In brief
- Saxon genitive (‘s): possessor + ‘s + possessed object. Used with people, animals, countries, organizations.
- Regular plural: add only the apostrophe after the final s: the students’ books.
- Irregular plural: no final s, so add ‘s normally: the children’s room.
- Genitive with of: for inanimate objects and long nominal groups.
- Names ending in -s: two accepted forms: James’s car or James’ car.
- Time expressions: yesterday’s news, two hours’ drive, a day’s work.
The English genitive is used to express a relationship of possession, ownership, or association between two nouns. In French, we use “de”: “la voiture de Paul”. In English, two structures exist: the Saxon genitive with ‘s, and the construction with of. The choice between the two depends mainly on the type of possessor.
The Saxon genitive: basic formation
The most common construction is the Saxon genitive. The possessor is placed first, followed by ‘s, then the name of the possessed object. The order is therefore the reverse of French.
| French | Saxon genitive | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| la voiture de Paul | Paul’s car | possessor + ‘s + object |
| la chambre de Sophie | Sophie’s room | possessor + ‘s + object |
| le chien de ma mère | my mother’s dog | possessor + ‘s + object |
| le bureau du directeur | the manager’s office | possessor + ‘s + object |
| les pattes du chat | the cat’s paws | possessor + ‘s + object |
The Saxon genitive applies mainly to people, animals, countries, and organizations. For any other type of possessor (inanimate object, abstract concept, long nominal group), the construction with of is generally preferred.
Four spelling cases to know
1. Singular name without final s
Simplest case: add ‘s directly.
the woman’s coat: the woman’s coat
London’s museums: London’s museums
the company’s headquarters: the company’s headquarters
2. Regular plural name (ending in -s)
When the name is already plural and ends in s, add only the apostrophe, without an additional s. The pronunciation does not change.
my parents’ house: my parents’ house
the teachers’ lounge: the teachers’ lounge
the girls’ team: the girls’ team
3. Irregular plural name (without final s)
Irregular plurals like children, men, women, people, teeth do not end in s. So add ‘s to them just like to a singular.
the men’s changing room: the men’s changing room
the women’s section: the women’s section
the people’s choice: the people’s choice
4. Proper names ending in -s
This is the case that generates the most hesitation. Two forms are accepted in English. The form with ‘s is more common in American English; the apostrophe alone is often preferred in British English for classical names.
| Form with ‘s | Form with apostrophe alone | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| James’s car | James’ car | James’ car |
| Charles’s office | Charles’ office | Charles’ office |
| Paris’s streets | Paris’ streets | Paris’ streets |
| Jesus’s teachings | Jesus’ teachings | Jesus’ teachings |
The only absolute rule: choose one form and stick to it within the same text. Both are correct; alternating within the same document is a consistency error.
The genitive with of
The of construction places the possessed object first, followed by of, then the possessor. It is the direct equivalent of the French “de”, but its usage in English is more restricted than in French.
We use of in three main situations.
The first is with inanimate objects: the roof of the house (the house’s roof), the beginning of the story (the story’s beginning), the end of the film (the film’s end). Saying the house’s roof is understood but not natural.
The second is with abstract concepts or abstract nouns: the importance of education, the cost of living, the quality of life.
The third is with long or complex nominal groups, where the Saxon genitive would produce an awkward construction.
| Construction with of (natural) | Saxon genitive (awkward) |
|---|---|
| the victory of the French national team | the French national team’s victory (heavy) |
| the opinion of the man I met yesterday | the man I met yesterday’s opinion (impossible) |
| the results of the study published last month | the study published last month’s results (impossible) |
How to choose between ‘s and of
The main criterion is the nature of the possessor. If it is a person, an animal, a country, or an organization, the Saxon genitive is natural. If it is an object, a concept, or a long nominal group, of is preferable.
| Type of possessor | Recommended structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Person | ‘s | Anna’s laptop |
| Animal | ‘s | the horse’s mane |
| Country, city | ‘s | France’s economy / the city’s transport |
| Organization, business | ‘s | the government’s decision |
| Inanimate object | of | the leg of the table |
| Abstract concept | of | the depth of the problem |
| Long nominal group | of | the opinion of the committee |
Certain object names accept both structures depending on context and register. The book’s cover and the cover of the book are both correct and frequent. The story’s beginning is rarer than the beginning of the story, but not incorrect.
The genitive in time and measurement expressions
The Saxon genitive is commonly used with expressions of duration, distance, and value. These constructions work with time names as possessors, which often surprises French speakers.
| Expression | Translation |
|---|---|
| yesterday’s news | yesterday’s news |
| today’s meeting | today’s meeting |
| last week’s report | last week’s report |
| a day’s work | a day’s work |
| two hours’ drive | two hours’ drive |
| a month’s notice | a month’s notice |
| five minutes’ walk | five minutes’ walk |
| a pound’s worth | a pound’s worth |
In these duration expressions, the time name is always followed by an apostrophe (without an additional s if the name is plural: two hours’, three days’). With a singular, we keep the ‘s: a day’s, a month’s.
The group genitive
When the possessor is a group of words (a relative clause, a list), the apostrophe is placed at the end of the last element of the group, not on the first word.
the King of England’s crown: the crown of the King of England
my brother and sister’s room: my brother and sister’s room (shared room)
my brother’s and sister’s rooms: my brother’s and sister’s rooms (separate rooms)
This last distinction is important: when two possessors share the same object, a single ‘s is enough on the last name. When each possesses their own object, each name takes its ‘s.
The double genitive
English allows a construction that combines of and ‘s in the same sentence. This structure, called double genitive or postpositive genitive, is used to express that an element is part of a larger set.
a painting of Picasso’s: a painting of Picasso’s (among his works)
that car of Sarah’s: that car of Sarah’s
a colleague of my father’s: a colleague of my father’s
A friend of John and a friend of John’s do not mean exactly the same thing. The first version (of John) is less common and can seem ambiguous. The second (of John’s) clearly specifies that this friend belongs to John’s circle of friends.
The omission of the possessed name
In English, we can omit the possessed name when it is clear from context, particularly to avoid repetition. The genitive remains present, but nothing follows the apostrophe.
I went to the baker’s.: I went to the baker’s. (implied: the baker’s shop)
We had dinner at my parents’.: We had dinner at my parents’.
I saw it at the chemist’s.: I saw it at the chemist’s.
This construction is very frequent for designating shops and places associated with a profession: the doctor’s, the dentist’s, the butcher’s, St Paul’s (St Paul’s Church).
Common pitfalls
its is a possessive adjective: The dog wagged its tail. ✓
it’s is the contraction of it is: It’s cold today. ✓
The dog wagged it’s tail. ✗
The dogs bone ✗ The dog’s bone ✓
Without an apostrophe, the reader may interpret dogs as an ordinary plural.
The car’s of Paul ✗ Paul’s car ✓
The apostrophe always marks the possessor, never the possessed object.
the students’s books ✗ the students’ books ✓
When the plural already ends in s, the apostrophe alone is sufficient.
Practical exercise
Test your knowledge of the English genitive:
Question 1. How do you say “the children’s room” in English?
Question 2. Which form is correct for “my parents’ house”?
Question 3. Which of these sentences correctly uses the genitive with of?
Question 4. What does two hours’ drive mean?
Question 5. Which sentence is correct to say “the briefcase of the man I met yesterday”?
Question 6. What is the difference between my brother and sister’s room and my brother’s and sister’s rooms?
Question 7. Which sentence correctly uses its?
Your score
