9. Comment on the formation of the genitive case The form of the possessive (genitive) case

1. ’s is used with singular nouns and plural nouns not ending in –s:

a man’s job a woman’s intuition a child’s voice a children’s book

the bull’s horns women’s clothes the people’s choice

2. A simple apostrophe (’) is used with plural nouns ending in –s:

a girls’ school the eagles’ nest

the students’ hostel the Smiths’ car

3. Classical names ending in –s usually add only the apostrophe;

Pythagoras’ Theorem Archimedes’ Law

Sophocles’ play Hercules’ Labours

4. Other names ending in –s can take ’s or the apostrophe alone:

Mr. Jones’ or Mr. Jones’s house Wells’ or Wells’s works Note: The pronunciation of the genitive case ending follows the same rules as the pronunciation of the plural ending but it is pronounced /ΙΖ/ with nouns ending in s and forming the genitive case in two ways, whether the letter s is written or not.

5. With compounds, the last word takes the ’s:

my brotherinlaw’s guitar

6. Names consisting of several words are treated similarly:

Henry the Eighth’s wives

The Prince of Wale’s helicopter

7. ‘s can also be used after initials:

The PM’s secretary the VIP’s escort

the MP’s briefcase

8. ‘s may be added to a whole group of words. (It is called the group genitive).

Jane and Mary’s room Jack and Ann’s children

The last word of the group need not even be a noun.

e.g. I shall be back in an hour or two’s time.

Note: We add the suffix –‘s after the last of two or more names to show common possession.

e.g. John and George’s camera (the camera belongs to both of them).

We add ’s after each name to show individual possession.

e.g. John and George’s cameras.

Somebody else’s umbrella

Note: When the possessive case is used, the article before the person or thing “possessed disappears:

e. g. the daughter of the politician – the politician’s daughter

the intervention of America – America’s interventions

the plays of Shakespeare – Shakespeare’s plays

10. Comment on the use of the dependant genitive case. The Dependent Genitive

1. The genitive case is chiefly used of living beings and its main meaning is that of possession.

my friend’s book

a bird’s nest

the child’s father

2. It is used to denote the relation between a part and a whole.

a boy’s leg but the leg of a table

a man’s foot the foot of a mountain

3. It may express the doer of an action (the socalled subjective genitive) or show that some person is the object of the action (the socalled objective genitive).

It was Tom’s step that Maggie heard on the steps (subjective)

Henry’s hatred was still deeper (subjective)

Ann’s reception in the neighborhood (objective)

4. The genitive case may be used to denote the qualitative characteristics of a thing:

a children’s room

a Bachelor’s degree

officer’s clothes

The genitive case may also be used of nouns denoting lifeless things and abstract notions in the following instances:

1. with names of countries and towns:

Britain’s interests

the city’s parks

2. of ships and boats:

the ship’s bell

the yacht’s mast

3.of vehicles and their details, though the ofconstruction is safer:

a glider’s wings or the wings of a glider

the train’s heating system or the heating system of the train

the liner’s passengers, the sound of car’s brakes

4.with nouns denoting dwelling places and environment:

the garden’s blossom

the river’s bank

the sky’s blue

the sun’s fire

5. certain social units and organisations:

the nation’s future

the research group’s records

6. social, political and economic phenomena:

the campaign’s succes/failure

7.events in the field of art and sports:

the film’s merits

the game’s popularity

the play’s style

8. of nouns denoting time, distance:

a week’s holiday in five minutes’ walk

a stone’s throw at a five miles’ distance

two hours’ delay today’s paper

tomorrow’s weather ten minutes’ break

But

a tenminute break

a twohour delay

a threeweek holiday

are also possible

9.of nouns denoting measures of weight and cost:

ten dollars’ worth of icecream

a few thousand tons’ cargoes

10. with for +noun +sake:

for heaven’s sake

for goodness’ sake for Good’s sake

11. in set phrases such as:

to one’s heart’s (delight) content

at one’s wits’ end

out of harm’s way

12. Sometimes with names of seasons, months and days.

a winter’s day or a winter day

a summer’s day or a summer day

But we cannot make spring or autumn possessive except when they are personified:

Autumn’s return