In Section 1.3.3 I referred to the
-’s
morpheme in English as the POSSESSIVE form. This term describes the function of the
-’s
suffix in noun phrases like
Kim’s dog, where it does indicate possession. But
-’s
doesn’t always have a possessive meaning. For this reason, linguists oft en use the more general term GENITIVE, which indicates that there is a formal relationship between the elements in the noun phrase without specifying any meaning.
Task: Consider the following data, and try to classify the various diff erent ways in which genitive
-’s
can be used to indicate semantic (meaning) relationships in the noun phrases. Feel free to add more data of your own. Generalize where possible, and be as precise as you can in your descriptions.
(1) Kim’s denial/conclusion/ problem
(2) the book’s ending / the book’s cover
(3) today’s lecture / today’s date
(4) the professor’s book
(5) next door’s kids
(6) the boy’s inactivity
(7) that decision of the President’s
(8) Lee’s surprise (at the low price)
(9) the dog’s death
(10) the newspaper’s editor
(11) the woman’s family
(12) the tree’s growing habits