of S1 W1 /əv, ə;
strong ɒv $ əv, ə
strong $ ɑːv/
preposition[
Language: Old English]
1. used to show what a part belongs to or comes from:
the back of the house the last scene of the movie the end of the day2. used to show who something or someone belongs to or has a connection with:
a friend of Mark’s Avocado salad is a favourite of mine. Product inspection is the responsibility of the employees themselves.3. used when talking about a feature or quality that something has:
the cost of the meal the beauty of the scenery the length of the swimming pool4. used to show what group one or more things or people belong to:
some of the students ‘Sunflowers’ is one of his best-known paintings. Two of the guests are vegetarian. a member of the baseball team5. used to show what type of substance or thing you are referring to, when talking about an amount:
two kilos of sugar millions of dollars a bar of chocolate6. used to say what something contains:
a cup of coffee several packets of cigarettes truckloads of refugees7. used to say what type of things or people are in a group:
a herd of elephants his circle of friends a bunch of bananas8. a) used to state specifically which thing of the general type mentioned you are referring to:
the city of New York the art of painting the problem of unemployment b) used to state specifically what a particular number, amount, age etc is:
at the age of 52 an increase of 3%9. used to talk about things produced by a famous or skilled writer, artist etc:
the plays of Shakespeare the paintings of Picasso the work of a great architect10. used to say what a story, some news etc is about, or what a picture, map etc shows:
a story of love and loss news of his arrest a photo of Elizabeth a map of Indonesia11. a) used after nouns that refer to actions, or to people who do something, in order to show who or what the action is done to:
the cancellation of the meeting the killing of innocent children supporters of the project b) used after nouns that refer to actions in order to show who or what does the action:
the ringing of the phone the arrival of a visitor12. used after some adjectives that describe feelings, to show who or what the feeling is directed towards:
He’s always been frightened of spiders. Most children want their parents to feel proud of them.13. used when referring to the day, moment etc when something happened:
the day of the accident the week of the festival I was at home at the time of the murder.14. used to say where something is in relation to a place or thing
north/south etc of something a historic seaside town 99 km south of Londonto the left/right of something To the left of the sofa is a table. I live within a mile of here.15. used to describe a person or thing by saying what their main qualities or features are:
Albright was seen as a woman of great determination. It’s an area of considerable historical interest.16. used to say what someone’s age is:
He has two children, a boy of 12 and a girl of 15.17. it is kind/stupid/careless etc of somebody (to do something) used to say that someone’s action shows a particular quality:
It was kind of you to remember my birthday.18. used to say where someone comes from:
the people of China Jesus of Nazareth19. used to show the country, organization, or group in which someone has a particular position:
King Philip II of Spain the secretary of the tennis club20. used in dates before the name of the month:
the 27th of July21. used to say when something happened:
the presidential election of 1825 one of the biggest upsets of recent years22. American English spoken used in giving the time, to mean ‘before’
Synonym : to British English:
It’s a quarter of seven (=6.45).23. used to show the cause of someone’s death:
He died of cancer.24. literary used to say what material has been used to make something:
a dress of pure silk25. of an evening/of a weekend etc British English in the evenings, at
weekends etc:
We often used to walk by the river of an evening.
GRAMMARTo refer to someone or something that belongs to or is connected with someone, it is usual to use
–'s or
–s’, not
of, with short noun phrases:
Dad’s car (NOT the car of Dad) a child’s bike (NOT the bike of a child) my sister’s boyfriend (NOT the boyfriend of my sister) the miners’ strike (NOT the strike of the miners)When referring to one of several people or things belonging to or connected with someone, or when using 'this’ or 'that', use
of mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs:
a friend of mine (NOT a friend of me) that car of yours (NOT that car of you)To talk about the person who sang, wrote, or painted a particular work, use
by, not
of:
a song by Mariah Carey (NOT of Mariah Carey) [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
ofpreposition1. 
