Grammar / Noun the category of Case 2

30 • Parti.Accidence

3. The Dependent Genitive may express the doer of an action (the so-called subjective genitive) or show that some person is the object of the action (the so-called objective genitive):

It was Tom's step, then, that Maggie heard on the steps. (Eliot) Gwendolen's reception in the neighbourhood fulfilled her uncle's expectations. (Eliot)

4. The noun in the genitive case may denote qualitative relations:

He looked ever so much smarter in his new officer's clothes with the little blue chevron... (Aldington)

The use of the genitive case of nouns denoting inanimate things and abstract notions is rather limited.

The genitive case of nouns denoting inanimate things may denote the relations between a part and the whole.

... the sudden shaking of an aspen's leaves in the puffs of breeze that rose along the river... (Galsworthy)

He stepped on the truck's running board hanging on with his left arm. (Heym)

The genitive case of nouns expressing time, space and weight is widely used.

From the depot he was sent to the officers' training camp with two days' leave. (Aldington)

They both quite took to him again and during his month's leave gave him a good time. (Aldington)

There is a remnant still of the last year's golden clusters...

(Eliot)

The three of us had had dinner, and walked down past the theatre to the river's edge. (Snow)

B. The Absolute Genitive.

1. The Absolute Genitive maybe used anaphorically.

Mrs. Moss's face bore a faded resemblance to her brother's.

(Eliot)

The face Michael drew began by being Victorine's and ended by being Fleur's. (Galsworthy)

Chapter I. The Noun • 31

On her way home she usually bought a slice of honey-cake at the baker's. (Mansfield)

"My dear," said the lace collar she secured from Partridge's, "I fit you beautifully." (Dreiser)

The Absolute Genitive may be introduced by the preposition of.

She is a relation of the Colonel's. (Austen)