The independent (absolute) genitive

A noun in the genitive may be used without a head-word. It is used:

a) to avoid repetition: “Whose hat is that?” — “ Virgina’s ”;

b) to denote places where business is conducted: a t the hairdresser’s, at the butcher’s;

c) People’s houses can be referred to in this way when we are talking about the host-guest relationship: We hold a lovely evening at Peter and Helen’s. Roger was at the Watsons’ last night;

d) Firms and institutions, hospitals, churches and cathedrals often have names, ending in -s genitive. The names of firms are often written without an apostrophe: Harrods, Selfridges, Bank of Berkley’s (or Barkleys), McDonald's (or McDonalds), Marks and Spencer's (or Marks and Spencers), St Paul’s (Cathedral), St John’s (College).

There is also the double genitive. It is used when a noun is modified by two successive nouns one of which is in the genitive case and the other with the “of”- phrase: a friend of my father’s.

The noun in the genitive case must be both definite and personal: a story of Agatha Christie’s, a story of my father’s, but not: a story of a writer’s.

Note alsothat the noun preceding the “of” - phrase cannot be a proper noun: Mrs Brown’s Mary but never Mary of Mrs. Brown.

It is importantto remember that the noun preceding the “of” - phrase is premodified with the indefinite article as the meaning of the double genitive is “one of many”: a friend of Mrs White’s, but not the friend of Mrs White’s.

It is also possible to use demonstrative pronouns which presuppose familiarity: t his wife of John’s, that idea of Ann’s.