es una vecina de

M

Missy Paige

New Member
USA
US-english
Can someone translate this phrase for me?

Alma CiFuentes es una vecina de Francisco.

It's from a DVD activity. Alma is introducing herself to a boy named Francisco. Thanks for your help.
 
    • Missy Paige said:
    Can someone translate this phrase for me?

    Alma CiFuentes es una vecina de Francisco.
    Click to expand...
    Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco's.

    Hope this helps.

    Saludos.
    Vicki
     
    I have a doubt, Vicki.

    In think the use of the apostrophe is like the second sentence, but it is the first time that I see the apostrophe like in your example.


    First.- Alma Cifuentes is a Francisco's neighbor.
    Second.- Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco.


    Vicki said:
    Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco's.

    Hope this helps.

    Saludos.
    Vicki
    Click to expand...
     
    el_novato said:
    I have a doubt, Vicki.

    In think the use of the apostrophe is like the second sentence, but it is the first time that I see the apostrophe like in your example.

    First.- Alma Cifuentes is a Francisco's neighbor.
    Second.- Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco.
    Click to expand...
    Lo que puse — Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco's — sí es correcto.

    Nunca se dice: Alma Cifuentes is a Francisco's neighbor.

    Sí se puede decir: Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco.
    Significa más o menos lo mismo que mi traducción, en la cual utilizé el "double possessive". Es idiomático, tiene aceptación y en realidad suena mejor que "...of Francisco". Encontré lo siguiente que lo explica bien:

    Double Possessives

    Do we say "a friend of my uncle" or "a friend of my uncle's"? In spite of the fact that "a friend of my uncle's" seems to overwork the notion of possessiveness, that is usually what we say and write. The double possessive construction is sometimes called the "post-genitive" or "of followed by a possessive case or an absolute possessive pronoun" (from the Oxford English Dictionary, which likes to show off). The double possessive has been around since the fifteenth century, and is widely accepted. It's extremely helpful, for instance, in distinguishing between "a picture of my father" (in which we see the old man) and "a picture of my father's" (which he owns). Native speakers will note how much more natural it is to say "He's a fan of hers" than "he's a fan of her."

    Generally, what follows the "of" in a double possessive will be definite and human, not otherwise, so we would say "a friend of my uncle's" but not "a friend of the museum's [museum, instead]." What precedes the "of" is usually indefinite (a friend, not the best friend), unless it's preceded by the demonstratives this or that, as in "this friend of my father's."

    Authority for the section on "double possessives": The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996. Used with the permission of Oxford University Press. Examples our own.​
    Espero que sea de ayuda.

    Saludos.
    Vicki
     
    Vicki
    Thanks for the explanation, I have problems with this, and problem with the use of preposition: for example at. For this reason I prefer write the sentence Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco. If you can helpme too with the prepositions, for example, sometimes I see the preposition "with" in the end of sentences and it is a problem for me, when I write (for read it is not problem).

    Thanks in advance.


    Vicki said:
    Lo que puse — Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco's — sí es correcto.

    Nunca se dice: Alma Cifuentes is a Francisco's neighbor.

    Sí se puede decir: Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco.
    Significa más o menos lo mismo que mi traducción, en la cual utilizé el "double possessive". Es idiomático, tiene aceptación y en realidad suena mejor que "...of Francisco". Encontré lo siguiente que lo explica bien:

    Double Possessives

    Do we say "a friend of my uncle" or "a friend of my uncle's"? In spite of the fact that "a friend of my uncle's" seems to overwork the notion of possessiveness, that is usually what we say and write. The double possessive construction is sometimes called the "post-genitive" or "of followed by a possessive case or an absolute possessive pronoun" (from the Oxford English Dictionary, which likes to show off). The double possessive has been around since the fifteenth century, and is widely accepted. It's extremely helpful, for instance, in distinguishing between "a picture of my father" (in which we see the old man) and "a picture of my father's" (which he owns). Native speakers will note how much more natural it is to say "He's a fan of hers" than "he's a fan of her."

    Generally, what follows the "of" in a double possessive will be definite and human, not otherwise, so we would say "a friend of my uncle's" but not "a friend of the museum's [museum, instead]." What precedes the "of" is usually indefinite (a friend, not the best friend), unless it's preceded by the demonstratives this or that, as in "this friend of my father's."

    Authority for the section on "double possessives": The New Fowler's Modern English Usage edited by R.W. Burchfield. Clarendon Press: Oxford, England. 1996. Used with the permission of Oxford University Press. Examples our own.​
    Espero que sea de ayuda.

    Saludos.
    Vicki
    Click to expand...
     
    el_novato said:
    Vicki
    Thanks for the explanation, I have problems with this, and problem with the use of preposition: for example at. For this reason I prefer write the sentence Alma Cifuentes is a neighbor of Francisco. If you can helpme too with the prepositions, for example, sometimes I see the preposition "with" in the end of sentences and it is a problem for me, when I write (for read it is not problem).

    Thanks in advance.
    Click to expand...

    This use of the apostrophe is correct and common. If you were to say "I am a neighbor of Francisco," you would sound foreign. It sounds better to use the posesive form of the word. "I am a neighbor of Francisco's" sounds better, although both ways are correct.

    As far as the sentences ending with a preposition, I believe this has been discussed in another thread. It is never correct and we all learn in elementary school that ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong, but that is contrary to how we actually speak. I don't know why that rule is taught! The only one I disagree with is at. It sounds very ignorant but...lot's of people use it.
    "Where's the store at? I want to buy some milk" This is wrong and sounds bad.
    "Where's the store?" is correct.

    "No one will be home. I don't know who you'll go with."
    This should be, "I don't know with whom you'll go", but unless you're an ancient English professor hidden in the library basement, no one talks like this.

    Is this what you mean in your question? More specific questions would help.
     
    Novato- If I were writing an important paper for business purposes or for a college course, I would pay attention to every grammar rule. I'm sorry to have misled you in thinking that English grammar rules don't matter. I forget sometimes that in order to know when to ignore a rule, you first must know that rule and how it is used. In other words, you learn the rule first, then you forget it!

    But, I have located information for you that is good news:
    from The Writer's Manual by Archibald C. Jordan, The Grammar and Mechanics of the English Language:
    "Some notes on syntax
    A. Ordinarily, a preposition stands before its object; however, a prepostion may stand at the end of a sentence when the object that it governs is expressed.
    examples:
    Whom are you looking for?
    Which pencil should I write with?

    I hope this clears things up.
     
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