Questions about the possessive, one of several constructions that describe ownership or association between two objects.
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Plural possessive with separate posessions
When we refer to a house that belongs to a family, we say "family's house". Pluralizing family gives us "families". Referring to the houses of several families, we say "families' houses". Forming the ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Why do we use 's when not abbreviating is/was?
I'm not English hence I don't know how this is called in the first place (that's why the title of this question should be changed) but what I'm referring to is this "s" used in English language to ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Why use “his” in association with the word “mankind”?
I have a doubt. The economist Keynes in a book wrote:
The power to become habituated to his surroundings is a marked characteristic of mankind.
I would have used "its" instead but since English ...
2
votes
2answers
153 views
“Ear doctor's” vs “Ear doctor”
In one of Stephen King's books titled "On Writing" he writes: "The next week my mother called another taxi, we went back to the ear doctor's, and I found once more lying on my side with the absorbent ...
1
vote
1answer
218 views
Best link to forward to juniors re: correct use of apostrophes, possessives and contractions
I'm tired of my junior employees abusing, misusing and otherwise being cavalier about possessives and the use of apostrophes. I could wag my finger at them, point them to some Guide of Style or to any ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Proper way to handle plurals with “whose”
I came up (re)phrasing a question like this :
What's so special about directories whose name begins with a dot?
But now, I'm wondering whether this is correct handling of plurals or not. Should ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
“Dad's corner” or “dads' corner”
Which is right: dad's corner or dads' corner? I see dad's corner used regularly so I am assuming that's right, but in my mind dad's is singular whereas the corner belongs to multiple dads as it's a ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How do you make a word like “parent(s)” possessive? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
"Please submit your and your parent(s)' federal tax returns." Is the possessive of "parent(s)'" correctly ...
2
votes
2answers
664 views
Correct form of object of sentence with grouped possessive and personal pronoun?
Lets say the object of a sentence is a possessive, of more than one nouns. Something that is say both someone else's and my own. IE Tom's and mine, as in the sentence
This meeting requires Tom and ...
-2
votes
4answers
650 views
What is a “Norman genitive”? [closed]
I have encountered such a term, and I have no idea what it is. Could it be 'of'?
2
votes
2answers
203 views
Correct order of multiple possessive words
Which is correct:
Myrtle’s party took place in her and Tom’s apartment
Or
Myrtle’s party took place in Tom's and her apartment
Or neither?
2
votes
1answer
314 views
Plurals, Possesives, and Proper Nouns ending with 'S' [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
I just took a grammar quiz in 10th grade English Honors, and one of the questions was very interesting to me.
In ...
6
votes
2answers
871 views
“You” or “your” when using two subjects with a possession?
I came across your and Mr X's publication
or
I came across you and Mr X's publication
0
votes
2answers
358 views
Using the apostrophe when referring to a group
Consider these sentences. The first is as I sent it to an editor. The second is as the editor sent it back, corrected as he saw it. I almost sent it back with my first version, then added the 'from' ...
2
votes
3answers
524 views
Genitive case or noun as adjective
Is there any rule for when it is better to use genitive case or noun as adjective? I'm not sure if there is any difference in meaning in this example:
The department of accounting
The ...
2
votes
1answer
77 views
Proper use of possessives
If I wanted to talk about treasure owned by multiple explorers, how would I write it?
The explorers' treasure.
OR
The explorer's treasure.
Is the plural form of explorer considered ...
5
votes
2answers
897 views
Plural name apostrophe position
At my English lesson the native English speaker couldn’t tell what is correct and promised to search it for us!
He told us that if James is one person then we should write
James' Book
but if ...
4
votes
2answers
212 views
Why do we use “its” for possessive? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why doesn't “its” have an apostrophe?
Generally, there is an apostrophe when someone possesses something:
That's Gerald's cat.
Gerald's cat is ...
5
votes
2answers
3k views
What is the correct syntax for a plural possessive of a word already ending in s? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
Before you vote to close as a duplicate, note that these two questions deal with similar issues to this, but none ...
1
vote
2answers
356 views
0
votes
2answers
163 views
How can I use 's correctly? [closed]
For example,
Peter's movements are completely different than John's movements.
What can I replace John's movements with?
3
votes
0answers
78 views
How to use “my” correctly in a plural possessive? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “my wife and I's” correct, or should it be “my wife's and my”?
Are the following sentences grammatically correct? If not, how should I ...
15
votes
3answers
3k views
When is a gerund supposed to be preceded by a possessive pronoun?
I assume that the following sentences are grammatically correct:
He resents your being more popular than he is.
Most of the members paid their dues without my asking them.
They objected ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views
How to use the possessive form when referring to someone else and yourself? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is “my wife and I's” correct, or should it be “my wife's and my”?
How to use the possessive form when referring to someone else and ...
1
vote
0answers
102 views
Dogs' or dogs's? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
Me and a friend are wondering whether the right form of the possessive for the plural of a word (say dog) would be ...
17
votes
1answer
4k views
Ones or one's: Which is the correct usage?
I've been confused about this as long as I can remember. Should it be:
One should do ones duty.
or
One should do one's duty.
