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First off,does this sentence make sense-

I am awaiting my newspaper, as is my morning coffee

What I want to mean is that I and my coffee (personified) are waiting for the newspaper to come. Something along the lines of, I am waiting for the newspaper so I can start consuming the coffee, and the coffee(personified) is waiting for the newspaper so it can be consumed by me, before it goes cold.

How else can I word it?

Also I would really appreciate some examples of the usage of "as is my" .

Hope I'm making sense.

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    Unless the coffee will also read the newspaper, I am not sure that you can personify it in this context without confusing the reader. Apr 26, 2017 at 21:19

2 Answers 2

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It's an unusual construction, since one doesn't normally personify one's coffee, but it does make sense. Indeed, when I first read it I assumed it was a mistake, since it would mean that your coffee was also waiting for your newspaper...but you went on to say that was your meaning.

Other uses of as is my might be:

I'm in need of corrective glasses, as is my wife.

I'm working all hours of the day, as is my partner.

You can also use it with other words:

I suffer from an addictive personality, as does my son.

I drink a lot of coffee, as do my co-workers.

I can eat thirteen bales of hay in a day, as can my purple pet elephant.

It doesn't have to be 'my', either:

Imperial Stormtroopers always miss, as do TIE fighter pilots.

In all cases, you're stating a situation or condition that applies to one person or group, then including a second person or group that it applies to.

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    Very clear and simple answer that develops the question to cover a few related, useful constructions.
    – English Student
    Apr 26, 2017 at 16:01
  • Great answer! But then, what if I never gave my explanation, what would you have taken it to mean? Also a friend of mine was suggesting it doesn't sound right because of subject- object misplacement. What exactly would you say was wrong, if you hadn't known the meaning I intended?
    – That-Kickass-GirL
    Apr 26, 2017 at 18:23
  • @That-Kickass-GirL The only thing that was "wrong" with your example was the personification of your coffee, and that was in fact a perfectly legitimate literary technique. I thought it was a mistake mostly because of the context of this site, where I was expecting a mistake. Without your explanation, I likely would have understood it as rather whimsical phrasing, and would probably have read it correctly in context.
    – Werrf
    Apr 26, 2017 at 18:50
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Your construction is rare and irregular, and can be misinterpreted as a grammatical error. To be sure that you convey your intended meaning, you could rewrite it in a much simpler form as

I and my morning coffee are waiting for the newspaper.

My morning coffee and I are waiting for the newspaper.

The term "as is" (not "as is my") is usually used to mean "also is" without repeating the verb.

China is a fast growing economic giant, as is India.

My father is highly educated, as is my mother.

The belief in evil spirits is much prevalent here, as is the attempt to appease them.

Alcohol is banned within the cinema, as is smoking.

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