The Possessive Case

1) Is this a doll of the girls?

Yes. This is the girls' doll.

2) Are these the works of Rembrandt?

Yes. These are Rembrandt's works.

3) Is this a toy of the baby?

Yes. This is the baby's toy.

4) Is this a meeting of the employees?

Yes. This is the employees' meeting.

5) Are these the bags of those women?

Yes. These are those women's bags.

6) Are those the orders of our boss?

Yes. Those are our boss's orders.

7) Are these the books of the children?

Yes. These are the children's books.

8) Is this the cottage of your parents?

Yes. This is my parents' cottage.

9) Is this the policy of the company?

Yes. This is the company's policy.

10) Is this the mother of Kate and Mary?

Yes. This is Kate and Mary's mother.

11) Is this the gun of the commander-in-chief?

Yes. This is commander-in-chief's gun.

12) Is this the speech of the Minister of Foreign Trade?

Yes. This is the Minister of Foreign Trade's speech.

13) Is this the correspondent of the Herald Tribune?

Yes. This is the Herald Tribune's correspondent.

14) Is this the flat of your father-in-law?

Yes. This is my father-in-law's flat.

15) Are those oil wells of Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Those are Saudi Arabia's oil wells.

1) Whose diary is this? (Bridgit Jones)

Bridgit Jones'/ Jones's.

2) Whose cars are those? (my sons-in-law)

My sons-in-law's.

3) Whose room is this? (my children)

My children's

4) Whose wife was Ann Boleyn? (Henry VIII)

Henry the Eighth's

5) Whose paintings are those? (Picasso and Dali)

Picasso's and Dali's

6) Whose daughter is this? (Jenny and George)

Jenny and George's

7) Whose bag is this? (Jess)

Jess'/ Jess's

8) Whose sweater is this? (my son-in-law)

My son-in-law's

1) How long did the flight last? (three hours)

It was three hours' flight (a three-hour flight).

2) How long was the play? (three acts)

It was three acts' play (a three-act play).

3) How long did the work take? (two hours)

It was two hour's work (two-hour work).

4) How long did you talk? (three minutes)

It was three minutes' talk (a three-minute talk).

5) How long did the operation last? (five hours)

It was five hours' operation (a five-hour operation).

6) How long did you rest? (a month)

It was a month's rest (a month-long rest).

1) Every day at noon we have a break, which lasts fifteen minutes.

Every day at noon we have fifteen minutes' break.

2) The distance he covered is a mile only.

I can't understand why he is so tired. He covered a mile's distance only.

3) The walk to the station was short. It took us ten minutes.

It was ten minutes' walk to the station.

4) Last year we spent two weeks in Greece. The holiday was terrific.

Last year we had two weeks' holiday in Greece.

5) If you want to get there trip will take you only five hours.

If you want to get there you will have only five hours' trip.

6) Don't take a training course that lasts a week. It won't do you good.

Don't take a week's training course. It won't do you good.

7) I slept only five hours yesterday because my train came late.

I had five hours' sleep yesterday because my train came late.

8) Yesterday our lesson lasted thirty minutes because our teacher was to leave at 12 o'clock.

Yesterday we had thirty minutes' lesson because our teacher was to leave at 12 o'clock.

10) My workweek lasts five days.

I have five days' workweek.

1. The beauty of Ireland is really breathtaking.

1. Ireland's beauty is really breathtaking.

2. The coats of the children need cleaning.

2. The children's coats need cleaning.

3. The cover of the book is very bright.

3. --

4. The policy of the company is still not clear to me.

4. The company's policy is still not clear to me.

5. The construction of the new metro line has started.

5. ---

6. The TV programmes of last night were very interesting.

6. Last night's TV programmes were very interesting.

7. I was shocked by the opinion of Bess.

7. I was shocked by Bess's opinion.

8. The children had a holiday for a week.

8. The children had a week's holiday.

9. We need to paint the roof of the house

9. ---

10. The back of the chair was too low.

10. ---

11. There was a lamp at the head of the bed.

11. ----

1. Where can I buy some bread?

At the baker's

2. Where can I have my clock repaired?

the watch-maker's

3. Where can I have my tooth filled?

At the dentist's

4. Where can I buy some meat?

At the butcher's

5. Where can I have a new suit made?

At the tailor's / the dressmaker's

6. Where can I have a shave?

At the barber's

1. Are you going to buy some bread?

1. Yes. I am going to the baker's

2. Your house is being renovated. Are you living with your Granny now?

2. Yes. I am living at my Granny's.

3. Is Mum having her hair dome?

3. Yes. She is at the hair-dresser's.

4. Is your watch being repaired?

4. Yes. It is at the watch-maker's.

5. Is your favourite coat being cleaned?

5. Yes. It is at the cleaner's.

6. Are you going to have your dress taken up?

6. Yes. I am taking it to the dress-maker's.

7. Are you going to celebrate it with your friends?

7. Yes. We are having a party at my friends'.

8. Are you going to buy some writing paper?

8. Yes. I am going to the stationer's.

9. Is your sister buying some medicine for her child?

9. Yes. She is at the chemist's.

1) Is this Andrew's friend?

Yes. This is a friend of Andrew's.

2) Is that your niece?

Yes. This is a niece of mine.

3) Is that your mother's friend?

Yes. This is a friend of my mother's.

