I've seen a couple times examples of using this format of [noun] の [adjective]
and I mostly see it in the form ~の高い

Some specifics I'm referring to are: 人気の高い 柔軟性の高い

I can't think of any more off the top of my head; I encounter it most
frequently with 人気の高い

Why isn't が used there? Or I've even heard 人気のある[noun]

Any insight into this would really help out. Thanks!
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2014-01-04T23:51:24.827
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2014-01-05T02:26:20.900
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question
grammar syntax
noun + の + adjective
In these phrases, の and が are indeed 100% interchangeable as far as
grammatical correctness is concerned.

Native speakers, however, often prefer using の because to us, の simply sounds
softer and nicer than が. In "properly spoken Japanese", the 「が」 in phrases
such as [人気]{にんき}が[高]{たか}い and [柔軟性]{じゅうなんせい}がある、should be pronounced using
the velar nasal G instead of the accute G used for the 「が」 in 「[学校]{がっこう}」
and「[外国]{がいこく}」. In other words, using 「の」 saves us the trouble of producing
the velar nasal or producing the accute G by mistake.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVTrteqg_e4>

My first-grade teacher was particularly strict about the two G sounds in
Japanese, so I could "discuss" this even after so many years, but when I tell
Japanese-learners about this, 95% of them usually have no idea whatsoever what
I am talking about.
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2014-01-05T00:25:29.130
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answer
Historically が and の had a much closer relationship. This relationship can
still be observed in some modern words like 我が国, "our country". In this word が
is a genitive marker and basically has the same function as modern Japanese の.
In modern Japanese が and の can't be used interchangeably, but の can still
replace が in modifying clauses. Because languages don't like redundancy,
there's still a **difference between が and の as the subject marker of a
modifying clause**.

> [...] It is because **が emphasizes the word before it** that this subject
> marker is frequently softened in modifying clauses by replacing it with **の,
> a modifying particle that throws your attentions ahead**. [...] (From: Jay
> Rubin (1998) Making sense of Japanese, Kodansha International)

清水さん **の** 拾った財布はここにあります

By marking the subject of the modifying clause with の, you are saying "the
wallet Mr Shimizu picked up is here" and its being here is more important than
its being picked up from Mr Shimizu.

の implies that the information in the main clause is more important than the
information in the modifying clause. が doesn't imply the opposite though, it's
more neutral.

The closest thing you can do in English is using a rising intonation.

清水さん **が** 拾った財布はここにあります The wallet that (rise intonation) Mr Shimizu! (lower)
picked up is here. - The implication being the wallet that is here is the one
Mr Shimizu picked up.

清水さん **の** 拾った財布はここにあります The wallet that Mr Shimizu picked up is here.
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2014-01-05T02:07:02.820
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answer