Questions tagged [possessives]
Questions about the possessive, one of several constructions that describe ownership or association between two objects.
832
questions
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2answers
145 views
How do you punctuate what FFS expands to?
I was just having a discussion with a friend, and we were wondering
about appropriate grammar usage when one says For fucks sake.
In my opinion, there are three candidates:
for fucks sake
for fuck’s ...
-1
votes
0answers
6 views
Someone’s home—his, hers, mine? [migrated]
When I say “we’re staying at his/hers”, it means that we’re staying at his or her home.
Can I say “we’re staying at mine” which I refer to my home?
Thanks
😊😊😊
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0answers
16 views
What's the difference in meaning between“girls' power” and “girl power”? [duplicate]
I tend to get confused regarding when to use the Saxon-genitive + noun or noun + noun... Someone asked me in Spanish how to say "El poderío femenino/poderío de las chicas" and I immediately ...
0
votes
0answers
31 views
Should I put an appositive comma around a possessive appositive
In the process of editing a translation, I came across this sentence: "[That night] was also the opening curtain to the Sheng Yuan Emperor, Li Yi’s unification of the world." (To clarify ...
3
votes
2answers
101 views
World Oceans Day — why is it plural?
Today is the World Oceans Day. Why is ‘World Ocean’ in it plural? There is only one World Ocean. Or did they just omit the apostrophe before the -s?
9
votes
3answers
877 views
Why “thine heart” but “thy whole heart”?
I have somehow picked up the use of the two different forms "thy/thine" from the KJV Bible, and I thought I knew the rule. Use thy before consonants and thine before vowels or before words ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
Possessive apostrophe in phrasal descriptor [duplicate]
If I want to describe a person/group and then refer to something of theirs. Would these be permissible?
The guy in charge's hat
It is the people of France's doing
It is everyone else's fault
The ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Does “Parks Trust” need an apostrophe? [duplicate]
My home town has a charity which maintains our parks - called the “Parks Trust”. I recently got involved in a Facebook debate as I’ve always maintained that it should be “Parks’ Trust”. My main ...
0
votes
1answer
52 views
Possessive apostrophe-s on three nouns in a row
I just read Two possessive nouns in a row, but am still trying to wrap my head around possessive apostrophe-s in English, specifically, I am trying to say something along the following lines:
"...
0
votes
3answers
95 views
Which is correct - you or your in this context? [closed]
Your staring won’t make me walk faster
or
You staring won’t make me walk faster
Which is correct, you or your?
0
votes
0answers
26 views
Why we need two forms of preferred personal pronouns? [duplicate]
Regarding the fact that this is still somehow a hot topiс in English language-speaking communities I need to stress out that is a serious and respectful question without even a trace of intention to ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Possessive apostrophe regarding the term 'Logistics'
Just wanted to ask if the word 'logistics' would have a possessive apostrophe in the following sentence.
Halal logistics services are needed to guarantee halal products and maintain halal product ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
What is the correct grammar for “a days-long wait”
Surely there's a better way; something instantaneous that doesn't involve a days-long wait?
Is the grammar above correct? Particularly, should 'days-long' be hyphenated, and should it contain a ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
Can adjectives be used like this? (genitive)
It's easier to explain myself with examples like:
The dead's last wish was...
The long-lost's children were found (if long-lost refers to, for example, their long-lost ancestors, or basically anybody ...
1
vote
1answer
26 views
possessive referring to behavior of multiple actors
In
"Alice and Bob's contrary behavior served to"
vs
"Alice's and Bob's contrary behavior served to"
Usually the choice between the two forms hinges on whether the two actors ...
0
votes
0answers
23 views
Genitive of Sunrise: Sunrise' or Sunrise's [duplicate]
I just don't like 'Sunrise's' very much. I want to write "Sunrise' breaking light over the plains" but I'm not sure if it should really be "Sunrise's breaking light over the plains.&...
