attributive genitive case
- noun
- /əˈtrɪb.jʊ.tɪv ˈdʒɛn.ɪ.tɪv keɪs/
- Specialized
- The attributive genitive case often expresses a possessive relationship, as in ‘Sarah’s book’.
Examples
-
In the phrase ‘the teacher’s desk’, ‘teacher’s’ is an example of the attributive genitive case.
-
The attributive genitive case is important in English grammar.
-
Understanding the attributive genitive case is important for students studying English grammar.
-
I learned about the attributive genitive case in class.
-
In the phrase ‘the teacher’s desk’, ‘teacher’s’ is an example of the attributive genitive case.
-
The attributive genitive case often expresses a possessive relationship, as in ‘Sarah’s book’.
-
Students should familiarize themselves with the attributive genitive case to improve their understanding of English grammar.
Synonyms
A form of a word that shows something belongs to someone
Showing that something belongs to someone, for example 'the girl's book'
A noun using the 's form before another noun to show who owns or is connected to it
A grammatical form that shows possession or a close relationship, usually shown with 's
A word form that shows who something belongs to, for example John's book
Surface Forms
Morphology
attributive + genitive + case
The phrase is transparently built from its parts: 'attributive' (modifying a noun) + 'genitive' (possessive form) + 'case' (grammatical category) straightforwardly yields the meaning of a genitive/possessive form used attributively. This is a literal, compositional grammatical term (and parallels exist in many languages), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Attributive genitive case is the name for when a noun or a person's name comes before another noun like a label, for example John's mother. The noun in front, shown by the 's form, tells 'possession' or a close link, so the term explains why the owner is put before the thing.