Questions tagged [possessives]
for questions about words and word forms used to indicate ownership, belonging, or a similar relationship.
545
questions
0
votes
1answer
32 views
What pronoun should we use here: men are encouraged to be more open with “our” feelings
Here is a paragraph from the Cambridge Dictionary blog:
As men are now being encouraged to talk more and be more open with our feelings, there seems to be a correlation with the rise of the ‘mancom’. ...
5
votes
4answers
777 views
Why do we say AWS service and not service of AWS?
Why do we say in English things like a Facebook post, an AWS service, the Silicon Valley, etc.?
In Portuguese, we would say "A post of Facebook", "a service of AWS", and "the ...
0
votes
1answer
10 views
If I were you I would tell my/your friends to respect my/your boundaries. How to choose the correct possessive pronouns in this structure?
Assuming your sibling telling you that his friends do not respect his boundaries, what would be your answer using the "If I were you..." structure? I see native speakers saying something ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Is it allowed to omit apostrophes after `s`?
In this question meaning of the s' explained, but what if I'll say my childrens toys (several kids), i.e. with no ' after s ?
0
votes
2answers
25 views
apostrophe or “of” to show possession
It is stated within my grammar textbook that, "for things, ideas etc., we normally use of to show possession". So for example:
The temperature of the water. (Not the water's temperature)
...
1
vote
3answers
68 views
'Saxon genitives' and 'of genitive'
Consider the following expression.
The book's page
Which of the following rewording express the above mentioned phrase correctly and in which contexts?
A page of the book
The page of the book
Note:...
0
votes
1answer
15 views
Several years experience or Several years'experience
Several years experience or Several years'experience. Is the possessive apostrophe needed?
0
votes
0answers
12 views
Possessive pronoun
Which is/are correct -
My watch is better than your one.
My watch is better than yours.
My watch is better than that of yours.
0
votes
1answer
47 views
How to use “ 's ” correctly?
Could you tell me if the phrase
The rice's price sharply raised in Brazil
is correct? I have a doubt regarding the 's. Can I use it as I wrote above?
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Should I use 'of' or not? “Plays of Shakespeare” vs “Shakespeare's plays”
When should one use the following one over another?
The plays of Shakespeare will always be classics.
Shakespeare's plays will always be classics.
0
votes
1answer
19 views
Word to combine brother-in-law and sister-in-law?
Imagine the following scenario:
Ronald and Alana are a couple.
Jono and Daisy are a couple.
Jono is Alana's brother.
What would be the correct way to say the following phrase?
We are Ronald and Alana,...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
which sentence is better? using possesive structure or 'of'
A: The increasing air pollution in Singapore is due in part to its neighbouring developing countries’ high dependence on fossil fuels.
B: The increasing air pollution in Singapore is due in part to ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
How to pronounce “Stannis's”? [duplicate]
I know that the "s" becomes "z" when it comes after a voiced sound. And it is pronounced as "s" when it comes after a voiceless sound. I also know rules about possessives ...
1
vote
2answers
45 views
Are these grammatically correct?
I am trying to learn if i can use possessives in a chain.
Are my sentences correct and if not how can i make them so?
"Father of John's pen is an antique."?
(what i meant: "John's dad ...
0
votes
2answers
24 views
Which use of possessive is correct “I'm grateful for my mother's love” or 'I'm grateful for the love of my mother"?
Or are they both correct, but carry different meaning? I would say "my mother's love" but I can't find a logical explanation for that. Can anyone help me? Possessive case always confuses me, ...
0
votes
2answers
93 views
Is it grasses' or grass's? Help with the possessive
I cannot understand where the apostrophe goes when using the possessive.
Is it grass's or grasses'?
Is it human's or humans'?
Thanks in advance,
0
votes
4answers
31 views
Translations of older or historical professions from German
Should the German term "Bauernvogt", literally meaning "peasants' bailiff" be kept as "Bauernvogt", translated to "peasants' vogt", "vogt of peasantry"...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Troubles of life vs life's troubles
What's the difference in meaning between the following sentences:
1 Troubles of life can sometimes leave us with a frown.
2 life's troubles can sometimes leave us with a frown.
0
votes
1answer
25 views
Would this be the correct way to refer to two authors' separate books as one book, “Author 1 and Author 2's Books”?
Say I have two authors that each wrote a book (not together) and I want to refer to both of them in one sentence while lumping their books into one noun, should I put an apostrophe right after the ...
0
votes
0answers
39 views
Classifying genitive
Can we use genitive constructions in sentences like this:
The cat loved Jill with all his cat's heart;
...or should it be "with all his cat heart"?
Thank you!
0
votes
1answer
89 views
Connotation meant by “B of A” and “A's B”. What would be the differences?
Do you agree with the interpretation of the following three example sentences?
I don't want to be involved in the problems of my boss.The boss probably deals with some problems. e.g. slow
sales, ...
2
votes
2answers
27 views
Doubts about genitive case
I'm a portuguese speaker who loves English.
I've seen on a website the following affirmation: The content of the website. You can also say, "the website content", or "the website's ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
How can I combine this a couple of statements, using possessive with a gerund?
He plays his MP3 player in the library. I don't appreciate that.
While not being sure, I just guess it should be like below:
I do not appreciate his playing his MP3 player in the library.
1
vote
1answer
31 views
Using 's when saying something 'is'
I've just said to a friend "That cloud's looking very dark". And apparently that's not correct.
He said "it's" is allowed as an abbreviation but "cloud's" is never "...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
Why it is “Task due date” and “Company name” but not “Task's due date” and “Company's name”?
When one should add 's and when not?
