Questions about the possessive, one of several constructions that describe ownership or association between two objects.
0
votes
1answer
29 views
“Compute column last line” vs “compute column's last line” [closed]
Is "compute column last line" correct? Or should I write it "compute column's last line"?
Regarding a program which computes the last line of a given excel column.
3
votes
1answer
45 views
How to Construct an Unambiguous Joint Possessive that Follows a Verb?
How to Construct an Unambiguous Joint Possessive that Follows a Verb?
I've read that when writing about multiple possessors who jointly posses a thing, the common practice is to add a Saxon-genitive ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
Attributive or Possessive noun
In the following is it better to use a possessive noun with an apostrophe or an attributive noun without an apostrophe?
The following list details the assumptions that have been made in
...
2
votes
1answer
65 views
Singular/plural possessive form of fish? [closed]
The singular form of fish is fish. The plural form of fish is also fish. What are their possessive forms?
88
votes
15answers
6k views
Is there a correct gender-neutral, singular pronoun (“his” versus “her” versus “their”)?
Is there a pronoun I can use as a gender-neutral pronoun?
Each student should save his questions until the end.
Each student should save her questions until the end.
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Job title + possessive case [duplicate]
Is the following construct (grammatically) correct?
Swiss mathematician and physicist Leonhard Euler's contribution to number theory was [...]
It sounds clumsy to me; however, this rewrite sounds ...
-3
votes
0answers
31 views
correct form of genitive case [closed]
Why form framework configuration is correct?
Shouldn't it be framework's configuration of configuration of the framework?
What about plural form of this sentence?
What rule of english grammar ...
7
votes
7answers
3k views
Apostrophes and caps in Happy Mother’s Day / Happy Mothers’ Day
So, I’m writing this as it is Mother’s (or maybe Mothers’) Day today, and I was wondering what would be a correct way to write that.
Should the apostrophe come be between the r and the s, or after ...
-3
votes
0answers
61 views
's 's ?! Works or not? [closed]
If we are talking about hats for example.
Mine is blue.Tom's is white.
Can I use the contraction of is in the previous sentence.
So it'll be like this 'Tom's 's white' !!
Is it grammatically ...
-2
votes
2answers
48 views
Plural possessive with compound subject [duplicate]
Is it "John and Becky's knowledge" or "John's and Becky's knowledge"?
-3
votes
1answer
58 views
Using the possessive apostrophe in formal English [closed]
I am writing an essay and my teacher told us to use "Formal Academic English". Would using a possessive apostrophe like "Obama's decision to.." be considered informal? Don't tell me to ask my teacher, ...
0
votes
1answer
55 views
Saxon Genitive vs. Adjective Noun (Model Parameters vs. Model's Parameters)
The suggestions in this same forum say that the use of the phrase "the car's antenna" is correct.
Questions:
Nobody mentioned the use of "the car antenna" -- which to me would be much more natural, ...
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votes
0answers
72 views
Final “ 's ” without object, ever correct? [closed]
Does the following statement mean anything?
TRACKER GRANTS YOU A PERSONAL, NON-EXCLUSIVE, NON-TRANSFERABLE,
RESTRICTED RIGHT TO USE THE SOFTWARE, FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL,
COMMERCIAL, ...
-2
votes
0answers
63 views
I have three years' experience vs. I have experience of three years
Context
I am going to attend a job interview where I will be introducing myself,I want to convey the meaning that I have worked three years in my last company
Should I say:
I got no promotion after ...
1
vote
2answers
99 views
Antedecent of “its” in “the dog attacked the cat and its friends” [duplicate]
The dog attacked the cat and its friends.
Does the sentence imply that the dog attacked the cat and the cat's friends or that it attacked the cat and the dog's friends?
How would one properly ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
“Near St. John's church” vs. “near the St. John's church” vs. “near the St. John church” [duplicate]
When it comes to churches and so on, which one is correct?
Our hotel is near St. John's church.
Our hotel is near the St. John's church.
Our hotel is near the St. John church.
