The GENITIVE SAXON is often used in English to indicate possession, especially when the possessor is:
EXAMPLE:
- person or animal My brother’s car is red – (“My brother’s car is red”)
- country or city London’s squares are large – (“The squares of London are big”)
- adverbs of time Today’s match is at 4.00 – (“Today’s game is at 4:00”)
- expression of distance and weight It’s a 700 kilometers’ journey – (“It’s a 700-km journey”)
- indefinite pronouns Everyone’s body temperature is 37 ° C – (“Everyone’s body temperature is 37 ° C”)
GENITIVO SAJÓN is built using the following scheme:
who has + ‘s + person, animale or thing in possession (without article)
When the possessor ends in -s, it can be followed only by the apostrophe without s:
EXAMPLE:
It’s a 700 kilometers’ journey (“It’s a journey of 700 km”)
When there is more than one owner:
it is added only to the last possessor if the possession is shared
EXAMPLES:
John and Mary’s parents are in Sweden. – (“John and Mary’s parents are in Sweden)
it is added only to each possessor if the possessed is individual John’s and Mary’s parents are in Sweden. – (“John’s parents and Mary’s parents are in Sweden)
The following nouns are often omitted when they have the function of “possessed thing”:
- house
- restaurant
- shop / store
- hospital
- church / cathedral
- office
EXAMPLE:
- She’s going to Bob’s – (“She’s going to Bob’s house”)
- Where is the nearest chemist’s? (“Where is the nearest pharmacy?”)
- We visited St. Paul’s (“We have visited St. Paul’s Cathedral”)
