An Advanced English Grammar with Exercises. George Lyman Kittredge
rays,
the moon’s reflection,
the pit’s mouth,
a rope’s end,
his journey’s end,
at his wit’s end,
the ship’s keel,
the water’s edge,
the cannon’s mouth,
out of harm’s way,
at swords’ points,
for pity’s sake,
for conscience’ sake;
(2) a moment’s pause,
a year’s time,
a hand’s breadth,
a boat’s length,
a month’s salary,
a week’s notice,
a night’s rest,
a day’s work,
a stone’s throw,
a feather’s weight,
an hour’s delay,
a dollar’s worth,
not a foot’s difference.
In the second group of phrases (“a moment’s pause,” etc.), the possessive denotes not ownership, but measure or extent.
IV. The possessive case of certain pronouns (my, our, your, his, her, its, their) is more freely used than that of nouns in expressions that do not denote actual ownership.
I know him to my sorrow. [Compare: to his loss, to our detriment, to his advantage.]
The brass has lost its polish.
This question must be decided on its merits.
His arguments did not fail of their effect.
For the inflection of these pronouns, see § 115. For the use of whose, see § 152.
94. When a thing belongs to two or more joint owners, the sign of the possessive is added to the last name only.
Brown, Jones, and Richardson’s factories. [Brown, Jones, and Richardson are partners.]
It is George and William’s turn to take the boat. [George and William are to go in the boat together.]
On the other hand, in order to avoid ambiguity we should say, “Brown’s, Jones’s, and Richardson’s factories,” if each individual had a factory of his own; and “George’s and William’s answers were correct,” if each boy answered independently of the other.
95. In compound nouns the last part takes the possessive sign. So also when a phrase is used as a noun.
My father-in-law’s home is in Easton.
We had a quarter of an hour’s talk.
Other examples are the following:—
My brother-in-law’s opinion;
the commander-in-chief’s orders;
the lady-in-waiting’s duties;
the coal dealer’s prices;
Edward VII’s reign;
the King of England’s portrait;
half a year’s delay;
in three or four months’ time;
a cable and a half’s length;
the pleasure of Major Pendennis and Mr. Arthur Pendennis’s company (Thackeray).
Note. Noun-phrases often contain two substantives, the second of which is in apposition with the first. In such phrases, of is generally preferable to the possessive. Thus, we may say either “Tom the blacksmith’s daughter” or “the daughter of Tom the blacksmith”; but “the son of Mr. Hill the carpenter” is both neater and clearer than “Mr. Hill the carpenter’s son.” The use of ’s is also avoided with a very long phrase like “the owner of the house on the other side of the street.”
An objective may stand in apposition with a possessive, the latter being equivalent to of with an object. Thus—“I am not yet of Percy’s mind [= of the mind of Percy], the Hotspur of the North” (Shakspere).
96. The noun denoting the object possessed is often omitted when it may be readily understood, especially in the predicate.
Conant’s [shop] is open until noon.
I buy my hats at Bryant’s [shop].
We will dine at Pennock’s [restaurant].
That camera is mine. (See § 122.)
This construction is common in such expressions as:—
He was a relative of John’s.
That careless tongue of John’s will get him into trouble.
In the first example, “a relative of John’s” means “a relative of (= from among) John’s relatives.” The second example shows an extension of this construction by analogy. See § 122.
Objective Case
97. The objective case, as its name implies, is the case of the object. Most of its uses are covered by the following rule:—
The object of a verb or preposition is in the objective case.
The object of a preposition has already been explained and defined (§§ 20–21).
98. The object of a verb may be (1) the direct object, (2) the predicate objective, (3) the indirect object, (4) the cognate object. Of these the direct object is the most important.
The objective is also used (5) adverbially (§ 109), (6) in apposition with another objective (§ 110), and (7) as the subject of an infinitive (§ 111).
1. Direct Object
99. Some verbs may be followed by a substantive denoting that which receives the action or is produced by it. These are called transitive verbs. All other verbs are called intransitive.
1. That man struck my dog.
2. The arrow hit the target.
3. Cæsar conquered Gaul.
4. Mr. Holland sells flour.
5. The farmer raises corn.
6. Mr. Eaton makes stoves.
7.