The use of 's/s' for purposes other than possession

While the genitive is generally associated with possession (usually answering the question Whose ?), apostrophe s serves other purposes as well, for example:

Regular use: Fathers chair ( = the one he usually sits on)
Relationship: Angela’s son (i.e. Angela has a son)
+ favourite: Fish and chips is John s favourite dish
Actions: Scott's journey (i.e. the journey Scott made)

Purpose: A girls’ school (= a school for girls)

Characteristics: Johns’ stammer (i.e. John has a stammer)
Others: Building oil rigs is a man’s work (= suitable for)

Mozart is a composer’s composer (= appreciated by)

The use of's and s' compared with the use of 'of

The 's construction is not possible in e.g. the key of the door or the leg of the table because we do not normally use 's with non-living things [> 2.10.1, 2.44]. When-s indicates ownership, every 's

The genitive

construction can have an of equivalent, but not every of-construction

can have an 's equivalent. So: aman s voice can be expressed asthe voice of a man Keats' poetry can be expressed asthe poetry of Keats

And instead ofthe leg of the table, we can saythe table-leg

The use of s and s' with living things

We may use s ors' after:

Personal names:Gus's Restaurant Jones s car

Personal nouns:the doctor's surgery man s future

Indefinite pronouns:anyone s guess, someone s responsibility
Collective nouns:the army s advance, the committee s decision

'Higher animals':the horse s stable, the horses stables

Some 'lower animals':an ants nest, a bees sting

When we refer to material which is produced or made by a living animal, 's is generally required (stress on first word): a 'bird s nest 'cow's milk 'lamb's wool, etc. Where the source of a material is an animal that has been slaughtered, 's is not generally used (varied stress):'beef 'broth 'cowhide, a 'ham sandwich 'sheepskin, etc.