2
votes
1answer
125 views
“You and your” vs. “Your and your”
Which is correct, and why?
identifying you and your competitors’ relative market performance
or
identifying your and your competitors’ relative market performance
Each entity is in ...
6
votes
6answers
3k views
“Your and my [something]” vs “Yours and my…”
Prompted by comments against this question, I'd like some help figuring out why some people (myself included) prefer yours over the apparently more logical/grammatically consistent your in this kind ...
3
votes
1answer
38 views
Name, Conditions, and Pluralization of “Conscience' sake”
In some versions of the Bible, 1 Cor. 10:25 contains the phrase conscience' sake with no s following the possessive apostrophe of conscience, which does not end with s, as in:
New American ...
3
votes
1answer
92 views
Gerund preceded by a genitive?
Is this sentence actually grammatical?
You know your having a rough day when kittens don't even make you smile.
The writer of this sentence may intend to mean you're instead of your but I'm just ...
4
votes
2answers
132 views
Usage of “of” in genitive: “The queen of England's crown” or “The queen's of England crown”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“My wife and I’s seafood collaboration dinner”
What is the correct way of these two sentences?
The queen of England's crown
The queen's of England crown
Strictly ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
How to denote possession with “Bureau of Statistics” [duplicate]
When denoting possession with Bureau of Statistics, does one use "Bureau's of Statistics" or "Bureau of Statistics'"?
E.g.
according to the Bureau's of Statistics Consumer Price Index
...
0
votes
0answers
20 views
Apostrophe Usage with Arkansas [duplicate]
Currently, we are having an issue at work where we may not be able to tack on apostrophes to words programmatically, in order to make them possessive, because of certain edge cases; such as Arkansas' ...
2
votes
0answers
105 views
Origin of plurals and possessives
What is the origin of English plurals and possessives? English plurals look more French plurals, but I am not sure that is where they come from. As for possessives, I don't know where they come from.
0
votes
1answer
50 views
Attribute of multiple entities
Which is the correct form of an attribute related to multiple entities?
For example, which is the correct form of position?
The position of the circle and of the square is wrong.
The ...
2
votes
2answers
379 views
Is a possessive noun a contraction?
I was told not to use contractions in an essay.
My classmate wrote "the argument of Emily" but I preferred "Emily's argument".
He disagreed and claimed "Emily's" is a contraction.
0
votes
2answers
64 views
“Whomever runs it's” or “whomever runs its”?
I know that "its" is the possessive form of "it", but does this rule apply to the possessive form of phrases ending in "it"? Should I say, "the program runs on whomever runs its computer" or "the ...
-4
votes
1answer
79 views
Possessive punctuation: boy’s or boys’? [closed]
It’s the boys’ room when referring to boys generally. Is it the boys’ room still when referring to exactly two boys, or is it boy’s?
This is a question about punctuation, obviously.
3
votes
4answers
5k views
What is the correct word to use instead of else’s?
If I am trying to say “That problem that belongs to someone else,” then what is the correct word to use in this sentence:
That is someone else’s problem.
My spell checker says else’s and elses ...
3
votes
5answers
2k views
Is [Its'] a word? (Note the apostrophe at the end.)
I just had a strange flashback to a conversation I had when I was in high school, with a man who was regarded by many members of a particular online community as having an impressive degree of ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
Does your name belong to you?
I'm having trouble deciding whether the word 'name' can be used possessively. Currently I'm thinking it's correct to say:
Patients' names have been altered to provide anonymity
However it just ...
2
votes
1answer
45 views
Should I answer the phone with “Mr. Beltz’s office” or “Mr. Beltz’ office”?
How would you pronounce the following when answering a phone for a boss whose last name is Beltz? Some people are saying Mr. Beltz’s office, pronouncing the extra s, and someone else thinks you should ...
2
votes
2answers
85 views
Possessives of a title in italics
If one writes a word in italics, say the name of a movie, and wants to put apostrophe s at the end to form the possessive, is the apostrophe s italicised with the title? Chinatown's or Chinatown's?
