He dropped the ____ and broke it.
A. cup of coffee B. coffee's cup C. cup for coffee D. coffee cup(全国高考,93-38)
我选了 B。但同学告诉我，我选错了。难道名词的所有格不能作定语吗？
本题的正确答案是 D, 见 nouns 。应当记住: 哪些名词能用所有格形式作定语, 哪些名词不能用所有格形式作定语, 是有规则的。粗略地说, 下面的名词可以用所有格形式作定语:
A. 表示有生命体的名词： teachers' reading-room(教师阅览室) children's books(儿童读物) the horse's tail(马尾)
the government's policy(政府的政策) the committee's decision(委员会的决定)
C. 表示时间、地点、距离、交通工具的名词：
yesterday's newspaper(昨天的报纸) three years' time(三年的时间) China's steel production(中国的钢铁产量) three miles' distance(三英里的距离) the plane's engine(飞机发动机)
D. 表示家、店铺、办公室、教堂的所有者的名词。此时通常只保留所有格名词，而省略中心词：
the tailor's (shop) (裁缝店) my uncle's (house) (我叔父家) the doctor's (office) (医生办公室)
请做下面的英语试题：
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In 1921 Einstein was given the ____ for physics. A. Prize of Nobel B. Nobel's Prize C. Nobel Prize D. Prize of Nobel's
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After climbing for two hours, we were glad to take ____ rest. A. a few minute's B. a few minutes' C. few minutes's D. few minutes'
A. a few minute's B. a few minutes' C. few minutes's D. few minutes' genitive case (所有格)
（1）____ will make a trip around the world during the coming Christmas.
A. The Evens B. The Even's C. The Evenses D. The Evenses' (上海高考, 93-29)
(2)——Where is your brother? ——At ____. A. Mr Green's B. Mr Green C. the Mr Green's D. the Mr Green(全国高考)
试题(1)要求选名词主格(The Evenses)，而试题(2)却要求选名词所有格(Mr Green's)这是怎么回事呢？
表姓氏的名词复数加上定冠词,是表示“……全家人”的意思:
The Einsteins did manage to send Einstein to a technical school. 爱因斯坦一家人设法把爱因斯坦送到一所技术学校去学习。
而表姓氏的名词的所有格，有时是指“……的家、商店、办公室等等”，即省略了中心词house, shop或office等等。因此，试题(2)的Mr Green's是“格林先生家”的意思：
We are having dinner at my aunt's. 我们正在婶母家吃饭。
请做下面的英语试题：
——Who did you spend last weekend with? — ____.
A. Palmer's B. The Palmers' C. The Palmers D. The Palmer's(上海高考,98-1)