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An Advanced English Grammar with Exercises. George Lyman Kittredge
Most uses of the possessive come under the general head of possession in some sense. Special varieties of meaning are source (as in “hen’s eggs”) and authorship (as in “Wordsworth’s sonnets”).
A possessive noun or pronoun modifies the substantive to which it is attached as an adjective might do. Hence it is classed as an adjective modifier.
Forms of the Possessive Case
90. The possessive case of most nouns has, in the singular number, the ending ’s.
Examples:
the owl’s feathers,
Elizabeth’s hat,
the officer’s name.
Plural nouns ending in s take no further ending for the possessive. In writing, however, an apostrophe is put after the s to indicate the possessive case.
Examples:
the owls’ feathers,
the officers’ names,
the artists’ petition,
the engineers’ ball.
Plural nouns not ending in s take ’s in the possessive.
Examples:
the firemen’s ball,
the policemen’s quarters,
the children’s hour.
Note. In older English the possessive of most nouns was written as well as pronounced with the ending -es or -is. Thus, in Chaucer, the possessive of child is childës or childis; that of king is kingës or kingis; that of John is Johnës or Johnis. The use of an apostrophe in the possessive is a comparatively modern device, due to a misunderstanding. Scholars at one time thought the s of the possessive a fragment of the pronoun his; that is, they took such a phrase as George’s book for a contraction of George his book. Hence they used the apostrophe before s to signify the supposed omission of part of the word his. Similarly, in the possessive plural, there was thought to be an omission of a final es; that is, such a phrase as the horses’ heads was thought to be a contraction of the horseses heads. Both these errors have long been exploded.
91. Nouns like sheep and deer, which have the same form in both the singular and the plural, usually take ’s in the possessive plural.
Thus, the deer’s tracks would be written, whether one deer or more were meant.
92. Possessive Singular of Nouns ending in s.
1. Monosyllabic nouns ending in s or an s-sound usually make their possessive singular by adding ’s.
Examples:
Charles’s hat,
Forbes’s garden,
Mr. Wells’s daughter,
Rice’s carriage,
Mrs. Dix’s family,
a fox’s brush.
Note. Most of these monosyllabic nouns in s are family names. The rule accords with the best usage; but it is not absolute, for usage varies. Hence forms like Charles’ and Wells’ cannot be condemned as positively wrong, though Charles’s and Wells’s are preferable. In speaking, the shorter form is often ambiguous, for there is no difference in sound between Dix’ and Dick’s, Mr. Hills’ and Mr. Hill’s, Dr. Childs’ and Dr. Child’s.
2. Nouns of two or more syllables ending in s or an s-sound, and not accented on the last syllable, may make their possessive singular by adding ’s, or may take no ending in the possessive.
In the latter case, an apostrophe is added in writing, but in sound there is no difference between the possessive and the nominative.
Examples:
Burrows’s (or Burrows’) Hotel,
Æneas’s (or Æneas’) voyage,
Beatrice’s (or Beatrice’) gratitude,
Felix’s (or Felix’) arrival,
for conscience’s (or conscience’) sake.
Most of the nouns in question are proper names. In speaking, one must often use the longer form to prevent ambiguity; for Williams’ and William’s, Roberts’ and Robert’s, Robbins’ and Robin’s, are indistinguishable in sound.
Note. Nouns of two or more syllables ending in s or an s-sound and accented on the last syllable, follow the rule for monosyllables. Thus—Laplace’s mathematics (not Laplace’); Alphonse’s father (not Alphonse’).
When final s is silent (as in many French names), ’s must of course be added in the possessive. Thus—Descartes’s philosophy (pronounced Daycárt’s).
Use of the Possessive Case
93.16 Possession may be denoted by a phrase with of as well as by the possessive case. The distinction between the two forms cannot be brought under rigid rules, but the following suggestions will be of use.
I. In older English and in poetry the possessive case of nouns is freely used, but in modern prose it is rare unless the possessor is a living being. A phrase with of is used instead.
The mayor of Detroit (NOT Detroit’s mayor).
The top of the post (NOT the post’s top).
The prevalence of the epidemic (NOT the epidemic’s prevalence).
Contrast the poetic use:—
Belgium’s capital had gathered then Her beauty and her chivalry.—Byron.
Other prepositions are sometimes used: as—“the explosion in New York” (NOT “New York’s explosion”), “the station at Plymouth.”
II. When the possessor is a living being, good usage varies.
1. If there is actual ownership or possession of some material thing, the possessive case is generally used in the singular: as—“John’s hat” (not “the hat of John”). The possessive plural, however, is often replaced by a phrase with of, to avoid ambiguity or harshness: as—“the jewels of the ladies” (rather than “the ladies’ jewels”)17, “the wings of the geese” (rather than “the geese’s wings”).
2. With nouns denoting a quality, an act, or the like, either the possessive or the of-phrase is proper: as—“John’s generosity,” or “the generosity of John”; “John’s condition,” or “the condition of John”; “the guide’s efforts,” or “the efforts of the guide”; “Cæsar’s death,” or “the death of Cæsar.”
When there is any choice, it usually depends on euphony (that is, agreeable sound), and is therefore a question of style. Sometimes, however, there is a distinction in sense. “John’s fear,” for example, indicates that John is afraid; but “the fear of John” means the fear which John inspires in others.
III. The following phrases are established idioms with the possessive. In