Sometimes with names of seasons, months, days when they are personified;

Around the feast... we... gather
In complete... jubilation...
Happiest of sea... sons
Now is here.
Many are the reasons for good cheer.

[DUSSEL comes from the bedroom. He comes over to the table, standing beside MARGOT, listening to them as they sing. ]

Together
We’ll weather
Whatever tomorrow may bring.

[ As they sing on with growing courage, the lights start to dim. ]

So hear us rejoicing
And merrily voicing
The Hanukkah song that we sing.
Hoy!

[ The lights are out. The curtain starts slowly to fall. ]

Hear us rejoicing
And merrily voicing
The Hanukkah song that we sing.

[ They are still singing as the curtain falls. ]

 

To the stem of the noun in the singular;

e.g. the pupil’s exercise; the actress’s voice; the child’s mother

 

2) to the stem of plural nouns not ending in – S;

e.g. men’s work women’s clothes children’s room

 

3) proper names ending in – s can take – ‘s or the apostrophe alone – ‘;

e.g. Mr. Jones’s / Mr. Jones’ house Yeats’s /Yeats’ poems

 

In both cases suffix is pronounced [iz].

 

4) with compounds, the last word takes the – ‘s;

e.g. his sister-in-law’s car

her mother-in-law’s jewellery

the editor-in-chief’s orders

 

5) names consisting of several words also take the – ‘s;

e.g. Henry the Eighth’s wives; the Prince of Wales’s helicopter

 

S can be added to the initials;

e.g. the VIP’s escort the MP’s decision

 

§ 2.3. The apostrophe – ‘ alone is added to:

 

1) plural nouns ending in – s;e.g. the students’ hostel the eagles’ nest

 

2) Classical proper names;e.g. Pythagoras’ Theorem Archimedes’ Law Sophocles’ Plays

 

THE USE OF THE POSSESSIVE CASE

 

The possessive case is mainly used with nouns denoting living beings (people, animals).

e.g. a woman’s intuition the people’s choice the crew’s quarters

 

§3.2. In the following instances the possessive case may be used with names denoting inanimate nouns (lifeless things):

With nouns expressing time or distance;

e.g. a few days’ trip a mile’s distance a moment’s pause

 

With the geographical notions (town, city, country, river, water, ocean, world);

e.g. Europe’s future the island’s outline Russia’s exports

 

With ships and boats;

e.g. the ship’s bell the yacht’s mast (мачта)

 

4)with planes, trains, cars and other vehicles! (though here the of construction is better);

e.g. the train’s heating system or the heating system of the train

 

5) in expressions of money + worth;

e.g. ten roubles’ worth of stamp thirty thousand pounds’ worth of jewellery

 

6) with for + noun + sake;

e.g. for his mother’s sake for her family’s sake

 

In set-expressions;

A stone’s throw - небольшое расстояние

For pity’s sake - умоляю вас; во имя всего святого!; ради бога!

At death’s door - на пороге смерти; на краю гибели; при смерти; на краю могилы

To one’s heart’s content - вволю; всласть; сколько душе угодно

At one’s wit’s end - ум за разум заходит; стать в тупик

(to have smth) At one’s finger’s ends - знать что-л. как свои пять пальцев, владеть чем-л. в совершенстве; ≈ собаку съесть на чём-л

To a hair’s breadth - точно; точь-в-точь

Out of harm’s way - в безопасности; от греха подальше

For old acquaintance’s sake = for old sake's sake в память прошлых лет, во имя прошлого, по старой дружбе, по старой памяти.

For appearance’s sake - для отвода глаз

A pin’s head - булавочная головка; ничтожное (что-л.); очень маленькое

The needle’s eye/point - трудный путь; узкий проход; игольное ушко

For goodness’ sake = For heaven’s sake - ради Бога (для выражения раздражения, досады, мольбы); ради всего святого; во имя всего святого!

In one’s mind’s eye - духовное око; мысленный взгляд

Duty’s call –

With the names of newspapers and nouns denoting different kinds of organizations;

e.g. the Tribune’s role the government’s policy the party’s appeal

sometimes with names of seasons, months, days when they are personified;

e.g. today’s newspaper a winter’s day or winter day Autumn’s return

 

§3.3. OF + noun is used for possessions:

 

1) with inanimate nouns, except those listed above in § 3.2.;

e.g. the walls of the room the roof of the house the handle of the door

However, it is often possible to replace noun X + of + noun Y by noun Y + noun X in that order:

e.g. the town walls the house roof the door handle

The first noun becomes a sort of adjective and is not made plural.

e.g. the roofs of the houses = the house roofs

 

2 ) when the “possessor” noun is followed by a phrase or a clause;

e.g. I took the advice of a couple I met on the train and hired a car.

She is the sister of the girl with whom we were at school together

.