[Note to self: I should re-read the relevant chapter in my English grammar when I get back home. Meanwhile, I’ll look at the overview here.]
(Semantically, “ten minutes’ walk” still means ‘a ten-minute walk’ rather than ‘the ten-minute walk’, but your point in reply to shminux was about syntax not semantics anyway.)
(Semantically, “ten minutes’ walk” still means ‘a ten-minute walk’ rather than ‘the ten-minute walk’, but your point in reply to shminux was about syntax not semantics anyway.)
The “proof of synonymy” looks like this:
ten minutes’ walk = (the walk) of (ten minutes) = a (walk of ten minutes) = a ten-minute walk
...the second “equality” being where semantics is invoked.
(Except in constructs like “girls’ school” or “a ten minutes’ walk”.)
You’re right about “girls’ school”, but “a ten minutes’ walk” is wrong (should be “a ten-minute walk” or “ten minutes’ walk”).
Thanks. I myself am a non-native speaker.
[Note to self: I should re-read the relevant chapter in my English grammar when I get back home. Meanwhile, I’ll look at the overview here.]
(Semantically, “ten minutes’ walk” still means ‘a ten-minute walk’ rather than ‘the ten-minute walk’, but your point in reply to shminux was about syntax not semantics anyway.)
The “proof of synonymy” looks like this:
ten minutes’ walk = (the walk) of (ten minutes) = a (walk of ten minutes) = a ten-minute walk
...the second “equality” being where semantics is invoked.