BAD: The demonstration was attended by several hundreds of people.
GOOD: The demonstration was attended by several hundred people.
BAD: Over a thousand of people have died from the disease.
GOOD: Over a thousand people have died from the disease.
Usage Note:Using numbers Day, month, minute, mile, kilo etc are always SINGULAR when used (with a number) immediately before a noun: ‘a six-minute wait’, ‘a ten-second silence’, ‘a five-mile race’.
My travel agent had arranged a 6-day coach tour.
The company provides a three-month training course.
Compare: ‘We waited for thirty minutes: ‘We had a thirty-minute wait.’
When you say
100, 1000 etc , or write these numbers in words, use
a hundred, a thousand (WITH
a ):
The palace was build a thousand years ago.
Compare: ‘The palace was built 1000 years ago.’
For emphasis or to be exact, it is possible to use
one instead of
a :
I am one hundred percent against the idea.
After
a/one/five/twelve etc , the words
hundred, thousand, etc are always SINGULAR and are NOT followed by
of :
Five hundred children are born in the city every day.
More than three thousand people were there.
Similarly,
of is NOT used after
100, 250, 3000 etc: If you kill 200 whales a year, they will soon disappear.
Hundreds (of), thousands (of) etc are used only when you give a general idea of how many or how much: ‘There were hundreds of stars in the sky.’ ‘They’ve spent thousands (of pounds) on improvements to the house.’
Use
and between
hundred and the next number. (In American English,
and is often omitted, especially in formal styles.)
BrE The club has about a hundred and thirty members.
AmE The club has about a hundred (and) thirty members.
2. BAD: Arlon is one of the oldest towns of Belgium.
GOOD: Arlon is one of the oldest towns in Belgium.
BAD: We stayed in one of the most beautiful villages of Kent.
GOOD: We stayed in one of the most beautiful villages in Kent.
Usage Note:To refer to the country/region/area etc where something is or takes place, use
in (NOT
of ): 'the longest river in Brazil', 'the second largest city in Spain', 'one of the most picturesque spots in the whole of Tuscany'
3. BAD: I arrived in London on 25th of November.
GOOD: I arrived in London on 25th November.
Usage Note:You say 'the 25th of November' or 'November the 25th' but you write '25th November' or 'November 25th' (WITHOUT
the or
of ).
4. BAD: The old man didn't give me a minute of peace.
GOOD: The old man didn't give me a minute's peace.
Usage Note:When you say how long something lasts, you usually use
-'s/-s' (NOT
of ): 'a week's holiday', 'three months' maternity leave'
Note however the pattern with
of +
v-ing : 'After two months of doing nothing, I decided it was time to get on with my life.'
5. BAD: The bicycle of Paul was too big for me.
GOOD: Paul's bicycle was too big for me.
BAD: This coat isn't mine. It's of a friend.
GOOD: This coat isn't mine. It's a friend's.
Usage Note:To say that something belongs to or is connected with someone, use
-'s/-s' (NOT
of ). Compare: 'Pam's husband', 'Julia's house', 'her father's car', 'a beginners' course in French conversation'
6. BAD: He is a good friend of them.
GOOD: He is a good friend of theirs.
BAD: A friend of you phoned and wants you to call her.
GOOD: A friend of yours phoned and wants you to call her.
Usage Note:When the meaning is possessive, use
of +
mine/yours/his/ hers/ours/theirs . Compare:
'That's a photograph of him.' (= showing him)
'That's a photograph of his.' (= belonging to or taken by him)
7. BAD: The scenery reminded her of a painting of Renoir.
GOOD: The scenery reminded her of a painting by Renoir.
Usage Note:To introduce the person who wrote/painted/composed something, use
by : 'I'm reading a novel by Thomas Hardy.'
Compare: 'a painting of Renoir' (= a picture that someone painted of Renoir) 'a painting by Renoir' (= a picture that Renoir painted)
8. See 297
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