Can の be used to link nouns to verbs?

Question

So I read that の can be used like an 's in English to show possession of something belonging to someone.

But I am confused. Is it grammatically correct to use の as in: 部屋の掃除を手伝う to mean "help with the room's cleaning"

Or must it be in 部屋を掃除するのを手伝う <-- this form?

Answer 1

部屋の掃除を手伝う and 部屋を掃除するのを手伝う are both correct, and effectively mean the same thing. In the former, 掃除 is a simple noun, whereas in the latter, 掃除 is a suru-verb nominalized using の.

Note that 部屋を掃除を手伝う and 部屋の掃除するのを手伝う are incorrect. Please see the following related questions.

• Can we optionally include (or exclude) an を particle in between the noun of the する-verb and the する itself?
• Difference Between べんきょう する and べんきょうを する
• Usage of 手伝う and お手伝いをする