grammar - の cannot be used as a pronoun meaning "one" for "highly abstract objects" but what is a "highly abstract object"?(amended)

(Italics are used to indicate revisions to the orginal question made in response to feedback so far)

According to "A students' guide to Japanese grammar", by Naomi McGloin, の is used as a pronoun meaning "one" for tangible or intangible objects such as 車 or 意見　but not highly abstract ones such as 力 . The following three sentences are given:

大きい車は高いが、小さいのは安い。correct

田中さんの意見は面白いが山田さんのはちょっと問題がある。 correct

日本の町人は経済的な力を持っていたが、政治的なのは持っていなかった。incorrect

Could somebody explain/define a little bit more clearly the difference between an intangible object and "a highly abstract" object illustrated by these sentences?

(Or in other words both are intangible but only 力 is "highly abstract": possibly highly abstract means "subjective" (?) but if this interpretation of "highly abstract" is correct, could anyone give a few more examples to help me nail this down?)

Answer

My grammar book (日本語文型辞典) says that (when used to mean "one"):

• noun+の = noun+のもの



• na-adjective+なの = na-adjective+なもの


• (i-adjective/verb)+の = (i-adjective/verb)+もの

so:

• 
  

  
  

  大きい車は高いが、小さい（の・もの）は安い。
  A big car is expensive, but a small one is cheap.

  
  

  
  
  


• 
  

  
  

  田中さんの意見は面白いが山田さんのものはちょっと問題がある。
  Tanaka's opinion is interesting, but Yamada's one has a bit of a problem.

  
  

  
  

  Though I'm not experienced enough to be sure about about this の, this sentence sounds like it might be incorrect/unnatural to me in both Japanese and English, so I think it may well be a different usage indicating a possessive, i.e:

  
  

  
  

  田中さんの意見は面白いが山田さんのはちょっと問題がある。
  Tanaka's opinion is interesting, but Yamada's has a bit of a problem.

  
  
  

  
  


• 
  

  
  

  日本の町人は経済的な力を持っていたが、政治的な（の・もの）は持っていなかった。
  Japanese merchants had economic power, but didn't have an economic one.

  
  

  
  

  I think this sentence wouldn't work in either English or Japanese.

  
  

For reference, here are some of the examples it gives:

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  この電話は壊れてますので、隣の部屋のをお使い下さい。
  This telephone is broken, so please use the one in the next room.

  
  

  
  


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  ラーメンなら、駅前のそば屋のが安くておいしいよ。
  If it's Ramen you're after, you can get [some/it] at the soba noodle shop in front of the station where it's cheap and tasty.

  
  

  
  


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  ...もっと小さくて便利なのを探さなくてはならない。
  ...(I) need to search for a smaller and more convenient one.