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.