genitive case exercise

[hela]

Dear teachers,

Would you please correct my exercise ?

Rewrite the following sentences using a genitive case where possible.

1. I have found an egg laid by a bird. => I have found a bird's egg.

2. The only cinema in town has closed down.

3. It takes me about three hours to drive to London. => It takes me about a three hours' drive OR a three-hour drive to (get/go ?) London.

4. Tom had an argument with one of my sister’s friends. => Tom had an argument with a friend of my sister’s.

5. I have never visited the house of Mr & Mrs Brady. => I have never visited Mr & Mrs Brady's house.

6. The victory of the French was a surprise.

7. He did not attend the meeting that took place last week. => He did not attend last week's meeting.

8. The adventures of Ulysses were incredible. => Ulysses' advebtures were incredible.

9. This is a game for children. => This is a children's game.

10. The Thatcher policy was very conservative. => (Mrs ?) Thatcher's policy was very conservative.

11. The business run by Mum and Dad is going well. => Mum and Dad’s business is going well.

Thank you for your help and wish you all the best.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Dear teachers,

Would you please correct my exercise ?

Rewrite the following sentences using a genitive case where possible.

1. I have found an egg laid by a bird. => I have found a bird's egg.

2. The only cinema in town has closed down.

3. It takes me about three hours to drive to London. => It takes me about a three hours' drive OR a three-hour drive to (get/go ?) London.

4. Tom had an argument with one of my sister’s friends. => Tom had an argument with a friend of my sister’s.

5. I have never visited the house of Mr & Mrs Brady. => I have never visited Mr & Mrs Brady's house.

6. The victory of the French was a surprise.

7. He did not attend the meeting that took place last week. => He did not attend last week's meeting.

8. The adventures of Ulysses were incredible. => Ulysses' advebtures were incredible.

9. This is a game for children. => This is a children's game.

10. The Thatcher policy was very conservative. => (Mrs ?) Thatcher's policy was very conservative.

11. The business run by Mum and Dad is going well. => Mum and Dad’s business is going well.

Thank you for your help and wish you all the best.

This sounds like a homework exercise. Is it?

 

[hela]

Hello MikeNewYork,

No, it's not a homework. I found the exercise on the net and I wanted somebody to tell me if I did it right. If you google it, you'll find it. Unfortunately, the answers did not come with it.

I wish you a very happy new year and I thank you again for all the help you give us all.
Best regards

 

[bhaisahab]

Dear teachers,

Would you please correct my exercise ?

Rewrite the following sentences using a genitive case where possible.

1. I have found an egg laid by a bird. => I have found a bird's egg.

2. The only cinema in town has closed down.

3. It takes me about three hours to drive to London. => It takes me about a three hours' drive OR a three-hour drive to (get/go ?) London.

4. Tom had an argument with one of my sister’s friends. => Tom had an argument with a friend of my sister’s.

5. I have never visited the house of Mr & Mrs Brady. => I have never visited Mr & Mrs Brady's house.

6. The victory of the French was a surprise.

7. He did not attend the meeting that took place last week. => He did not attend last week's meeting.

8. The adventures of Ulysses were incredible. => Ulysses' advebtures were incredible.

9. This is a game for children. => This is a children's game.

10. The Thatcher policy was very conservative. => (Mrs ?) Thatcher's policy was very conservative.

11. The business run by Mum and Dad is going well. => Mum and Dad’s business is going well.

Thank you for your help and wish you all the best.

Your answers are all correct. In #6 the possessive cannot be used. Understanding that, how would you rewrite it?

 

[Barb_D]

2: The town's only cinema has closed.

 

[hela]

Good evening Barb,

Is it possible to use the genitive with an inanimate object -all the more so as "town" is not a proper noun ? I understand that it is possible to say something like "Eaton's only cinema has closed" but what about "town"?


Bhaisahab,

For #6 it seems that I can't use a compound either this is why I left it unchanged. If I wrote "the French victory" it would mean that the victory is French, wouldn't it ?

I wish you all the very best for the coming year.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Good evening Barb,

Is it possible to use the genitive with an inanimate object -all the more so as "town" is not a proper noun ? I understand that it is possible to say something like "Eaton's only cinema has closed" but what about "town"?


Bhaisahab,

For #6 it seems that I can't use a compound either this is why I left it unchanged. If I wrote "the French victory" it would mean that the victory is French, wouldn't it ?

I wish you all the very best for the coming year.

Yes, it is fine to use the genitive with some entities: city, town, village, state, nation, etc.

"French victory" is also fine. It is not a genitive; it uses French as an adjective.

 

[Barb_D]

Good evening Barb,

Is it possible to use the genitive with an inanimate object -all the more so as "town" is not a proper noun ? I understand that it is possible to say something like "Eaton's only cinema has closed" but what about "town"?

Do you think I would take the time to post a deliberately wrong or misleading answer?