The Spanish language is very fond of the word de. This two-letter word appears everywhere. So what happens? When you talk or write in English, of pops up all over the place, and it drives me crazy! You see, in English, we’re not so enthusiastic about of as you guys are. So, I’m going to teach you a few alternatives.
1) One alternative is using the genitive ( ‘s ) to show possession. This is especially true when we talk about things that belong[1] to people. For example,
instead of[2] saying… the apple of Adam,
say… Adam’s apple.[3]
2) You should replace of with from when you say where something or someone comes from, or where they originate. For example,
instead of saying… She’s of China.
say… She’s from China.
3) Another good alternative is to use adjectives. Nouns can often be used as adjectives.
For example,
For example,
instead of saying… keys of car
say… car keys
When you put two nouns together like this, you create what is called a compound noun. But beware[4]! Sometimes, a compound noun can have a totally different meaning from its two noun roots[5]. For example, a soap opera[6] is not an opera about soap BUT a television series about people’s turbulent love lives.
Using alternatives for of might seem insignificant, but it’s these little things that allow your English-speaking audience to understand you better.
[1] pertenecen, [2] en lugar de, [3] también conocido como nuez, [4] tener cuidado, [5] origen, [6] culebrón
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