The Use of Genitive :’s, of-English Grammar

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also called the possessive case, the genitive case is when we add apostrophe S (’s) to show possession, that something belongs to another or a type of relationship between things.
e.g. Woodward’s house, Your brother’s friend

The meaning of X’s Y is:
= The Y of X
= The Y belonging to X (Y is normally a thing)
= The Y which has some relation with X (Y is often a person)

The Rules:

We normally use the ’s with people, animals though it can also be used with places, organizations and companies (which suggest a group of people).

It is not common to use the ’s with non-living things.

Genitive case definition: The genitive case is an English grammatical case that is used for a noun, pronoun, or adjective that modifies another noun. The genitive case is most commonly used to show possession, but it can also show a thing’s source or a characteristic/trait of something.

What is the Genitive Case?

The genitive case is a grammatical case for nouns and pronouns. It is most commonly used for showing possession.

Typically, forming the genitive case involves adding an apostrophe followed by “s” to the end of a noun.

Chapter 29

The Use of Genitive (‘s, of)

The use of Genitive

The use of Genitive

1. Apostrophe “’s” or “’”
2. Preposition “of”

Apostrophe (‘s,’)

 

Apostrophe                  “ ’s”         “ ’ ”

• ‘s

The lady’s handbag is expensive.

Do you see my uncle’s house at the corner?

The woman’s dress is generally very dear.

• ‘s s

The children’s toys were bought from Japan.

The women’s hats are beautiful.

3)

I wants to see you at St.James’s Square (St. James’s Square.)

Everyone likes Venus’ beauty (Venus’s beauty).

Dicken’s novels (Dickens’s novels) are very popular in the world.

 

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This is Peter and Mary’s house.

 

Thailand and England’s friendship lasts long.

Sak and Ladda’s teacher is going to get married soon.

John’s and Peter’s resthouses are on the same street.

Prasert’s and Prasan’s sons are soldiers.

8) (Personification)

Beauty’s queen

Sorrow’s tears

Thailand’s statesman

Dr. Pridee Panomyong is the Thailand’s statesman.

9) ‘s

The earth’s atmosphere

The sun’s rays

The court’s decree

Bangkok’s traffic

The country’s population

The nation’s affairs

The campany’s officials

The committee’s business

The poem’s meaning

Europe’s difficulties

America’s resources

The club’s finances

India’s history

Truth’s triumph

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This is Peter and Mary’s house.

 

Thailand and England’s friendship lasts long.

Sak and Ladda’s teacher is going to get married soon.

John’s and Peter’s resthouses are on the same street.

Prasert’s and Prasan’s sons are soldiers.

8) (Personification)

Beauty’s queen

Sorrow’s tears

Thailand’s statesman

Dr. Pridee Panomyong is the Thailand’s statesman.

9) ‘s

The earth’s atmosphere

The sun’s rays

The court’s decree

Bangkok’s traffic

The country’s population

The nation’s affairs

The campany’s officials

The committee’s business

The poem’s meaning

Europe’s difficulties

America’s resources

The club’s finances

India’s history

Truth’s triumph

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The ocean’s roar

The law’s delays

Nature’s works

Heaven’s will

Etc.

 

Heaven’s will let him live longer.

The Ocean’s roar frightened us very much.

 

10) ‘s

A month’s holiday

A year’s absence

Three months’ sight

A boat’s length

A hand’s breadth

A needle’s point

Two pounds’ weight

Three tons’ weight

Baht’s weight

A month’s salary

A day’s pay

A week’s wages

11) (Letter)   (Number)      (word)

There are three a’s in the word “papaya”

How many 5’s are there in your telephone number?

There are three the’s in this sentence.

How many other’s are there in your essay?

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12) Abstract Noun

At their journey’s end

For pity’s sake

For honesty’s sake

For peace’s sake

13) ‘s (Compound Pronoun)

Someone’s                   No one’s                      everybody’s

Somebody’s                 Nobody’s                     one’s

Anybody’s                   everyone’s                    anyone’s

Somebody else’s

The is somebody’s dog lying under my house.

Apostrophe    “’s”

These are my shoes. Those are John’s.

(shoes   John’s)

I parked my car next to Linda’s.

(car   Linda’s)

Prasan’s is a good job.

(Job Prasan’s)

These pens are Bob’s.

(Pens   Bob’s)

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2)  Of             Double Genitive

 

A friend of my father’s visited us at home yesterday.

Some dresses of Betty’s are very expensive.

This daughter of your uncle’s won the government scholarship to continue her studies abroad.

(daughter uncle’s)

3)

The go to St. Andrew’s on Sundays.

(Church     Andrew’s )

My younger sister went to the dentist’s yesterday.

(clinic   office    dentist’s )

I can get a haircut from the barber’s.

(shop     barber’s)

Today we intend to go to Johnson’s.

(house    Johnson’s )

I bought many things at Robinson’s.

(Shop     store    Robinson’s)

She was ill, so she went to St.Mary’s.

(hospital       St.Mary’s)

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Of

Of         Apostrophe’s

Apostrophe’s

A man’s idea

A Dog’s tial

A Buttefly’s wing

Of

• Of (possessive case)

The roof of the house

The end of the month

The cover of the book

The legs of the table

The colour of the sky

The wings of the aeroplanes

The branches of the tree

• (Adjective) of

The troubles of the poor

The infirmities of the crippled

• (mass noun) (abstract noun)

The progress of science

The growth of intelligence

The insight of suffering

The advancement of education

The interchange of sentence

The depression of economics

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Choose the best answer for each of the following sentences.

 

 

 

1. He borrowed…. ..for shopping yesterday.
2. the bicycle of his uncle b. his uncle’s bicycle
3. bicycle’s his uncle d. his uncle bicyle’s
4. His home is about a………… .from mine.
5. twenty minute walk b. twenty minutes’ walk
6. twenty minute’s walk d. twenty minutes walk
7. Which is correct ?
8. the Queen of England’s daughter b. the daughter of the Queen’s England
9. the Queen’s of England daughter d. the daughter of England’s Qeen
10. Dr. Sumeth is an English teacher of……….
11. Somsri and Somsai b. Somsri’s and Somsai’s
12. Somsri and Somsai’s d. Somsri’s and Somsai

5.. Suni borrowed a pen of.. not… ……….

1. you, me b. yours, me c. your, mine   d. yours, mine
2. ………………………..is generally made of bricks.
3. The house’s roof             b. The roof’s of the house
4. The roof of the house d. The roof of the house’s

7……………… …couldn’t be solved

1. The troubles of the poor b. The troubles’ of the poor.
2. The troubles of the poor’s d. The poor troubles
3. The man with his wife is going to… ..to buy some bread for his breakfast today

. a. the baker                b. the bakery’s

1. the baker’s d. the baker shop
2. My boss will give me a.. …………….
3. two week’s notice b. two weeks’ notice
4. two weeks notice d. two week notice
5. There is a…. dropped in the jar.
6. wing of butterfly b. butterfly wing
7. butterfly’s wing d. butterfly wings

 

 

1. B 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. D 6. C 7. A 7. A 8. C 9. B 10.C * * *