Indicating possession or association: possessive structures

Indicating possession or association: possessive structures

2.180 One way of specifying something is by saying who or what it belongs to or is associated with. So that, for example, you can talk about 'Elizabeth's book', or 'the teacher's role'.

This section deals with ways of expressing possession within a noun group, typically by using a structure based on apostrophe s ('s). When apostrophe s ('s) is added to a noun or name it is called the possessive form; some grammars call it the genitive.

2.181 You usually show that something belongs to or is associated with someone by adding 's to the name of the person, and by placing this possessive form in front of the thing that belongs to them, or is associated with them. For example, if John owns a motorbike, you can refer to it as 'John's motorbike'.

Sylvia put her hand on John's arm.

It was probably Mrs Thatcher's greatest error.

When you use a noun rather than a name to refer to the person, the noun group containing the possessive form also contains a determiner in the usual way.

his grandmother's house.

Your mother's best handbag.

Note that the determiner applies to the possessive form and not to the noun which is being modified by the possessive.

spelling and pronunciation 2.182 The spelling and pronunciation patterns used to form possessives change according to the spelling and pronunciation of the name or noun. These are explained in the Reference Section.

other uses of 's 2.183 The use of apostrophe s ('s) is not just restricted to nouns and names or to indicating possession or association. For example, it can be used in a qualifying phrase beginning with the preposition 'of' and it can be used like a possessive pronoun. Some nouns with 's added can also be used as modifiers in front of a noun. These other uses of the possessive form are explained in paragraphs 2.188 to 2.192.

Note that in addition to being the possessive form, the pattern 's can also be added to words as a contraction of 'is' or 'has'. This is explained in the Reference Section.

other ways of indicating possession 2.184 It is also sometimes possible to indicate possession by using either a prepositional phrase beginning with 'of', or by using a structure with a noun modifier in it.

Prepositional phrases beginning with 'of' are explained in paragraphs 2.294 to 2.300. Noun modifiers are explained in paragraphs 2.174 to 2.179.

Indicating close connection: apostrophe s ('s)

2.185 Apostrophe s ('s) is most often added to a noun referring to a person or an animal.

I wore a pair of my sister's boots.

Philip watched his friend's reaction.

Billy patted the dog's head.

It can also be used to show that something belongs to or is associated with a group of people or an institution.

She runs the foreign exchange desk for the bank's corporate clients.

They also prepare the university's budget.

the paper's political editor, Mr Fred Emery.

There was a raid on the Democratic Party's headquarters.

What is your government's policy?

2.186 Apostrophe s ('s) is sometimes added to a noun referring to an object when specifying a part of it or a quality or feature that it has.

I like the car's design.

You can predict a computer's behaviour because it follows rules.

Apostrophe s ('s) is used after nouns and names referring to places to specify something in that place.

He is the administrative head of the country's biggest city.

The city's population is in decline.

Britain's most famous company.

2.187 If you want to emphasize that something belongs or relates to a particular person and nobody else, you use 'own'. 'Own' can be used after the possessive form of a name or noun, as well as after a possessive determiner.

Professor Wilson's own answer may be unacceptable.

We must depend on David's own assessment.

If you are specifying a number of things, you put the number after 'own'.

the Doctor's own two rooms.

Other structures with apostrophe s ('s)

2.188 When you are talking about two things of the same type which belong to different people you can use the possessive form of a name or noun like a possessive pronoun so that you can omit repeating the thing itself. In the first example below, 'David's' is used instead of 'David's hand'.

Her hand felt different from David's.

Her tone was more friendly than Stryker's.

It is your responsibility rather than your parents'.

The possessive form can also be used on its own to refer to someone's home or place of work.

He's round at David's.

She stopped off at the butcher's for a piece of steak.

She hasn't been back to the doctor's since.

Possessive pronouns are explained in paragraphs 1.110 to 1.114.

2.189 The possessive form can be used in a prepositional phrase beginning with 'of' which qualifies a noun group. You use this structure when you are talking about one of a number of things that belong to someone or are associated with them, rather than about something unique.

Julia, a friend of Jenny's, was there too.

That word was a favourite of your father's.

2.190 Possessive forms can also be used to refer to things of a particular type which are usually associated with someone.

a woman dressed in a man's raincoat.

a policeman's uniform.

women's magazines.

the men's lavatory.

2.191 The possessive form can sometimes be used with nouns which refer to an action in order to indicate who or what is performing the action.

the banking service's rapid growth.

Madeleine's arrival at Fairwater House School.

Note that prepositional phases beginning with 'of' are used more commonly to do this, and that they are more formal than this use of possessive forms. The use of prepositional phrases beginning with 'of' to indicate who or what is performing an action is explained in paragraph 2.299.

2.192 Sometimes you can add apostrophe s ('s) to a noun referring to the thing affected by the performer of an action and put it in front of the noun referring to that performer. For example, you can talk about 'the scheme's supporters'.

Mr Healy's supporters.

the car's owner.

Sometimes an apostrophe s ('s) structure can be used to indicate the thing affected by an action.

Benn's appointment as Minister of Technology.

Note again that 'of' structures are more commonly used to do this.