Ambiguity with Genitives

Genitives occur in various forms. They are determiners (her desk), proper nouns (John's car) and full noun phrases (the child's toy). Many examples of ambiguity are possible with genitives. Let us look at a few examples.

The sentence Erik's new novel is on the table is ambiguous. Did Erik write the novel or is the novel one which Erik wrote? Is it a novel which Erik wrote and is owned by another person? Is it a novel which Erik wrote and which Erik owns? The answer of course depends on the context of the real world.

Jane heard about Margaret's betrayal is also ambiguous. If Margaret betrayed someone, this is a subject genitive. However, if someone betrayed Margaret, this is an object genitive. The sentence can be disambiguated if more information can be added. The following sentences are clear:

Jane heard about Margaret's betrayal of her younger sister.
Jane heard about Margaret's betrayal by her boss.

The sentence I love Peter' s photograph is also ambiguous. The genitive may be possessive (Peter owns the photograph), a subject genitive (Peter took the photograph) or an object genitive (Someone photographed Peter). Context of the real word is needed to make the meaning clear.

Genitive constructions are very common. In addition to possessive genitives, subject and object genitives are also common. Many examples of ambiguity can be found in genitive constructions.