4) Is that Dr. Sandford's patient?

Yes. This is a patient of Dr. Sandford's.

5) Is that your uncle's house?

Yes. This is a house of my uncle's.

6) Is this your friend's painting?

Yes. This is a painting of my friend's.

7) Is this your neighbour's dog?

Yes. This is a dog of my neighboour's.

8) Is this your sister's child?

Yes. This is a child of my sister's.

1. Who do you say is always eavesdropping? (your curious sister)

1. This curious sister or yours is.

2. What do you say gets on your nerves? (our neighbours' noisy parties)

2. These noisy parties of our neighbours' do.

3. Who do you say always misbehaves?

(your lovely children)

3. Those lovely children of yours do.

4. Who do you say woke you up?

(my neighbour's dog)

4. This dog of my neighbour's did.

5. What do you say spoilt the party?

(George's favourite music)

5. That favourite music of George's did.

6. Who do you say made you upset?

(Lisa's rude boyfriend)

6. This rude boyfriend of Liza's did.

7. What do you say spoilt the impressions?

(Mike's stupid questions)

7. Those stupid questions of Mike's did.

1. It is my fault. You are not to blame.

1. It is my fault, not yours.

2. It is my office. It is not the office of my boss.

2. It is my office. It is not my boss's.

3. His eyes avoided the eyes of Andrew.

3. His eyes avoided Andrew's.

4. This room is smaller than the room of my sister.

4. This room is smaller than my sister's.

5. This is my coat. That is my father's coat.

5. This is my coat. That is my father's.

6. Mike's hand writing is impossible to make out, while his sister's hand writing is really neat.

6. Mike's hand writing is impossible to make out, while his sister's is really neat.

7. These are Mary's books? Where are my books?

7. These are Mary's books. Where are mine?

1. Your smile is warm/beautiful.

1. So is ...

2. Your eyes are almond-shaped/ slanting/ deep-set.

2. So are ...

3. Your legs are slim.

3. So are ...

4. Your skin is sun-tanned/pale.

4. So is ...

5. Your hair is wavy/curly/permed/ blond/straight/dyed.

5. So is ...

6. Your face is freckled/oval/pale.

6. So is...

7. Your nose is straight/a bit curved/turned up.

7. So is ...

8. Your eye-lashes are thick/long.

8. So are ...

1. Tony can play in the yard as much as he wishes.

1. Tony can play in the yard to her heart's content.

2. Helen doesn't know what to do. She is at a loss.

2. Helen is at her wit's end.

3. Mr White is buying a house not far from the Sandfords'.

3. Mr White is buying a house at a stone's throw from the Sandfords'.

4. Mr Sandford has known Mr White for God knows how long.

4. Mr Sandford has known Mr White for for donkey's years.

5. Helen always invites Mary for a cup of coffee. She is her old friend.

5. Helen always invites Mary for a cup of coffee for old friendship's sake.

6. She is always so reserved with me.

6. she keeps me at arm's length.

7. I know the history of the town well. I have read about it a lot.

7. I have the town history at my fingers' tips.

Эд­вард один из близких друзей моей сестры.

Edward is a close friend of my sister’s.

Я обыч­но встречаюсь со своими родственниками в доме у бабушки и дедушки.

I usually meet my relatives at my grandparents’.

Это замечание Феликса было совсем некстати.

This remark of Felix’s was out of place/not to the point.

Это не мои учебники, они Макса.

These books are not mine, they are Max’s.

Экзамены позади, теперь мы можем вволю развлекаться.

The exams are over. Now we can enjoy ourselves to our heart’s content.

Ради бога, пойми же, наконец, что ты ходишь по острию бритвы.

For God’s sake, try to understand that you are on the razor’s edge.

Не пытайся обмануть меня, я далеко не дура.

Don’t try to cheat me, I am nobody’s fool.

Давай уйдем отсюда от греха подальше.

Let’s go away, out of harm’s way.

Я счи­таю, что приличия ради, нам нужно согласиться на их приглашение.

I think we should take their invitation for appearance’s sake.

Романы Ильфа и Петрова попу­лярны у многих поколений читателей.

Ilf and Petrof’s novels are popular among different generations of readers.

–Где твои часы? – В часовой мастерской.

Where is your watch? – At the watch-maker’s.

–Кто эта женщина? – Мать Мэри и Джона.

Who is this woman? – She is Mary and John’s mother.

Комнаты Сэма и Фрэнка довольно большие.

Frank’s and Sam’s rooms are quite spacious.

Вчера я купила на 300 рублей мяса и на 50 рублей яблок.

Yesterday I bought three hundred roubles’ worth of meat and fifty roubles’ worth of apples.

Книги Донцовой и Поляковой очень популярны в нашей стране.

Dontsova's and Polyakova’s books are very popular in our country.

Это чья-то чужая идея, а не моя.

It is someone else’s idea, not mine.

Мысленным взглядом Тэд увидел вновь дом родителей, который стоял у озера.

In his mind’s eye Ted again saw his parents’ house, which was (stood) near the lake.

От дома Майкла до гостиницы рукой подать.

Michael’s house is at a stone’s throw from the hotel.

Агент был на волосок от провала.

The agent was at a hair’s breadth of failure.

Он написал книгу о сегодняшней Франции.

He wrote a book about today’s Britain.