necessity and not possession

[Andrew Patterson]

The grammar of possession and the wider idea of noun phrases is a minefield.
There are lots of different ways of expressing it:

noun+noun
five pound note
table leg

noun-noun hyphenated
table-cloth

noun-noun compound
tablecloth

plural noun-noun
lambs wool

plural noun-noun hyphenated
lambs-wool

plural noun-noun compound
lambswool

noun's noun
John's car
goat's cheese

plural noun' noun
children's choir

of
the history of France

You will notice that several expressions fit into more than one category. I'd like examples that only fit in one category if you've got them.

[metal56]

I wrote these in an unconscious, random fashion. Which ones would you say imply: a) possession in the concrete sense; b) possession in the abstract sense; c) obligation and/or compulsion and/or necessity; d) can/am able to; e) a combination of those factors (please state the combinations); f) neither of the above?



I have a right to be heard.
I have a job to do.
I have a nice coat.
I have a nice coat to wear.
I have a baby to feed.
I have a (my) baby to feed now.
I have a million things to say.
I have a mission to accomplish.
I have a test to do.
I have a marathon to win
I have a marathon to run.
I have a book to read.
I have a letter to write.
I have letter to mail.
I have bill to pay.
I have lover to keep happy.
I have a car to sell.
I have a mountain to climb.
I have money to burn.
I have you to thank.

[Andrew Patterson]

Which ones would you say imply: a) possession in the concrete sense; b) possession in the abstract sense; c) obligation and/or compulsion and/or necessity; d) can/am able to; e) a combination of those factors (please state the combinations); f) neither of the above?

I have a right to be heard. (b)
I have a job to do. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have a nice coat. (a)
I have a nice coat to wear. (e) -(a) & (d)
I have a baby to feed. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have a (my) baby to feed now. (e) - (a) & (c) It also has the idea of a responsibility.
I have a million things to say. (a) (f) (I would like to say a lot of things (not literally a million) but I am under no compulsion)
I have a mission to accomplish. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have a test to do. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have a marathon to win (a) (f) (it is my goal)
I have a marathon to run. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have a book to read. (e) - (a) & (c) or (d) (depending if for study/work or pleasure)
I have a letter to write. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have letter to mail. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have bill to pay. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have lover to keep happy. (e) - (a) & (c)
I have a car to sell. (a) (and would like to if I own it) or (a) (c) (if I'm a salesperson)
I have a mountain to climb. (a) (f) (it is my goal)
I have money to burn. (e) - (a) & (c) if I work for a mint; (a) and metaphorically (d) (although some have literally done so to prove a point. In most countries, it's illegal)
I have you to thank. (f) You helped me and thank you for that

[metal56]

Thanks for that, Andrew.

Here are couple more I've collected from other fora on which I, or colleagues, posted:

<<I wrote these in an unconscious, random fashion. Which ones would you say imply: a) possession in the concrete sense; b) possession in the abstract sense; c) obligation and/or compulsion and/or necessity; d) can/am able to; e) a combination of those factors (please state the combinations); f) neither of the above?






I have a right to be heard. - b - possession abstract
I have a job to do. - c - obligation or necessity - c- possession abstract
I have a nice coat. a - possession concrete
I have a nice coat to wear. - a possession concrete
I have a baby to feed. - c - obligation
I have a (my) baby to feed now. c - obligation - a - possession
I have a million things to say. b - possession abstract
I have a mission to accomplish. - c - obligation or necessity
I have a test to do. - c - obligation or necessity
I have a marathon to win - c - compulsion - desire and hope expressed with confidence
I have a marathon to run. c - compulsion
I have a book to read. c - compulsion - possibly obligation depending on the circumstance - talk show host is interviewing an author - obligation
I have a letter to write. - c - obligation and necessity
I have letter to mail. - c - obligation and necessity a - possession
I have bill to pay. c - obligation and necessity - a possession
I have lover to keep happy. c - obligation and necessity - a - possession
I have a car to sell. c - obligation, necessity, and compulsion - a - possibly possession depending on the circumstance - car salesman - not his car - owner of the car lot - the owner's car
I have a mountain to climb. - c - compulsion d - possibly "able to" and "can" - desire and hope expressed with confidence - It could be an announcement at the outset or sometime before the speaker actually climbs the mountain.
I have money to burn. a - possession c - possibly compulsion depending the mindset of the speaker
I have you to thank. - c) obligation and/or compulsion and/or necessity; d) can/am able to>>

[metal56]

From another forum:

<<I have a right to be heard. - B
I have a job to do. - C
I have a nice coat. - A
I have a nice coat to wear. - A
I have a baby to feed. - C
I have a (my) baby to feed now. - C
I have a million things to say. - B and D
I have a mission to accomplish. - C
I have a test to do. - C
I have a marathon to win - D
I have a marathon to run. - C or D
I have a book to read. - C or D depending on context
I have a letter to write. - C
I have letter to mail. - C
I have bill to pay. - C
I have lover to keep happy. - C
I have a car to sell. - C or D depending on context
I have a mountain to climb. - C or D
I have money to burn. - A, B C, or D
I have you to thank. - B or D>>