The possessive form of nouns (Jane's mother)
To make the possessive form of nouns in writing, we add 's ('apostrophe s') to singular nouns
and to irregular plurals that don't end in -s:
o Philip's car; the college's administrators; the women's liberation movement
and add ' (an apostrophe) to regular plurals:
o the boys' football boots; the companies' difficulties.
.We
can use the possessive form of nouns with people or groups of people (e.g. companies),
other living things, places, and times. To make the possessive form of names ending in
-s (pronounced lzl) we can add either ' or 's:
o It's Derek Jones' (or Derek Jones's) new sports car.
Sometimes we add 's to the last word of a noun phrase, which may not be a noun:
o She's the boy on the left's sister.
'S7e
can say:
o
That old car of Jo's is unsafe. and o A novel of Jim Kerr's has been made into a film.
we are talking about relationships between people we can also use a noun without 's:
When
6
An
uncle of Mark's. (or An uncle of Mark.)
e
a
The noun following a possessive form can be left out when we talk about someone's home or
some shops and services (e.g. the newsagent's, the chemist's, the hairdresser's):
o 'We're going to Linda's for the evening. (= Linda's home)
o I must go to the butcher's this morning. (= the butcher's shop) (Notice that in cases like this
we can also use the singular without 's: I must go to the butcher this morning.)
We also usrrally leave out the noun when the meaning is clear in cases like:
o 'Whose hat is this?' 'Richard's.' (ratber thanRichard's hat.)
Often we can use the possessive 's or of + noun with very little difference in meaning:
o lreland's beauty or o the beauty oflreland
o the company's policy or o the policy of the company
However, sometimes we prefer to use the possessive form or the of form. In general, we are
more likely to use the possessive 's form of a noun:
r when the noun refers to a particular person or group of people:
o Carolyn's illness (ratber than the illness of Carolyn)
o the children's coats (rather than the coats of the children)
r when we are talking about time, as in:
. next year's holiday prices (ratber than the holiday prices of next year)
(rather thanthe TV programmes of last night)
o o last night's TV programmes
'!7e
had fwo weeks' holiday in Spain. or'S7e had a two-week holiday.
5 Notice that we can say: o
In general, we are more likely to use the of + noun form:
r with an inanimate noun, i.e. referring to something that is not living:
o the cover of the book (or the book cover) (rather than the book's cover)
o the construction of the office block (rather tban the office block's construction)
r when we are talking about a process, or a change over time:
r
c
o
the establisbmenr of the committee (rather than the committee's establishment)
tbe destruction of the forest (rather tban the forest's destruction)
'
when the noun is a long noun phrasei
o She is the sister of someone I used to go to school wth. (rather than She is someone I used to
go to school with's sister.)
Possessive+-ing=
EI6E
53
EXERGISES
5it.1 lf necessary,
correct these sentences.
If
they are already correct, put a
y'. (A, B
6
C)
1 Tony computers have been stolen.
2 When the teacher had called out the girl's names, they all stepped forward.
3 'We had to study Charles Dicken's early novels at school.
4 I went to the newsagent's to buy a paper.
5 There were hundreds of bird's nests in the trees.
5 They're my mother-in-law's favourite sweets.
7 I took the books to Lewis' house yesterday.
8 If they had been anyone else's paintings I wouldn't have gone to the exhibition.
9 She was a friend of my mothers.
'
10
11
The worlds airline's are moving towards a total ban on smoking.
The readers letters page in the newspaper is full of complaints about the article.
1.2 I met a cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh last week.
53.2
[Jnderline the answer uhich is correct or lnore likely. (D)
1 I was surprised by the Announcement of yesterday / yesterday's announcement.
2 They left their homes because of the extension of the dirport / the airport's extension.
3 The guitar playing of Dauid / Dauid's guitar playing has improved enormously.
4
5
6
The completion of the road / The road's cornpletion was ahead of schedule.
At the supermarket, I found I'd brought tbe shopping list of last ueek / last week's shopping
list.
lt's the responsibility of the firm uho buih the houses / the firm who buib tbe ltouses'
responsibility.
That isn't much use, it's tlte calendar of last year / last year's calendar.
I was shocked by the opinion of Alice / Alice's opinion.
He gently patted the sboulder of his brother / his brother's shoulder.
10 He's the friend of a man I know at work / a man I knou at utork's friend.
11. Tbe euacuation of the building / The building's euacuation took only 10 minutes.
7
8
9
5i1.3
-Write
1
a new sentence as in 1, using either the possessiue form or tbe of form. (C)
Andrew died. They were saddened to hear of this. The4 wete sa-dA*:'el, Lo hetr
d,ea.*l
of
Ar:d"r.e;,u's
.
2 The new rules were introduced. They protested about this.
3 Bill was rude. They were shocked by this.
4 The railway line was extended. They were happy about this.
5 There was a fire this morning. They were lucky to escape it.
5i1.4
Natiue speakers sometimes haue problems witb the possessi.ue form of nouns, too. Here are
some examples seen in Britain.'What is wrong with them?
CONSULTANTS
PARI(NG
Sign outside a vegetable shop.
TO FLAT'S NOS:38-45"
Sign in an apartment block.
Sign in a hospital
car park.
ONE OF EUROPES
GREATEST FLAMENCO
GUITARIST
Part of an advertising poster.
107