I'm guessing it should be the latter. But that doesn't sit well ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Possessive form for words ending in “y”
Which of the following is correct?
The fortune 500 companys' assets are vast.
The fortune 500 companies' assets are vast.
5
votes
1answer
125 views
Castleford dialect
I have recently heard the following from young children originating from Castleford, West Yorkshire:
Yourn, meaning yours,
hern, meaning hers,
arn, meanig ours
Could this be related to the ...
3
votes
1answer
247 views
St. John's greatest dinner: how to indicate a possessive of a noun which already ends apostrophe - s [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
If the cricket ground Lord's is a possessive, what if you want to describe something belonging to Lord's?
Here's a tricky one that I can't quite figure out the ...
3
votes
1answer
152 views
Apostrophe or assume the possessive?
This question has divided the office into two camps. Camp 1 believes the correct way to indicate the relationship in this sentence is to use the client's name as a possessive, as in "When ...
1
vote
5answers
385 views
“human brain capacity” or “human brain's capacity”
What is the correct version please?
The human brain capacity to do something.
The human brain's capacity to do something.
1
vote
2answers
4k views
Jones's or Jones'? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
When did it become correct to add an 's' to a singular possessive already ending in 's'?
I've always heard that ...
2
votes
1answer
167 views
“A friend of his” type expression for abstract entities
Like many non-native speakers, formulations like "a friend of his" strike me as counter-intuitive, but I'm trying to adapt. Now I have a strange situation: I want to apply it to abstract entities. The ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
How to form the possessive case of indefinite pronouns? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Should I use “everyone's”, “everyones'” or “everyones”?
I was writing a sentence in Google Docs that contained the following ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Why “themselves” and “himself”
In the earliest grades of elementary schools, students learn that "hisself" and "theirselves" are not words. I do not understand why this is.
If you wanted to refer to 'his' sock, you would say "his ...
1
vote
3answers
1k views
Using apostrophe when abbreviating “recommendations” as “reco's”
When abbreviating the word "recommendations" as "reco's", is it proper to use the apostrophe to show that it's an abbreviation, or does it conflict with a possessive apostrophe?
2
votes
2answers
3k views
“these days” - what is the correct usage/meaning?
Recently whilst writing a report I typed the following sentence:
"Funerals still represent a celebration of the life of the deceased, but these days families and friends often use the time to ...
4
votes
2answers
548 views
Ambiguity when a sentence contains multiple possessive pronouns
I have a question related to another one that I have asked.
In the following sentence, whose father is being referenced?
Billy’s friend and his father were there.
In the following re-structured ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
“Thousand Dollars Worth” or “Thousand Dollars' Worth”. Is this a Possessive?
I was writing the following sentence:
Five thousand dollars worth of equipment does not a professional photographer make.
Apart from the other questionable syntax in this over-stylized sentence, ...
2
votes
1answer
282 views
Possessive form in alternate names or other extra clarifying sentences?
Suppose I'd like to refer to a car owned by my neighbor. I write this as "That's Mr. Johnson's (my neighbors) car". Should I write the extra "my neighbor" in it's genitive form?
Sorry if the title ...
0
votes
1answer
788 views
When To Use “'s” At The Ending Of The Word? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
First, sorry about my English.
I would love to know when I need to add 's at the ending of the word.
1) When I ...
7
votes
2answers
449 views
Definite or indefinite article in “the/a devil's advocate”
I can't quite figure out which of the following expressions is more correct:
He is the devil's advocate.
He is a devil's advocate.
He is playing devil's advocate.
The combination of an article ...
5
votes
3answers
843 views
Can I say “Please find my yesterday’s and today’s daily reports in the documents.”
Can I say "Please find my yesterday’s and today’s daily reports in the documents."?
2
votes
1answer
177 views
Which goal is whose?
Here is the situation:
Kids in a small yard are about to play soccer. There are no goalposts in that yard (or "goals" or whatever you call it, I mean those metal frames on each side of the soccer ...
1
vote
3answers
121 views
When should I use “your”, and when “you're”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Your” vs. “you're”: Why the confusion?
Instead of saying "you're free to [...]," I've seen many people use "your free to [...]."
I've seen ...
-1
votes
2answers
493 views
Apostrophe for words ending with the letter S [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s?
When did it become correct to add an 's' to a singular possessive already ending in 's'?
I always had this ...
2
votes
3answers
612 views
Is it “consumer savings” or “consumers’ savings”?
In the previous year, consumers' savings had decreased.
or
In the previous year, consumer savings had decreased.
Which one is valid and why?
5
votes
1answer
222 views
What is the possessive for several names?
If Alice and Bob each has a house, are these "Alice and Bob's houses" or "Alice's and Bob's houses"?
Does that change anything if each of the houses belongs to both of them?
4
votes
2answers
149 views
Referring to “the assertion made in the US Supreme Court's majority opinion”
I want to refer to an assertion that is part of the written majority opinion in a particular case, put forth by the US Supreme Court's majority for that case.
Question spurred by my attempts to do ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
Possessive of Queen's? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Possessive of a word that's already possessive?
I ran into this issue today. Referring to Queen's University, how would you say "I've been accepted to Queen's MA ...
