Meaning of -'s | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A possessive marker, indicating that an object belongs to the noun or noun phrase bearing the marker.
   enclitic, morpheme
2. Used to form the plurals of numerals, letters, some abbreviations and some nouns, usually because the omission of an apostrophe would make the meaning unclear or ambiguous.
   enclitic, morpheme, proscribed, sometimes
3. In the absence of a specified object, used to indicate “the house/place/establishment of”.
   enclitic, morpheme
4. Used to form plurals of foreign words, to clarify pronunciation, such as “banana’s” or “pasta’s”.
   enclitic, morpheme, obsolete
5. Indicates a purpose or a user.
   enclitic, morpheme
6. Used to form the plural of nouns that correctly take just an "s" in the plural. See greengrocer’s apostrophe.
   enclitic, morpheme, proscribed
7. Used to indicate a quantity of something, especially of time.
   enclitic, morpheme
8. Used to indicate various other kinds of relationship, such as source or origin, object of an action, subject depicted, etc.
   enclitic, morpheme
9. Attached to a noun or noun phrase linked to a genitive of, forming a double genitive (Compare of mine, etc.)
   enclitic, morpheme

Equivalents

Examples

“Jane's house is bigger than Sarah's.”

“The cat bit the dog's tail. (the dog + 's)”

“The cat bit the dog with the shaggy fur's tail. (the dog with the shaggy fur + 's)”

“women's contributions to science”

“Before kick-off, a section of Chelsea's support sadly let themselves and their club down by noisily interrupting the silence held in memory of the Hillsborough disaster and for Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini, who collapsed and died after suffering a heart attack during a Serie B game on Saturday.”

“We'll arrive at Jose and María's in time for dinner.”

“I'm going to the butcher's for a steak.”

“I bought it at Tesco's. (see s-form)”

“greengrocer's”

“You need a driver's license.”

“Alex can be a girl's name.”

“That's a girl's toy. (A toy intended for use by girls.) — Homographic to: That's a girl's toy. (The toy of a specific girl.)”

“people's”

“I took three weeks' holiday.”

“The rocks lay at about a mile's distance from the shore.”

“She got angry at my niece's trying to lie to us.”

“the doctor's help (help provided by the doctor)”

“the King's capture (event of the King being captured)”

“my father's portrait (portrait depicting my father)”

“in Dublin's fair city (in the fair city of Dublin)”

“a friend of Sarah's”

“Have you heard this new idea of our boss's?”

“NAy, but this dotage of our Generals Ore-flowes the meaſure: […]”

“There are four 3’s in my phone number.”

““Banana” has three a’s and one b. (apostrophe "s" used so that the plural of “a” is not confused with the word “as”)”

“You can buy CD’s in that shop.”

“These are the do’s and don’ts. (apostrophe "s" used as “dos” may be misread)”

“10’s; 100’s; A+’s; A.U.’s; don’t’s; s’s”

“index’s”

“Apple’s 50p a pound”

CEFR level