Examples:
Task due date / Task's due date
Company name / Company's name
Form field / Form's field
Customer service / Customers' service
0
votes
0answers
28 views
Which is more grammatically correct?
Which is more grammatically correct?
For our country, people and environment.....
or
For our country, our people and our environment.....
Do we need to repeat the word 'our' in front of every ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Grammar: sentence structure with possessive
The boy has three coats. His coats are in the closet.
According to the above sentences, is this sentence grammatically correct?
The three boy's coats are in the closet.
I know it is wrong, but I do ...
4
votes
1answer
126 views
Can we use double possessive after the 'be'-verb?
Possessive determiners are used to modify a following noun : Your book, John's book. ('Your' / 'John's' : Possessive determiner).
This book is yours.
(Here, 'yours' ----> a possessive pronoun.)
This ...
1
vote
2answers
87 views
City center or city's center?
I own an apartment just outside the city center/city's center.
Can I say both? Which one would native speakers usually go with?
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Possessive case after ALL and BOTH
Set 1:
My all efforts ended in smoke.
All my efforts ended in smoke.
Set 2:
My both friends are honest.
Both my friends are honest.
My grammar book says sentence one in both ...
5
votes
1answer
575 views
Is is natural to say a “month has” something as an object?
I wrote an article analyzing trade figures for 2019. Originally I wrote: "We can find that only the first 3 months have their export values bigger than their import values". Upon proofreading, I was ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Difference between “a daughter of a policeman” and “the daughter of a policeman”
Example 1:
(1) She is a daughter of a policeman.
(2) She is the daughter of a policeman.
Does the (1) imply that her father policeman has more than one daughter?
Does the (2) imply that her ...
0
votes
1answer
26 views
The bike of Tom or the bike of Tom's - questions about possessives
I wonder which expression is correct in my examples. I know the better way to say them is "Tom's bike" and "Tom's home", but I am still curious about the form in the examples as it is quite common in ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
Why does the author write “GE division” instead of “GE's division”?
For the sentence below, I don't understand why the author doesn't use the possessive form - he writes "GE division" instead of "GE's division" - GE standing for the company General Electric:
"To ...
1
vote
1answer
36 views
Possessive Apostrophe
Rorys approach was different, taking a leaf out of one of his favourite games. The game’s most memorable lesson for Rory was blackmail.
Is the apostrophe in this case correct?
0
votes
1answer
104 views
“The cats drinks its milk” or “Cats drinks their milk”?
"The cats drinks its milk"
"Cats drinks their milk"?
I don't if these sentences are grammarly correct. I have to use "its", "their", or both?
0
votes
1answer
24 views
I wonder if I can say like this
)) Can I say: " Someone I knew' s mom worked there two years ago." I am trying to say that my acquaintance's mother worked in a place. I replace my acquaintance's by someone I knew's, making the ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
When is it okay to write “childrens” or “childrens' ” – language hack
Let's make a scenario in which there are two distinctively different entities which are both referenced as "child".
The first entity is a group of nodes that are named "children" from the parent ...
0
votes
1answer
20 views
Possession in English
Which is the subject and the verb in the following sentence?
This Beach's beauty is startling.
I'm reading a book of English grammar and I need to underline the subject and verb.
1
vote
0answers
16 views
Can you omit the noun after the adjective 'own' that follows the genitive of an NP?
a. The opposition party approves of the policy, but the president's own party doesn't.
Can you omit the noun 'party' like this?
b. The opposition party approves of the policy, but the president's ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
a name for a boy, boy's name, boy name
Which of the following phrases are grammatically correct, meaning "a name for a boy"?
A boy's name.
A boys' name.
A boy name.
A boys name.
Any response would be appreciated.
0
votes
1answer
11 views
Farm usage…present and present progressive
I have a question about present possessive for the word farm. Can you say, "Do you farm chickens?" Is that present possessive usage for farm?
I have heard, do you raise chickens?
I was told you ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Possessive form for multiple owners
Suppose I want to assert that the car owned by Tom is blue. That's pretty simple; I could say:
Tom's car is blue.
OK, but that is for a single owner. But suppose the car were owned by more than ...
3
votes
1answer
30 views
Can adjectives be followed by genitive?
A dirty man’s job - (A job for a dirty man).
A dirty, man’s job - (Would that be correct? I want to say that it is a dirty job for men (man)?
0
votes
2answers
78 views
What is the possessive form of Daniel's
If a company's name is Daniel's what is the correct possessive form ?
Like in the sentence " I used to work at Daniel's ' / 's Human Resources Department "
0
votes
0answers
48 views
What does “their” refer to in this sentence?
Many Westerners are startled at the images of America and the West in
contemporary Japanese advertising. Their accidental encounter by an
American tourist or businessperson on a visit to Japan ...
0
votes
2answers
97 views
“two year's ” or “two years' ” or “two-year” [duplicate]
In _____ time, criteria for enrolling into university are going to be
quite different.
a) two year's
b) two-year
c) two years'
When it comes to me I'd pick b) or c), but the source of mine tells ...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
How to differentiate between a singular noun’s possession and its plural one in spoken English
In spoken English if for example:
someone says “cars tires” then how to know if the speaker is talking about car’s tires or cars’ tires. Because the pronunciation is same for both.
1
vote
2answers
1k views
“My and her” or “mine and her”
I would like to simultaneously introduce my thesis partner Lisa and refer to our thesis. I.e. summarise the following in one sentence:
I conducted a thesis project with Lisa. As outlined in our ...
1
vote
2answers
93 views
“A/the degree of [a] doctor” vs. “a doctor's degree”
After four years in America, he got __________.
A. a degree of doctor
B. a doctor's degree
C. the degree of a doctor
D. a doctor degree
The correct answer is B but I want to know why not C or A?
...
