Use of the possessive/genitive case and of + noun
Use of the possessive/genitive case and of + noun
A . The possessive case is chiefly used of people, countries or animals as shown above. It can also be used:
1 Of ships and boats: the ship’s bell, the yacht’s mast
2 Of planes, trains, cars and other vehicles, though here the of construction is safer:
a glider’s wings or the wings of a glider
the tram’s heating system or the heating system of the train
3 In time expressions’
a week’s holiday today’s paper tomorrow’s weather
in two years’ time ten minutes’ break two hours’ delay a ten-minute break, a two-hour delay are also possible: We have ten minutes’ break/a ten-minute break
4 In expressions of money + worth:
£l’s worth of stamps ten dollars’ worth of ice-cream
5 With for + noun + sake: for heaven’s sake, for goodness’ sake
6 In a few expressions such as’
a stone’s throw journey’s end the water’s edge
7 We can say either a winter’s day or a winter day and a summer’s day or a summer day, but we cannot make spring or autumn possessive, except when they are personified: Autumn’s return.
8 Sometimes certain nouns can be used m the possessive case without the second noun, a/the baker’s/butcher’s/chemist’s/flonst’s etc can mean ‘a/the baker’s/butcher’s etc. shop’.
Similarly, a/the house agent’s/travel agent’s etc. (office) and the dentist ‘s/doctor ‘s/vet ‘s (surgery):
You can buy it at the chemist’s He’s going to the dentist’s Names of the owners of some businesses can be used similarly:
Sotheby’s, Clandge’s
Some very well-known shops etc call themselves by the possessive form and some drop the apostrophe: Foyles, Harrods
Names of people can sometimes be used similarly to mean ‘ .’s house’:
We had lunch at Bill’s. We met at Ann’s.
B. of + noun is used for possession.
1 When the possessor noun is followed by a phrase or clause.
The boys ran about, obeying the directions of a man with a whistle. I took the advice of a couple I met on the train and hired a car
2 With inanimate ‘possessors’, except those listed in A above:
the walls of the town the roof of the church the keys of the car However, it is often possible to replace noun X + of + noun Y by noun Y + noun X in that order:
the town walls the church roof the car keys The first noun becomes a sort of adjective and is not made plural:
the roofs of the churches = the church roofs (see 16) Unfortunately noun + of + noun combinations cannot always be replaced in this way and the student is advised to use of when in doubt.
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