0
votes
0answers
37 views
Possessive for Name Ending in Apostrophe [duplicate]
One of my colleagues has a name that ends in an apostrophe, namely Faee'. Recently when sending an email I realized I wasn't sure how to refer to something that belongs to them using the typical "...
0
votes
2answers
63 views
Using possessive pronouns for an academic degree (e.g. my masters degree) [closed]
One of my pet peeves...people using the possessive pronoun to refer to a graduate degree. For instance, people saying I'm going to get "my doctorate" or writing "while working on my ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Stylistic Advice regarding the two types of possessives before a gerund
I know that, in terms of formal grammar, either a possessive pronoun or genitive form should precede a gerund. So, for example, 'his being', etc.
I am, however, far more comfortable with the former ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
gerund with compound clause for subject
Consider four sentences:
The reason I am late is bad weather.
The reason I am late is the weather being bad.
The reason I am late is the weather's being bad.
The reason I am late is a very adverse ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
What's the possesive case of “Mars”? [duplicate]
I've known that the possessive case of the proper noun ending in "-s" such as "James" is formed by adding just "an apostrophe" or "an apostrophe and -s".
Is it ...
-1
votes
1answer
53 views
Lack of possessive marker when taken from a group [duplicate]
I'm confused by this sentence:
One of my best friends band is playing tonight.
What is it that happens here, is the possessive marker completely dropped?
From what I understand:
I can't add an 's ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Name of 'rule for sequential possessive'
I've been unable to successfully search for or determine the name of this scenario that involves multiple possessive words in sequence.
We purchased some flowers for the mother of our friend, Jane. I ...
0
votes
1answer
32 views
How to punctuate a phrase that has words between the possessor and possession?
Example: the security policy for Acme Group owned and operated computers...
Obviously I could just reword it as "the security policy for computers owned and operated by Acme Group...," but ...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
Is “of” obligatory when writing “In August of this year”?
I saw there was already some discussion on here about "in this year" vs. "this year." I have a similar question, but this time regarding the use of the word "of," and the ...
4
votes
1answer
208 views
Pronunciation of the possessive form of singular nouns ending in “s”
First, let me point out that this is a non-native English learner asking this question.
I know similar questions have been asked here (some of them found on this page), but (at least of those I saw) ...
1
vote
0answers
39 views
possessive case with plural
How can I use the possessive case with many objects " s' "?
2Jane and 2Mary 2room;
it is right? :
girls’ books
Jane and Maries’ rooms
the children’s toys
the workmen’s tools
Peter and Helens’...
2
votes
2answers
65 views
'Literary' usage when possessive pronoun begins sentence
I am unsure the correct wording of this question. Could anyone point me to usage notes or guidance on a construction such as this:
'Theirs was a position known to few.' Or, 'His was a car without ...
0
votes
0answers
24 views
I need either a confirmation or a refutation regarding the following theory of mine about the pattern"“noun phrase + of + possessive pronoun”
I've been thinking a lot about this matter, and this is what I came up with as a rather complicated yet seemingly airtight rule regarding when not to use the aforementioned pattern. It goes like this:
...
0
votes
2answers
49 views
Use of a possessive determiner or “the”
I want to know if, in the sentence below, being the last two collections of mine, it is mandatory to use the possessive determiner MY_other one… Or can I use the determiner THE_other one…?
I will sell ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Is there a technical term for the situation where a possessive noun compounded with another noun form the name of a very specific object?
I'm not a linguist so please excuse this clumsily worded question: Is there a technical term for the situation where a possessive noun compounded with another noun form the name of a very specific ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
Correct way to use multiple possessive apostrophes in sentences? [closed]
I find multiple possessive apostrophes confusing, and so I'm having trouble deciding which of the sentences below would be correct.
Example:
The bicycle's frame colour is red.
The bicycle frame's ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
“It is two teachers' birthday today” or “It is two teachers' birthdays today”?
