there are quite a number of exceptions.]

Some "rules":-
Take for example, we usually use the "noun noun" or the "of" structure when talking about parts of non-living things, as in :-
e.g. a table leg (NOT a table's leg)
e.g. the car door (NOT the car's door)
e.g. the roof of a house (NOT a house's roof)

AND, we are told by the "rules" that when referring to words like top, bottom, front, back, side, edge, inside, outside, beginning, end, middle, part, we have to use the "of" structure, as in :-
e.g. the top of the page (NOT the page's top)
e.g. the back of the bus (NOT the bus back)
e.g. the bottom of the glass (NOT the glass bottom)
e.g. the end of the film (NOT the film's end)
BUT, EXCEPTIONS do exist. They are :-
e.g. the water's edge
e.g. the seaside
e.g. the roadside
e.g. a mountain top

ANOTHER "rule" we are told is, when referring to one of the parts that an object consists of, we can sometimes use "'s" structure or a possessive determiner, as in :-
e.g. the car's engine
e.g. its doors

AND, if the part is considered to be a type of thing, we use a noun modifier, as in :-
e.g. the kitchen floor
e.g. a car door

(Note: Things are not that rigid nowadays; they do change as time goes by. We all need to have an ear to the ground to be aware of the changes yet keeping a clear mind on the past usual practice at the same time.)

HTH.

Wow, Mr. Glotynn and Miss Futari are masters in grammar, I need to take my hat off to them.

Hi, Juno, I'm no master but a good "summarizer" of the things I read.

Haha, Juno, I'm neither a master nor a good summarizer. I merely wrote what I understood, though incomplete.

Humility is what makes a person a master! Juno, good eyes!

對啊，二位PO的東西已經可以當作教材了!

To viceidol:
ha 對啊.
By the way,如果你其他朋友有英文問題,你可以告訴他們來這裏問喔!!