Притяжательный падеж существительных (The Possessive Case)

Существительное в притяжательном падеже служит определением к другому существительному и отвечает на вопрос «чей?» (whose?).

1. Неодушевленные существительные образуют притяжательный падеж при помощи предлога “of”:

the leg of the table, the top of the box.

2. Одушевленные существительные образуют притяжательный падеж путем прибавления к существительному окончания -’s (знака апострофа и буквы s):

a boy’s book – книга мальчика

children’s books – книги детей

an actress’s career – карьера актрисы

his mother-in-law’s flat – квартира его тещи

Если существительное во множественном числе имеет окончание -s, то притяжательный падеж обозначается только знаком апострофа:

the boys’ toys, the students’ books.

Когда два лица и более являются обладателями одного и того же предмета, окончание притяжательного падежа прибавляется к последнему существительному:

Nick and Helen’s flat – квартира Ника и Хелен.

Если у каждого лица свой собственный предмет(ы), то окончание притяжательного падежа прибавляется к каждому существительному:

Pushkin’s and Lermontov’s poems – стихи Пушкина и Лермонтова.

3. Некоторые неодушевленные существительные образуют притяжательный падеж при помощи -’s:

a) существительные, обозначающие звезды, планеты:

the sun’s rays;

б) существительные, обозначающие страны, города, корабли, реки, моря, океаны, а также существительные world, country, city, ship:

Moscow’s theatres, world’s best museums, the ship’s crew;

в) существительные, обозначающие время и расстояние:

a day’s work, an hour’s journey, at a kilometre’s distance, yesterday’s match;

г) существительные, обозначающие организацию (группу людей):

the government’s decision, the company’s success.

Exercises

Ex. 1. Paraphrase the following using the possessive case.

Example: The son of our manager – our manager’s son

A

1) the house of Mr. Smith; 2) a doll of the girls; 3) the works of Rembrandt; 4) a toy of baby; 5) a meeting of the employees; 6) the bags of those women; 7) the orders of our boss; 8) the books of the children; 9) the cottage of my parents; 10) a garage of the cousin.

B 1) coal deposits of the world; 2) the influence of the sun; 3) the atmosphere of the earth; 4) the joys and grieves of the life; 5) the arrival of the ship; 6) icy mountains of Greenland; 7) the policy of the company; 8) gold reserves of Russia; 9) gravitation of the planet; 10) the decisions of the commission.

C 1) the mother of Kate and Mary; 2) the children of my aunt Ann; 3) the paintings by Picasso and Dali; 4) the gun of the commander-in-chief; 5) the times of Ivan the Terrible; 6) the speech of Ministers of Foreign Trade; 7) the correspondent of the Herald Tribune; 8) a flat of my father-in-law; 9) the wives of Henry the Eighth; 10) oil wells of Saudi Arabia.

D

1) a cruise which lasts three weeks; 2) work which takes two hours; 3) a distance of five kilometres; 4) the operation which lasted four hours; 5) the flight which took three hours; 6) a semester of eight weeks; 7) the rest which lasted an hour; 8) a play of three acts; 9) a football match which lasts ninety minutes; 10) a telephone conversation which lasts three minutes.

Ex. 2. Use -’s or -’ where possible.

1. the father of James 2. the books of his children 3. the walls of the room 4. the surname of Helen and Peter 5. the parents of John 6. the brother of this boy 7. the children of these women 8. the cover of the book 9. the music of Glinka and Chaikovsky 10. the profession of these men 11. the birthday of my step-father 12. the name of her sister-in-law 13. the pages of the book 14. the surface of the Earth 15. the new club of the students 16. the toys of the twins 17. the car of my parents 18. the handbags of these women 19. the photos of my sons 20. the top of the page.

Ex. 3. Join according to the given example. Translate into Russian.

Example: Good news/today.

Today’s good news. – Сегодняшние хорошие новости.

1. A meeting/last Saturday. 2. A snow storm/yesterday. 3. A study/last year. 4. The newspaper/Friday. 5. The rain/last night. 6. A show/next evening. 7. A journey/two days. 8. An interval/two weeks. 9. The work/three hours. 10. Тhe holiday/a month. 11. The walk/ten minutes.

Test

1. His advice … always reasonable. I advise you to follow …

   1. are, them b) are, it c) is, it d) is, them

2. The applause … deafening. I can’t stand … any longer. Let’s go out.

   1. are, them b) is, it c) is, them d) are, it

3. The second witness’s evidence … more convincing. … made me believe that the suspect is innocent.

   1. are, it b) is, it c) are, they d) is, they

4. Look, her, clothes … brand new. Where did she get the money to buy …?

   1. is, it b) are, it c) are, them d) is, them

5. The Browns who lived in … house … dining with the Harrisons who … their best friends.

   1. a three-storey, were, were b) three-storeys, were, was c) a three-storey’s, were, were d) three-storeys’ was, were

6. The information he gave us … convincing. I don’t think we should check.

   1. is, it b) is, them c) are, them d) are, it

7. Her pyjamas … made of silk. I like … very much.

   1. is, it b) is, them c) are, it d) are, them

8. The scissors … dull! I can’t cut anything with … .

   1. are, them b) is, them c) is, it d) are, it

9. When I move to London, I’ll have to find lodgings. I’m afraid … will be very expensive and I’ll have to pay for … half of my salary.

   1. is, it b) they, them c) they, it d) it, them

10. I think billiards … a dull game. I wonder why the youth nowadays … so fond of …?

    1. are, is, it b) is, are, it c) are, are, them d) is, are, them

11. He is so depressed. The contents of the letter … made public. General public … discussing ... .

    1. have been, is, them b) has been, are, it c) have been, are, them d) has been, is, it

12. Look! Goods … displayed in the window. The manager says there will be … sale.

    1. are, two-days’ b) is, two-day’s c) are, a two-days d)is, a two-day

13. Our family … good at playing draughts. Draughts … our favourite game. We play … every weekend.

    1. is, is, it b) are, is, it c) are, are, them d) is, are, it

14. Stop! The traffic … heavy and the traffic lights … red. In … time you will cross the street.

    1. is, is, two-minutes b) are, are, a two-minute c)are, is, a two-minutes’ d) is, are, two-minutes’

15. He spent … holiday at the ….

    1. a week, Richardsons’ b) week’s, Richardson c) a weeks, Richardsons d)week, Richardson’s

16. She was going for … walk across the fields to the … house. She was sure that he would help her because it was the duty of … to help poor people like her.

    1. a ten-miles, governor’s-general, governor-generals b) a ten-mile’s, governor-general’s, governors-general c) a ten-mile, governor-general’s, governor-generals d) ten miles’, governor-generals’, governors-general

17. She wished she had a little garden with … and … , like that of …

    1. lilies-of-the-valleys, forgets-me-nots, Mrs. Sand b) lily-of-the-valleys, forget-me-nots, Mrs. Sand’s c) lilies-of-the-valley, forget-me-nots, Mrs. Sand’s d) lilies-of-the-valleys, forget-me-not, Mrs. Sand

18. Take your … and get out with … ! You got my … notice, didn’t you?

    1. belonging, it, two weeks b) belongings, it, a two weeks c) belongings, them, two weeks’ d) belonging, them, two week’s

19. We want to equip our factory with … and to install … in the assembly shop.

    1. new machineries, them b) a new machinery, it c) new machines, it d) new machinery, it

20. Have you got all the … by Byron in your home library? – Yes, I have, but I haven’t read all of … .

a) works, them b) work, it c) works, it d) work, them