Help with question

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secondtime
Posts: 138
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 3:53 pm

Help with question

Post by secondtime »

Question:

Birmingham is in the centre of England.

Could someone tell me what the word 'centre' is? I am wavering between 'noun' and 'preposition'.
Aargh - its times like this when I question my schooling!
leanmeamum
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Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:14 pm

Re: Help with question

Post by leanmeamum »

it's a preposition
ginx
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: Help with question

Post by ginx »

Hoping there's no grammar in it ...
bondgirl
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Re: Help with question

Post by bondgirl »

Beg to differ - "centre" is a noun :D
Long Journey
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Re: Help with question

Post by Long Journey »

I'd say noun too.
daveg
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Re: Help with question

Post by daveg »

It's a noun. It's just that we're so used to seeing possessives done with apostrophes we're brought up short when they're spelt out in full. "Birmingham is in England's centre" makes it more obvious. It's also slightly confusing that it's a noun which looks a bit adjective-y. But few would doubt that "Docklands" is a noun in "Canary Wharf is in London's Docklands", would they? Expand out the possessive, and there you are.
leanmeamum
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Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:14 pm

Re: Help with question

Post by leanmeamum »

I still think it's used as a preposition in this sentence - 'centre' states the
position of/relation between Birmingham and England.

It is not used as a noun in this particular sentence.
bondgirl
Posts: 802
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2011 11:30 am

Re: Help with question

Post by bondgirl »

Sorry, still disagree leameamum. There are two prepositions in the sentence: "in" and "of". "The centre" however is a noun, meaning the middle or mid-point. Look it up in a dictionary - it clearly says it's a noun.
yoyo123
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Location: East Kent

Re: Help with question

Post by yoyo123 »

I would say centre is the noun, in is the preposition
daveg
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Joined: Thu May 10, 2012 9:30 am

Re: Help with question

Post by daveg »

leanmeamum wrote:I still think it's used as a preposition in this sentence - 'centre' states the
position of/relation between Birmingham and England.
OED, "centre", "n. and adj", Section II, Sense 11. "The middle point or part, the middle or midst of anything.". Amongst the quotes supporting that sense, "Though they dwelt in the center of Spain, not far from Toledo.".

Chambers, Collins and Cambridge agree.
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