Part and whole
What is it a part or member of?
Betekenis
A part can be linked to the larger thing, group, or amount it belongs to. This lets us name a piece of an object, a group member, or a share of something. Languages use linking words, endings, or word order, and some have no special form just for this relation. Possession can use the same forms, but Part and whole describes membership or a piece of something rather than ownership.
Zo herken je het
Look for something presented as a piece, member, or portion of a larger thing, group, or amount.
In de taal die je leert
English often links a part to a whole with of, as in the end of the street. Body parts also commonly use a possessive form such as my hand, and some parts have names made from two nouns, such as table leg. One of names a member of a group, while half of and similar phrases name a portion.
The handle of the door is loose.
The part comes before of, and the whole comes after it.
One of my neighbors has a dog.
One selects a single member, but neighbors names the whole group and is plural.
I ate half of the apple.
Half of names a portion of one whole apple.
Learners whose language puts the whole before the part may reverse the order in an of phrase. Learners whose language uses a singular noun after a word meaning one of may write *one of my neighbor instead of one of my neighbors.