The use of the possessive case
The possessive case is mainly used with nouns denoting living beings (people, animals).
e.g. a woman’s intuition
the crew’s quarters
In the following instances the possessive case may be used with names denoting inanimate nouns (lifeless things):
1) with nouns expressing time or distance;
e.g. a few days’trip
a mile’sdistance
a moment’s pause
2) with the geographical notions (town, city, country, river, water, ocean, world);
e.g. Europe’sfuture
the island’s outline
Russia’sexports
3) with ships and boats;
e.g. the ship’s bell
the yacht’s mast
4) with planes, trains, cars and other vehicles
! (though here the ofconstruction is better);
e.g. the train’s heating system or the heating system of the train
5) in expressions of money + worth;
e.g. ten roubles’ worth of stamp
thirty thousand pounds’ worth of jewellery
6) with for + noun +sake;
e.g. forhis mother’s sake
for her family’s sake
7) in set-expressions;
! REMEMBER THEM
| A stone’s throw |
| For pity’s sake |
| At death’s door |
| To one’s heart’s content |
| At one’s wit’s end |
| At one’s finger’s ends |
| To a hair’s breadth |
| Out of harm’s way |
| For old acquaintance’s sake |
| For appearance’s sake |
| A pin’s head |
| The needle’s eye/point |
| For goodness’ sake |
| For heaven’s sake |
| In one’s mind’s eye |
| Duty’s call |
8) with the names of newspapers and nouns denoting different kinds of organizations;
e.g. the Tribune’s role
the government’s policy
the party’s appeal
9) sometimes with names of seasons, months, days when they are personified;
e.g. today’s newspaper
a winter’s day or winter day
Autumn’s return
OF + noun is used for possessions:
1) with inanimate nouns, except those listed above ;
e.g. the walls of the room
the roof of the house
the handle ofthe door
However, it is often possible to replace
noun X + of + noun Y by noun Y + noun X in that order:
e.g. the town walls
the house roof
the door handle
The first noun becomes a sort of adjective and is not made plural.
e.g. the roofs of the houses = the house roofs
2) when the “possessor” noun is followed by a phrase or a clause;
e.g. I took the advice of a couple I met on the train and hired a car.
She is the sister of the girl with whom we were at school together.
SOME SPECIAL CASES OF THE POSSESSIVE CASE.
“GROUP - POSSESSIVE”.
The possessive case suffix –‘s/ –‘may be added not only to a single noun but to a whole group of words. It’s called “group-possessive”. We find various patterns here:
e.g. Smith and Brown’s office
Jack and Ann’s children
(two people possess something in common)
the Prime Minister of England’s residence
the Prince of Denmark’s tragedy
(the residence is not of England but of the Prime Minister)
(the tragedy is not of Denmark but of the Prince)
somebody else’s umbrella
an hour or two’s time
(in these examples the last element of the group is not a noun)
the man we saw yesterday’s son
(this example can puzzle anybody but the fact is the son belongs to the man but not to yesterday)
THE ABSOLUTE POSSESSIVE.
1. If the noun which is modified by the possessive case has already been mentioned and is clear from the text, it may be omitted to avoid repetition.
e.g. It was not John’s brother, but Mary’s.
I heard a voice; it was my brother’s.
2. The noun modified by the possessive case is also often omitted when it denotes place (house, shop, cathedral, etc.) or institutions, where the possessive is usually a saint’s name.
e.g. I saw him at my father’s (house).
Go to the baker’s (shop).
You can buy it at the chemist’s (shop).
We had lunch at Bill’s(place).
They went to St. Paul’s (Cathedral).
The ceremony took place at St. James’s(palace).
Names of the owners of some businesses can be used similarly.
e.g. Sotheby’s
Claridge’s
THE COMBINATION “OF + POSSESSIVE”.
The combination “of + possessive case” (a friend of my brother’s) or “of + possessive pronoun” (a friend of mine) has usually a partitive meaning, denoting “one of …..” .
e.g. He is an old friend of my father’s.
(Он один из старых друзей моего отца.)
But sometimes the partitive meaning is lost and the construction acquires emotional force (denoting praise, pleasure, displeasure, etc.) or becomes purely descriptive.
e.g. We all admired that clever remark of your father’s.
That cottage of my friend’s is surrounded by a beautiful orchard.