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votes
1answer
253 views
Apostrophes and s's [duplicate]
I always forget the rule about if something is possessive put 's at the end, for example "the sailor's hat". I know some people say to remember because it has a different meaning if it's plural (e.g. ...
0
votes
1answer
56 views
Using possessive when talking about two [duplicate]
What's the correct form of writing this possessive sentence:
Helena and my birthdays are coming.
Helena's and my birthdays are coming.
My and Helena's birthdays are coming.
Any links about the ...
1
vote
1answer
105 views
Is it correct to say “a friend of X and mine” if both X and I know each other and the friend?
As I understand it, if X and Y independently have the same friend Z, we should write
Z is a friend of X's and Y's
but if X and Y collectively have Z as a friend (e.g., X and Y are a couple), ...
8
votes
3answers
259 views
“A similar hat to Jane” vs “A hat similar to Jane’s”
Of late I have noticed British people using the following sort of construct:
John and Jane make such a cute couple because John always wears a similar hat to Jane.
To my ear, that is ...
3
votes
1answer
71 views
How to use possessives apostrophes when the word ends with a symbol?
For example, if I want to say an account of Google+, is it the same as say a Google+'s account?
In other words, are possessives formed in the same way as always, no matter whether the word ends in ...
2
votes
1answer
121 views
Possession in Compound Nouns [duplicate]
In a compound noun with a postpositive adjective, such as "Director-General" or "Court Martial," the noun is pluralized by using the plural form of the first word (i.e. "Directors-General" or "Courts ...
-2
votes
1answer
152 views
“during one of my girlfriend's games”
I was trying to say "During one of my girlfriend's soccer games..."
The problem is when I spoke it, it could be interpreted as
"Out of all of my girlfriends... during one of their games this ...
11
votes
3answers
33k views
“Doctor's appointment” or “doctors appointment”?
I've looked this up online, but I can't find any explanations from reasonably credible sources, so I'm posting my question here! (Was that a comma splice?)
Should I refer to the appointment that I ...
5
votes
1answer
132 views
Appositives with possessiveness?
I would like to say something like
The boy, Adam's, favorite toy was a bike.
What is the proper way to say this?
8
votes
6answers
2k views
Difference in pronunciation between “your” and “you're”?
I'm a native English speaker (Texas counts, I suppose), and I pronounce "your" to rhyme with "core", and "you're" to rhyme with "cure". Is it just me or did I pick this up somewhere?
6
votes
3answers
517 views
Does a person have two “masters’ degrees” or two “master’s degrees”? [duplicate]
When someone has more than one master’s degree, should these be described as have several masters’ degrees or several master’s degrees?
In other words, which of these two applies:
(singular) a ...
3
votes
3answers
285 views
Can “whose” refer to a first-person subject in the third person?
This question came from a friend. It is from a college entrance exam for non-native English speakers.
Link the following sentences with "whose":
I was a small kid. My classmates laughed at ...
36
votes
3answers
4k views
What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in “‑s”?
What is the possessive of a noun ending in ‑s? Are these both right, or is the second one wrong?
the boys' books
the boss' car
35
votes
6answers
2k views
When did it become correct to add an “s” to a singular possessive already ending in “‑s”?
According to my grammar book, but at variance to the answer to this question, the correct singular possessive if a word ends in ‑s is:
James’s car
The grammar book allows exceptions for ...
0
votes
0answers
101 views
“Theirs” vs. “their’s” [closed]
Which of the following two sentences is correct?
Your grammar is terrible, but you insult people for theirs?
Your grammar is terrible, but you insult people for their’s?
What would be correct ...
8
votes
1answer
461 views
What is the possessive form of “y'all”?
I generally hear y'alls's used as the possessive form, but I have also heard yourn. Since y'all is a colloquial pronoun, its possessive form is basically liberated from prescriptive linguistics which ...
10
votes
2answers
5k views
How do you make the possessive form with “He and I”-style subjects?
Despite being a native speaker of American English, I cannot find a construction that sounds natural when trying to form a possessive from coordinated subjects including a first person pronoun, like ...
