The Possessive Case - Uses

USES  OF  THE  POSSESSIVE  CASE

(i) The possessive case is now used chiefly with the names of living things; as,

* The lion’s mane

* The minister’s bodyguards

(ii) With the names of  one person or many persons; as,

* a student's ticket

* many students' tickets

* boy's school

* boys' school

* Mary's sister

*  the men’s suits,

* my friends’ cars,

* Susie's ice cream

(iii) With the names of personified objects; as,                                                                

* Nature’s laws 

* Fortune’s favourites

* At duty’s call

* At wit’s end                              

* India's heroes 

(iv) With nouns denoting time, space or weight; as,

* A week's holiday

* In a year’s time

* A day’s work

* At a stone’s throw

* A pound’s weight

* a foot's length

(v) The possessive of a proper noun denoting a trade, profession or relationship can often be used  to denote a building or place of business;  as,

* She has gone to the baker’s (= baker’s shop).

* Tonight we are dining at Smith’s (= Smith’s house).

* Harish was educated at St. Joseph's ( = St. Joseph's school).

* Can you tell me the way to St. Paul's (= St. Paul's church).

(vi) With non living things : (the ...of...) is used; as,

* The leg of the table  [ NOT, the table's leg ]

* The cover of the book  [ NOT the book's cover ]

* The colour of my bike  [ NOT my bike's colour ]

* The number of the worksheet  [ NOT the worksheet's number ]

(vi) With  animals, towns and countries: either [ ...'s/...s' ]    or  [ the ... of ...:] is used; as,

* New York’s taxis  =  the taxis of New York;

* the lion’s teeth  =  the teeth of the lion;

* Germany’s big cities  =  the big cities of Germany

* India's holy places  =  holy places of India

(vii) When in doubt whether to use ( 's ) or ( of ) --

* It is better to say ' the defeat of enemy' than ' the enemy's defeat. 

 (viii) Some times, however, a noun in the possessive case has a different meaning from
a noun used with the preposition 'of '; as, 

* The President's reception        =   a reception held by the President

* The reception of the President =   welcome of the President by the people

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