'S Genitive

A genitive is what we use to show that something belongs to another, in other words,  possession. This is commonly indicated with the preposition of. But it is even more common to use an ’s at the end of people or animals to show possession.

This is easy enough. But students often forget to change the order when they translate from their language. They mistakenly translate: the ball of the boy to the ball’s boy, which means the boy of the ball, but that doesn’t make sense, because a boy cannot belong to a ball! So the ball of the boy becomes the boy’s ball.

Look at these examples:

the car of the man = the man’s car

the boyfriends of Stacy = Stacy’s boyfriends

the tail of a dog = a dog’s tail

Notice that the article before the possessed object disappears after the ‘s.

A plural noun ending in S, simply adds an apostrophe ( ' ) at the end:

the girls’ clothes = the clothes of the girls

the wolves’ cubs = the cubs of the wolves

the mummies’ tomb = the tomb of the mummies

But irregular plural nouns, plural nouns that don’t end in S, add an ‘s at the end:

the women’s meeting = the meeting of the women

the children’s toys = the toys of children

the sheep’s wool = the wool of the sheep

Sometimes, we add the genitive at the end of objects that we give personalities to, such as institutions or places.

the school’s policy

the city’s nightlife

It’s possible not to have a noun after the genitive if we know what the genitive refers to. For example: It’s Steve’s wallet.  

Can become: This wallet is Steve’s. Or: It’s Steve’s.

Because you’re obviously talking about the wallet.

In these cases, the genitive acts as a pronoun. This is very common when we refer to places, such as homes or shops. 

If you say, I’m going to Adam’s. you obviously mean Adam’s house. 

Or if you ask: Can you get bread at the baker’s on the way home? you’re obviously talking about a bakery.

So now that you know this genitive’s rules, don’t abuse using of!