Questions tagged [possessives]
for questions about words and word forms used to indicate ownership, belonging, or a similar relationship.
596
questions
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1answer
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Double possessive case [duplicate]
I am studying the possessive case from here.
The page explains there is also a double possessive, formed by:
owned thing + of + owner + 's
The first case is an indeterminative article:
This is a ...
1
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0answers
46 views
what is the sturcture of 'lack of something'?
The word lack can be used either as a verb or noun. When it is used as a noun, such as ' lack of water'. Is the preposition phrase ' of water' an attribute? just like the window of the house. Or it is ...
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1answer
32 views
Articles with possessives
"An hour's work" and "a two weeks' holiday". In "an hour's work" does the indefinite article belong to the noun "work"? As far as I know, "work" is an ...
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0answers
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Appositives that are possessives [closed]
I have a question regarding possessives that have this kind of construct:
You are my brother, Jack's, murderer.
You are my brother's, Jack's, murderer.
Assume that Jack is my brother and is ...
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0answers
10 views
Which one each other's or each others' should be used while refering to more than 2 things?
What if you mean more than two? Like in this sentence: People from 4 different countries met to get to know each other's or each others' cultures, customs and traditions
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3answers
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How to ask what tree the leaf on Canada's flag belongs to using "of" instead of "belong"?
Canada's flag contains a leaf. I want to ask what tree that leaf belongs to using preposition "of" instead of the verb "belong". Can I ask like this:
What tree does Canada's flag ...
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2answers
72 views
what is 's in "someone's" like "this is Andrew's car" [closed]
The "'s" in "It's Thanos" is short for "is"
The "'s" in "She's gone" is short for "has"
But I have no idea, what is "'s" in "...
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4answers
540 views
this mess is yours to
a. The mess your friends made in your room is yours to clean up.
(Meaning: You have to clean up the mess your friends made in your room.)
b. The dessert is yours to make.
(Meaning: You have to make ...
0
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1answer
53 views
The Mitla apartment, shouldn't it be the Mitlas'?
Stephen King writes:
Howard Mitla was sitting alone...
Violet Mitla, one of New York's...
The Mitla apartment was on the fourth floor...
I was expecting something like "The Mitlas' apartment&...
1
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1answer
14 views
Was it Russell's and Whitehead's book?
Russell and Whitehead jointly published the famous book Principia Mathematica.
Should we write "in Russell and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica", or rather "in Russell's and ...
2
votes
1answer
49 views
Rules for using possessive "s" to describe quantity
I'd like to know how to explain the rules for use of possessive "s" to describe the quantity of something, as in, "two hours' work" to an English learner.
This answer at english....
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"every your thought" or "every thought of yours" or "every one of your thoughts"?
I always felt that every your thought sounded a bit awkward, but because it seemed to me formal and somewhat literary, I used it more in written texts. Here is one instance of it:
A century and a ...
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1answer
44 views
Is there any rule about when to choose a definite article or a possessive pronoun?
Could you help to explain the usage of either a definite article or a possessive pronoun in the following sentences:
He had a thorn in his/the leg.
The snake bit him in the/his leg.
Before you go to ...
0
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1answer
54 views
Does "we inform the next week seminars information." sound natural to native English speakers?
I currently work at a research institution, where various academic seminars are held nearly every week, and I receive a seminar information email from my colleague every week. It's more or less like ...
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0answers
20 views
Why is the possessivee case not used in names such as Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune or The New York Times? [duplicate]
Why is the possessive case not used in names such as Boston Globe (as opposed to Boston's Globe), Chicago Tribune or The New York Times? I imagine that in the case of The New York Times the absence of ...
1
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1answer
68 views
Someone’s home—his, hers, mine?
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?
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37 views
My thought about how "the X of Y" can be used. Can you help me check it?
Down below is my thought about how "the X of Y" can be used. Can you help me check if my understanding is grammatically correct? I think this post might help other learners.
The structure &...
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1answer
32 views
Do we need an aphostrope when using "fan"?
The title is clear enough I guess, do we use an aphostrope, for instance fans of Mike, is it Mike's fans or Mike fans?
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1answer
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Which one goes after "the"? Possessive or superlative?
I'm trying to construct a sentence, combining possessive and superlative, but confused about the correct placement.
Here's my attempt, tell me which one is correct and why between these two below, ...
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0answers
10 views
Genitive plural opinions! Which is correct: Tomorrow the sister of a university friend of Clare and John is getting married. Or of Clare's and John's? [duplicate]
Native speaker here confused about genitive case.
Genitive plural opinions! Which is correct:
Tomorrow the sister of a university friend of Clare and John is getting married
Tomorrow the sister of a ...
0
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1answer
18 views
the use of possessive
Is the bold part of the sentence correct or shall I use "of structure" as in the second example.
The current study attempts to bridge this gap in ethical misconduct research and address the ...
4
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3answers
99 views
Can I use the pronoun “who” immediately after a possessive noun?
Example: The chair was Peter's, who would never again sit at this table.
There is no ambiguity in this sentence - "who" can only refer to Peter. Yet, I'm not sure if it sounds right. Is ...
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2answers
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Possessive pronoun and object
Definition of their: of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action
If I assist them, can I say their assistance (as object of an action)?
2
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3answers
84 views
the use of possessive s with both words before the adjective
which one is correct? should we use apostrophe s with both nouns preceding?
I want to know teachers' and students' favorite movies?
I want to know teachers and students' favorite movies?
0
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1answer
71 views
Is the possessive 's pronounced s or z? [duplicate]
Is 's as a possessive pronounced as /s/ or /z/ at the end of words? Such as in "Muhammad's house".
