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Le Génitif
Le Génitif
> Construction la plus courante : 's → Noms, singuliers et pluriels irréguliers
Indiana's hat ; Charles's family / The waitress's sister ; The children's room
> Pluriel réguliers qui se terminent par un s :
→ The Obamas' new house ; Our neighbours' car
Exception : noms d'origines bibliques ou mythologique
→ Hercules' strenghth/Jesus' life
Elisabeth the First's successors. → Les successeurs d'Elisabeth première
Ross and Monica's parents. → Les parents de Ross & Monica
Rachel's and Phoebe's parents. → Les parents de Rachels et ceux de Phoebe.
> ATTENTION, ne pas confondre 's et une contraction de verbe !
The train's leaving = The train IS leaving
Her father's gone out = Her father HAS gone out.
> Génitif déterminatif (remplacent le déterminant dans la phrase) :
I have met this man's mother.
=> I have met HIS mother.
I have met the mother of this man.
=> I have met this man's mother.
Marge is Bart's mother. = Marge is the mother of Bart.
Ben is a supporter of Arsenal.
≠ Ben is Arsenal's supporter = Ben is THE supporter of Arsenal.
She handed me the first slice of cake. ≠ She handed me the first cake's slice.
> Pour poser la relation entre deux termes il faut une structure en « of », ou alors il faut que le deuxième élément soit évident, comme ici :
I prefer my house to Snoopy's house. → I prefer my house to Snoopy's.
Have you been to the butcher's today? (pas besoin d'ajouter « shop »)
> A déjà eu lieu = génitif / L'action n'a pas encore eue lieu = structure en OF :
The baby's birth was a delight for the family.
The birth of the baby will be a delight for the family.
> On préfère utiliser le génitif de possession quand il s'agit d'une personne :
Batman's car / The colour of the bike
> Quand le groupe nominal est très long, on préfère la structure en OF :
Simple : Do you know Bree's husband ? / Do you know the husband of Bree ?
→ Do you know the husband of our wonderfully gifted at cooking new neighbour ?
Do you know our wonderfully gifted at cooking new neighbour's husband ?
→ Do you know the husband of Bree, who lives on Wisteria lane and has two kids ?
Do you know Bree, who lives on Wisteria lane and has two kids' husband ?
> On ne peut pas toujours remplacer par une structure en OF :
She's been worried about Fred's sight since he had this accident.
I can't stand the sight of Fred ! He looks so stupid with his new clothes.
> Disctintion entre génitif déterminant et génitif générique :
Avec un déterminant : I think that's the butcher's car over there. = I think that's HIS car.
Génitif jouant le rôle d'un adjectif :
• There were a butcher's knife on her kitchen table.
→ There was a professional knife on her kitchen table.
• They sometimes go to a children's library = a library for children.
> Génitif de mesure : mesure le temps ou la distance :
It's only a ten minutes' drive from her place to school.
It's only a ten kilometers' walk from her place to school.
Nom composé : It's only a ten-minute drive from her place to school.
> Temps et distance : distance ≠ de la taille
• They built a ten-meter swimming pool. They built a ten meter's swimming pool.
• She gave him a ten-pound note. She gave him a ten pounds' note.
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