POSSESSION means ownership, Possessive apostrophe (‘) indicates ownership
POSSESSIVE FORM OF NOUN is formed by using possessive apostrophe (‘)
James’s car, cat’s tail, Jane’s office etc.
NOTE: (‘s) is not used with life less things, instead we use ‘of’
We can say teacher’s keys but not cupboard’s keys, we should say keys of the cup board.
Similarly we can say name of the city, roof of the building etc.
POSSESSIVE FORM OF PERSONAL PRONOUN – It has two possessive forms
Personal pronoun
|
Possessive pronoun
|
Possessive determiners
|
I
|
Mine
|
my
|
We
|
Ours
|
our
|
You
|
yours
|
your
|
He
|
his
|
his
|
She
|
hers
|
her
|
it
|
its
|
its
|
they
|
theirs
|
their
|
NOTE ‘you’ is used both as singular and plural pronoun. The old form of singular ‘you’ is
‘thou’ it is out of use now. Some call possessive determiner as adjective, according
to Michael Swan It’s not correct.
Changing determiner to possessive pronoun
Possessive pronoun
|
Possessive determiner
|
This is my shirt
|
This shirt is mine
|
This is my pen and That is your pen
|
This pen is mine and that is yours (your's is incorrect)
|
That is your cabin
|
That is yours (Your's is incorrect)
|
Changing possessive form of noun to possessive form of pronoun or simply
changing noun to pronoun
Jim’s car is white (Noun form)
His car is white (pronoun form)
NOTE: Don’t be scared of so many grammatical terms you don’t need to
remember neither the names nor their definitions, It’s more than enough if
you are just aware of their practical usage.While speaking English don’t be
afraid of minor grammatical slips, these slips are common, because speech is
spontaneous and the neuro-muscular (thought-speech) coordination may not
be in pace . Some people pace their speech in such a way that their slips
are hardly noticed by the listener. Usage of appropriate words and correct
pronunciation is indispensable. Incorrect pronunciation and improper word
order might change the whole context, look at following sentence
Mispronounced/Misspelt
Julia said that she received an important massage from her boss the day before. (She
mispronounced/misspelt message), Imagine the damage the misspelt word would cause
to her career.
Improper word order
Joe thought of marrying Julia several times. (Without any sense)
Joe thought several times of marrying Julia. (Correct)
RULES TO ADD POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE (‘)
1 If it is a noun add (‘s) at the end of the noun
e.g. his sister’s car, My father’s friend etc.
2. If it is a plural noun add just (‘) at the end of the noun
e.g. Students’ hostel (Many students), Doctors’ car (many doctors) etc.
3. If it is a irregular noun (not ending with ‘s’) add (‘) before ‘s’
e.g. children’s park, men’s club etc.
4. Two or more related nouns indicating separate possession
e.g. Cathy’s and Pope’s Novels.
5. Two closely related nouns
e.g. Putin and Medvedive’s rule.
6 When noun has more connected words add apostrophe to the last word.
e.g. Harry potter the acclaimed actor’s home. The woman next door’s husband. etc.
7 when nouns are in apposition.
That is Rowling the novelist’s house.
8 When two nouns are closely related.
Laurel and Hardy’s plays.
USAGE OF APOSTROPHE IN DIFFERET CONTEXTS
With personified things (Fortune’s call, nature’s way duty’s call etc.)
Time, space and quantity noun.( A foot’s length, a pound’s weight, a week’s holiday etc.)
For God’s sake, at her fingers’ tips. He ate to his heart’s content, The ship’s crew etc.
Note: The word fingers always used as plural.
More Rules
How many 2’s are there in ten?
He was born in ’61 (’61 = 1961)
In early 1950’s or 1050s
The Boss’s wife.
She was educated at St. Anne’s (St. Anne’s = School/college)
Where is St. Paul’s (St. Paul’s = Church/School/College)
There is a party at my nephew’s to night.( nephew’s house)
Homers’ ideas, Oedipus’ Plight. (With the names of legends s’ is used)
Charles’s terrible wife. (In general). Mr. Ross’s car. Dickens’s novel.
He’s a cousin of Joseph’s (He’s = his , Joseph’s = of Joseph)
I saw a boy friend of Jane’s last week.
‘Whose is this?’ ‘John’s’
Janet is at hairdressers (‘s is dropped )
William is at butchers. (for buying meat)
Jim is at gold smith’s (gold smith = Profession/business)
They bought it at Jims ( Jim = Jim cookware) – apostrophe is avoided from the names of
shops , business houses etc.
Whose is that car? (Who’s is that car)
Maria’s house is bigger than Jane’s.
It’s = it is, Its = of it.
She spells b’s instead of p’s.
9 O’ clock = 9 of the clock.
It is a nice proposal, but there are lot of if’s and but’s (doubts/clarifications)
The President met some MPs. (Apostrophe is optional)
How’s that brother of yours/hers/his.
I met an old boyfriend of Cathay’s last night.
Affairs of others seem more interesting than one’s own.
Apostrophe in contractions
Contraction
|
meaning
|
I’m
|
I am
|
I’ve
|
I have
|
I’d
|
I would/had
|
I’ll
|
I will
|
You’re
|
You are
|
You’ll
|
You will
|
You’ve
|
You have
|
You’d
|
You would/had
|
he’s
|
He is/had
|
he’d
|
He would/had
|
he’ll
|
He will
|
She’s
|
She is/has
|
She’d
|
She would/had
|
She’ll
|
She will
|
|
|
We’re
|
We are
|
We’ll
|
We will
|
We’ve
|
We have
|
We’d
|
We had/would
|
they’re
|
They are
|
they’ll
|
They will
|
they’ve
|
They have
|
they’d
|
They had/would
|
there’s
|
There is/has
|
there’ll
|
There will
|
there’d
|
There would/had
|
It’s
|
It is
|
Contractions– Negatives
Contraction
|
Meaning
|
aren’t
|
Are not
|
can’t
|
cannot
|
couldn’t
|
Could not
|
daren’t
|
Dare not
|
don’t
|
Did not
|
doesn’t
|
Does not
|
didn’t
|
Did not
|
haven’t
|
Have not
|
hasn’t
|
Has not
|
hadn’t
|
Had not
|
isn’t
|
Is not
|
mustn’t
|
Must not
|
mightn’t
|
Might not
|
needn’t
|
Need not
|
oughtn’t
|
Ought not
|
shouldn’t
|
Should not
|
shan’t
|
Shall not
|
usedn’t
|
Used not
|
wasn’t
|
Was not
|
weren’t
|
Were not
|
wouldn’t
|
Would not
|
won’t
|
Will not
|
News head lines (Not related to real life)
Obamas in Moscow, to inaugurate US cultural fest,
We’re safer in sea than on land: Captain of Odyssey, after Tsunami strike off Sumatra.
Dr. Rex’s drug gets EU nod. (EU = European Union)
Putin’s and Medvedev's rule comes under sharp criticism after the recent election.
The Queen met commoners at Buckingham, People watched each gesture of hers.
Ads/slogans
In the early 60s, want to be in early 40s – Try 40 Plus, free from after effects. RX Herbal
wonders.
BSS Insurance and securities- Your hearts’ choice since 1901.
It rains gold at Christis – Egypt antiques go under hammer tomorrow.
Savour every moment of you stay – Bays, Alaska. (Bays = Bay water front resort)
Laural and Hardy’s plays at full swing - Globe theater.
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