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The two meanings of the Possessive case

1. POSSESSION (BELONGING)

All that stands before the possessive noun refers to it.

the young man’s companion

Everything that refers to the head-noun is placed after the Possessive.

the man’s young companion

_ Pushkin’s last poems

the great Pushkin’s poems

__ yesterday’s sad news

No article or pronoun can be used after the possessive form so we use Absolute Possessive caseif we need any:

A friend of Peter’s = one of Peter’s friends

That friend of Peter’s

Some friends of Peter’s

The Possessive case denoting possession is usually an equivalent to an of-phrase:

The girl’s behaviour = the behaviour of the girl

2. QUALITY (PROPERTY)

All that stands before the possessive noun refers to the head noun (the article and attributes “jump over” the possessive noun to refer to the head noun)

A new children’s shop

A ladies’ club

The possessive noun is usually in the plural:

a soldiers’ canteen

No article can be placed after the possessive.

When the article means one it refers to the possessive noun of measure:

a mile’s distance (a = one)

a day’s wait (a = one)

In other cases it refers to the head noun:

A pleasant two hours’ walk

The article can also be omitted:

_ two hours’ walk

_ three weeks’ time

Note 1. With the nouns man and woman used in the Possessive case in the meaning of quality the form of the number varies:

A woman’s hat (for one woman)

two women’s hats (for women)

a women’s magazine (for women)

Note 2.

a goat’s head = the head of a goat (possession)

but

_ goat’s (cow’s) milk (property, quality - no individual animal is meant)

The Possessive case denoting quality is usually an equivalent to a for-phrase:

A children’s toy = a toy for children

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