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0answers
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...anxieties about us/our having any more downtime
In some cases that a pronoun is a subject which is followed by a verb follows a preposition.
Then the subject is changed into possessive determiners.
But I read a sentence A.
A. On the other there's ...
3
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3answers
63 views
"gray fox heads" or "gray foxes' heads"
The hunter hid the gray fox heads below the bed.
The hunter hid the gray foxes' heads below the bed.
I am wondering if gray fox can be singular or not. Is this ok to use the singular when used as an ...
0
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1answer
18 views
Possessive noun in a name of something
I've seen many times in journals and books, they (the writers) omitted the possessive noun in a name of something (methods, rules, problems, etc.).
Look at these examples:
Coombs method/Coombs' ...
0
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1answer
33 views
singular nouns after a plural possessive form
This is perhaps a bit of a strange question, but it's bugging me no end.
I know that it is acceptable to use both a singular and a plural noun after a plural possessive, e.g. "..this influences ...
3
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5answers
4k views
Is ‘I want to meet your enemy’ ambiguous?
‘I want to meet your enemy’ can mean?:
You are not an enemy
You are an enemy (like ‘your majesty’ means you are a majesty)
0
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2answers
40 views
What is the difference between using these two structures (Noun + noun or ('s + noun) )?
Should I say "a boy's name" or "a boy name"? and if both are correct, then what is the difference?
1
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1answer
75 views
Is it "nobody's business but the Turks" or "nobody's business but the Turks'"?
Is it nobody's business but the Turks (it's nobody's business, except that it is the business of the Turks); or is it nobody's business but the Turks' (it's nobody's business, except that it is the ...
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6answers
3k views
Which possessive should I use when referring to the car of a friend?
Is this sentence correct?
This is John's car, a friend of mine.
Or do I need to say this?
This is John, my friend's car.
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0answers
30 views
Can I use "box of chocolates" and "chocolate box" interchangeably?
The same with "list of cities" vs "city list", or "list of users" vs "user list", etc.
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2answers
23 views
Mine and Riley's lives ...My and Riley's lives ...Riley and my lives?
You have made a difference in mine and Riley's lives ...
or
You have made a difference in my and Riley's lives ...
or
You have made a difference in Riley's and my lives
Not sure what to use here.
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1answer
77 views
"A car of the family" to mean "one of the family's car"?
Can we use the below expressions to mean "one of...."
(1) A car of the family
to mean one of the family's cars?
(2) A hat of the man
to mean one of the man's hats?
(3) A son of the old ...
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2answers
31 views
Is "I visited grandparents." right?
Is "I visited grandparents." right?
I think we say "I visited my grandparents."
However, if I don't use 'my', is it right grammatically?
1
vote
1answer
24 views
Possessive for three-word company name
How do you use the possessive (apostrophe) with a company's name that consists of 3 words? For example,
Barnacle Caribbean Cruises' complaint
Is this correct?
1
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1answer
52 views
Is it OK to follow a possessive determiner by the word "such"?
A file whose filename ends with a date-and-time suffix that is separated by @ is a copy that is created to compare it later with the current version of the file and with other such copies of that file ...
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1answer
200 views
January's schedule vs. January schedule
Is it January's schedule or January schedule?
I also get confused with whether to include an apostrophe before "bill."
This is my January bill or January's bill.
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1answer
33 views
What are the rules for using : it's or its?
I am often corrected on StackExchange for writing it's instead of its
Few minutes ago :
I start a game by it's shortcut ==> I start a game by its shortcut
I am (quite) sure that when I was young, I'...
0
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2answers
49 views
Which usage is better?: "the beautiful voice of a woman" or "a woman's beautiful voice"
Are both of these sentences grammatically correct?
a. He heard singing from the other room. It was a woman's beautiful voice.
b. He heard singing from the other room. It was the beautiful voice of a ...
0
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1answer
24 views
order using the English possessive
I think it is a pretty simple question. I am not sure which sentence sounds better:
Please send me the last two file's pages.
Please send me the file's last two pages
Would a sentence without using ...
0
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1answer
73 views
Can articles modify adjectives?
I came across a sentence where a modifier seemed to be modifying an possessive adjective. These are not the same sentences but they work similarly (the article's and adjectives I'm wondering about are ...
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2answers
2k views
Why are there three pronunciations for the plural "-s"?
I know all the pronunciation rules for the plural -s endings. After a voiced sound, it is z, after an unvoiced one it is s, after s, sh, ch it is iz. In phonetic notation, respectively, /z/, /s/, /ɪz/....
0
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1answer
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enough lawyers' files
a. If you examine enough of our lawyers' files, you'll get a pretty good idea of how the legal system works.
b. If you examine enough lawyers' files, you'll get a pretty good idea of how the legal ...
0
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1answer
22 views
use of 'all' with a possessive adjective
What is the right way to use the determiner 'all' with a possessive adjective e.g. my, your, etc? What is placed first? all or P. Adj?
A. His all habits were unique.
B. All his habits were unique.
Is ...
0
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1answer
29 views
Do these mean the same thing?
Do these have the same meaning:
Their perspective about me is...../ of me is.....
The perspective of theirs about me is...../ of me is.....
His book was on the table yesterday.
The book of his was ...
0
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1answer
17 views
God's forgiveness
The genitive 's refers to what belongs to you. I say Jack's car. I mean the car belongs to Jack. I could also say, 'his car' using possessive adjective. My question is about 'God's forgiveness'. It is ...
0
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2answers
99 views
How to pronounce "Moderators's"?
If I want to use the plural of "moderator" and also add the apostrophe plus S, how do I pronounce it? How do native speakers pronounce it?
Moderators = moderatorz
Moderators's = ...