Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Possssive and copound n*uns - Coggle Diagram
Poss
ssive and co
pound n*uns
Form and meaning
Possessive forms
adding s (called the genetive form)
the noun + of + noun
:warning: use definite article before an of structure
:check: there are possesive forms of pronouns and adjective
There was a scratch on my car's paintwork.
There was a scrauch on the paintwork of my car.
Tou can't use that card. It's mine.
Oh sorry. I didn't realise it was your personal photocopy card.
's - basic rules
singular N:
's
singular proper N ending in -s:
's, or (')
regular plural N: (')
irregular plural N (not ending in -s) : 's
one, smb, everyone, each, other, ... : 's
house - house's,
Mr James - Mr Jame's house, Mr James' house
boys - boys',
men - men's
one's house, somebody's house
's - special relus
two genetives together, we put 's with each of them.
if the meaning is clear from the context, we can use the genetive without a following noun.
a compound noun, two or more nouns, which form a single team.
:warning: when the nouns don't form a single group we must use 's with both nouns
if the possessive is a part of a short phrase (without a verb in it) we put 's at the end of it.
We were beginning to get fed up with our neighbour's tenant's music.
That isn't my handwriting. It's Selina's. (= Selinas handwriting)
Are you coming to my brother-in-law's party?
I'm a great fan of Lerner and Lowe's musicals.
Schrodinger's and Heisenberg's versions of quantum mechanics had seemed different. (=two versions of the theory.)
The man in the corner's dog began to bark. (= The dog belonging to the man in the corner...)
the double possessive (of structure + genetive)
of structure + genetive ( called double possesive)
:warning: we usually use the indefinite article with this pattern.
we don't always include the genetive 's on the second noun.
the double possessive is common with pronouns.
heard the story from a friend of my brother's.
They got a tip off from a friend of the owner.
She's a friend of ours.
The genetive ('s) or of structure
the genetive
use:
:check: general ownership or possession of smb's home
:check: people and animals (especially with proper nouns)
:check: personal/professional relationship, human qualities
:check: referring to location in time (but not with dates)
:check: referring to the origin of smth ( where it comes from or who made it)
:check: referring to a quantity or measure (of duration, distance, value.
:check: in expressions for value/quantity with worth.
:check: with names of shops, companies, people that provide a service.
:check: in certain fixed expressions
Have you seen Sheila's new car?
We'll be at Mum's soon. ( = Mum's house)
Sheila is Harold's youngest daughter.
Do you like Snap's new collar?
Have you met the boss's new secretary?
John's intransigence is a pain.
Have you seen the poem in today's 'Observer'?
Oil is Saudi Arabia's biggerst export.
There will be an hour's delay.
The hotel was ten minutes' drive from the beach.
Could you give me a pound's worth of chips?
I'm getting the Thanksgiving shopping at Macy's. (=Macy's department store)
Was there anything nice at the butcher's this moring? (the butcher's shop)
She was at death's door. For Dod's sake.
For pity's sake! For heaven's sake.
the structure (noun + of + noun)
use:
:check: with abstract nouns (science)
:check: when we are reffering to inanimate things.
:check: when the noun is followed by a verb phrase or clause which defines it.
:check: when we refer to a specific date.
:check: with longor complex phrases, even when we are referring to people.
:check: certain fixed expressions and titles.
I've been studying the philosophy of science.
We set up our base camp at the bottom of the mountain.
The players ignored the jeers of the women standing in the front row.
It was destroyed in the fire of 1666.
A man was sentenced to death for the murder of an English tourist, Monica Cantewll.
He's the President of the United States. The Prince of Wales is to visit Iceland
Either pattern
use:
:check: a quality that smth possesses or displays
:warning: use genetive with human qualities
:check: referring to the subject of smth, its topic or theme
:check: with human creations such as countries, organizations, cities, institutions, machienes, vehicles, buldings. (genetive is more common)
:check: expressing a reason or perpose with sake.
We were amazed by the ship's seer size.
We were amazed by the sheer size of the ship.
The Queen's portrait has caused dismay.
The portrait of the Queen has caused dismay.
Radio City Music Hall is one of New York's most famous theartes.
Plane trees are a common sight on the streets of London.
We agreed to make a go of it for the sake of children / for the children's sake.
Genetive + of structure
the genetive for the
origin,
owner,
creator
the of structure for the
subject
topic
we can combine possessive forms with prepositions
I wasn't convinced by the witness's description of the quarrel.
(=the witness = the person who made the description, the quarrel = the topic of the description)
One of our most popular exhibits is Van Dyck's portrait of King Charles.
(Van Dyck = the creator of the portrait, King Charles = the subject of the portret)
Have you seen the National Gallery's (ownership) portrait of King Charles (subject of structure) by Van Dyck.(creator preposition)
New information with the of structure
we can use the of structure to put new information at the end of a sentence.
American presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.
He was the younger brother of former president John Kennedy. (The new information is the reference to John F. Kennedy.)
Specifying or classifying possessives and compound nouns
Specifying or classifying possessives
Possessive forms of nouns can describe two types of relationship:
:check: specifying - show a relationship with something specific, such as a person or place
:warning: the adjective only describes the noun following it.
:check: classifying relationship - describe the type of thing smth is.
:warning: the adjective describes the whole phrase, not just one noun)
Marion washed the children's clothes every Thursday. (= the clothes belonging to Marion's children)
She was suspicious of her wealthy brother's girlfriend. (=her brother was wealthy)
She didn't like her brother's wealthy girlfriend. (His girlfriend is wealthy)
Janice decided to open a shop specialising in children's clothes.
Janice's shop had a large selection of hand-ade children's clothes. (the children's clothes are hand-made, not the children)
Other classifying relationships
we use of, other preposition to describe classifying relationship such as type of : concept, subject, source, purpose.
:warning: we don't use a possessive if there is a compound noun with the same meaning
I've got a marvellous book of stories by Somerset Maugham.
The kids have been watching a film about rollerblading.
I'm hoping to buy a sofa from that Swedis stire.
Our uncle's company manufacturess lubricants for ball-bearing.
I bought a new racquet at the sport shop. (sport shop - compound noun)
Compound nouns
is simmilar to classifying possessives because the first noun classifies the second noun.
can be written as a single word, 2 separate words, 2 words joined by a hyphen. (check in the dictionary)
forms:
:check: noun + noun
:check: verb + noun
:check: adj + noun
:warning: formed from multi-word verbs. They usually follow the same order as the verb, but there are a few exceptions.
:check: formed from time expressions
:warning: be careful with compound nouns describing containers. The compound form only describes the container itself, not its contents.
windsurfing, fire-eater, Thanksgiving, screwdriver.
cookbook, rocking chair, filing cabinet, swimsuit
highway, blackvird, real estate, easy chair
turn out - turnout, spill over - overspill, turn down - downturn.
a three-week holiday, a four-hour delay, a ten-minute drive.
In a shop: I'd like a dozen Royal Doulton tea cups. (compound noun = cups designed to hold tea)
In a cafe: I'd like a cup of tea and a Mars bar, please. (=tea in a cup)