Apparently I've been involved in a debate in the Duolingo forums for about a year on whether when two possessors in a possessive construction possess the same shared/common object, whether the object ...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
Correct possessive: “my genius” or “my ingeniosity”?
I have stumbled across the usage of "genius" as a possessive on two seperate occassions:
A meme featuring Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear saying:
Sometimes my genius is... it's almost ...
1
vote
1answer
74 views
Are possessives determiners(his, my, her…) preferred to the definite article ('the')
I have a question regarding the usage of possessives in substitution of “the”: Are possessives preferred to the definite article 'the' in some occasions and why?
For example, I found the relationship ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
When you say “his revenge”, can “his” refer to the person on whose behalf said revenge is being taken?
Context :
Male fictional character is killed.
Female fictional character wants to seek revenge.
I've heard someone refer to said revenge as "his revenge", but to me that seems wrong and it's ...
0
votes
2answers
65 views
How to write compound possessives with “or”
When a compound possessive is formed with "and," I think the rule is that both terms become possessive when there are multiple separate objects that are owned, as in "John's and Dave's ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
Author(s) last name(s) (to use possesive or not)
I am translating a text and the result is the following:
author's last name(s)
and
authors' last name(s)
how do I state that both a single author's last name(s) and that multiple authors' last name(s) ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
How to use apostrophe properly in this sentence? [duplicate]
There's a person named Khushwant Singh in a story. He and his grandmother are friends.
There's a question asked in my book: What is the 'turning point' in the story?
And my answer begins something ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Quoted Possessives Ending in “s”
"The Best Punctuation Book, Period," by June Casagrande, says that, when forming the possessive of text in quotation marks, we do this:
“Casablanca” ’s best scene
I love it!
The ending ...
1
vote
1answer
249 views
“One of my friends” vs “a friend of mine”
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, page 717, reads
[16] quantified NP has scope over frequency adjunct
One of my friends has been sacked two or three times in the last few
months
When ...
-1
votes
2answers
125 views
Ben's and Jerry's Ice Cream [duplicate]
I assume that if we had two people named Ben and Jerry who made ice cream together, then it would be Ben's and Jerry's ice cream, yes? Now if "Ben and Jerry" were the name of a company, then ...
0
votes
1answer
133 views
Bare genitives: written vs spoken forms
Page 1595 of the CambridgeGEL reads
In writing the bare genetive has the form of an apostrophe at
the end of the word: dogs’. In speech it has no realisation at
all [...]; an optional bare genitive ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Can a series of years be possessive?
Can a series of years be possessive? For example:
I am 1990s' child
This feels weird, but is it technically correct? And how about the following?
I am a child of the 1990s'
-1
votes
1answer
79 views
Genitive without ('s) or (of) [duplicate]
Can I use "Teachers portal" instead of "teachers' portal"? Which of them is more accurate?
0
votes
0answers
203 views
“Your or someone else's” or “Yours or someone else's”? [duplicate]
Should I say
Your or someone else's
Or
Yours or someone else's
When I am referring to an item that may either belong to the person I am addressing, or someone else?
Example context:
Check ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
What kind of noun is the 'Royal College of Surgeons'?
Would it just be considered a compound noun or is there another name for it?
And even though surgeons is plural, would it still take 's to make the possessive (i.e. the Royal College of Surgeons's ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
Double possessive when thing possessed is plural
"This year we planned a cruise with four friends of ours."
I've only ever seen a double possessive with words that are singular. For example, "I am a friend of Bob's" or "It's the password of Mark's."...
1
vote
0answers
148 views
“X dollars' worth of Y” construction with “USD”
My question is similar to "Dollars' worth" vs. "dollars worth" for numerals but for numerals that are followed by a currency abbreviation.
When it's spelled out, it's clear ...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
I'm starting a carpet repair business and my name is Chris. Is Chris's Carpet Repair correct? [duplicate]
Is Chris's Carpet Repair correct or should it be Chris' Carpet Repair?
