Questions tagged [possessives]
for questions about words and word forms used to indicate ownership, belonging, or a similar relationship.
677
questions
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Apostrophe after apostrophe [duplicate]
The artifical inteligence generated this sentence and I got in a double.
Does it make sense to put apostrophes like this: Business Contact’s company's workforce.
It means the workforce of the company ...
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1
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94
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Using double possessives
I've read a number of posts in threads about double possessives.
However, since English is not my first language, I still have trouble understanding it.
Which of the following sentences sounds ...
3
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1
answer
17
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Why "solutions" in "here are two solutions key points"?
Here are two boy's cars.
But.
Here are two solutions key points.
Why in first example is "'s" used and in second one it's not?
I checked with LanguageTool and GoogleTranslate. I want to ...
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1
answer
56
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Possessive word order "English's accommodation spending on holiday reached 55% in 2012"
Is this sentence correct to describe a chart? Sometimes I get confused between using x of x versus x's.
I want to say that the British spent 55% on accommodation on weekend holidays in 2022. Does this ...
1
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1
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67
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What's the difference between "Spain's fastfood consumption" and "the consumption of fastfood in Spain"? [closed]
I am describing a chart in that chart 22% of Spanish people consumed fast food. Are the two sentences below correct?
Is there a difference between these sentences in meaning?
Spain's fast food ...
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1
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73
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What's the use of the word 's in this sentence
Could you explain how the apostrophe 's works in these sentences? I understand the word 's to show possesive meaning to belong. But it doesn't make sense in this case.
"A huge victory for ...
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2
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51
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Is it possible to make the following noun phrase possessive? a girl in pink's name?
Is it possible to make the following noun phrase possessive?
a girl in pink's name (or a girl's in pink name? or a girl's name wearing pink?)
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0
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47
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What's the correct form: "pets island" or '"pet's island"
I'm trying to write a short paragraph about an animal island and I'm a bit confused as to what would be the correct sentence to use for the title.
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2
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53
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"you and your" vs "your and your"
At one point, you and your teammate's pokemons register a very low HP (1).
At one point, your and your teammate's pokemons register a very low HP (2).
Which of the two sentences is correct?
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2
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70
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What is the difference between "pack of dogs", "dogs' pack" and "dog pack"?
wikipedia.org:
... "pack of dogs" is similar, but not identical in meaning to ... "dogs' pack" (and neither of these is entirely interchangeable with "dog pack" ... ).
...
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2
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66
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Every Soldiers Lament
I wrote a poem called "Every Soldiers Lament"
and am torn with the spelling of Soldiers.
Is it:
Soldiers
Soldier's
Soldiers'
My first guess is "Soldiers'" because I'm referring ...
0
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1
answer
33
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one of Tony's videos (possessive)
There are two Tonys who make videos each on their own. I watch their videos seperately.
1 I watched one of the Tonys' videos. (It sounds as I watched a
specific video made by one of the Tonys)
What ...
0
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2
answers
38
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Einstein's quote vs Einstein quote
Einstein's quote vs 2. Einstein quote
[as in: Let me tell you Einstein's quote. It goes like this: xyz]
Is 1. the proper way to say this? Is 2. colloquial language?
And is it very rare to hear ...
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1
answer
32
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tomorrow's + THE NAME OF A DAY
Is it acceptable to use this pattern?
I want to see him on {tomorrow's Monday/Tuesday} so on.
An example from a book:
The captain took the opportunity of requesting a supply of Japanese
Yen to be ...
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0
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19
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Possessive apostrophe correct usage in this example
It is a women's jacket even though the tag size 50 is men's.
Is this correct with the possessive men's ?
I thought mens in this instance, but it isn't a word?
https://english.stackexchange.com/...
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1
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52
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how to understand the "to his" in this sentence
In my own research, complaints from women about their husbands most often focused not on tangible inequities such as having given up the chance for a career to accompany a husband to his.
Hello, ...
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1
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Definite article before a possessive
In the book 'PRACTICAL ENGLISH USAGE', we have the following statement in section 142.12:
I couldn't quite understand why the first and second sentences would be grammatically incorrect if we used ...
1
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1
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32
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Commas with appositive?
a. The brother of Pete's wife, John, was at the party.
b. The brother of Pete's wife John was at the party.
Which is correctly punctuated if John is the brother of Pete's wife?
I think the problem ...
0
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1
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40
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Pronoun usage in "Did you enjoy his playing the violin?" [duplicate]
Why is the pronoun "his" used in this sentence?
"Did you enjoy his playing the violin?"
1
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2
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83
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Should we use the plural or singular with the possessive case? Ladies' stockings or Lady's? [duplicate]
When using the possessive case for purposes of stating what quality a certain object is characteristic of.
Should we use plural or singular form of a noun with an apostrophe?
I used think it should be ...
0
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1
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52
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A name of the person’s /A name of the person
He didn't tell me the name of the person. - correct.
Let's imagine that some person has several names. Which one would be correct?
He didn't tell me a name of the person.
or
He didn't tell me a ...
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1
answer
26
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this one of her uncles
I and a friend of mine are looking at a photo of a group of people, three of whom are our friend Janet's uncles.
I say: Janet's uncle looks unwell.
My friend says: No, he doesn't.
I realize that my ...
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1
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14
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A lot of people take taxi to visit relatives and friends' houses
It's always confusing when 2 nouns join together, and there's another noun before it. Which noun shall we put the "s", for the plural form, or both?
A lot of people take taxi to visit ...
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0
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"two weeks' time" vs "two-week time"
I know that:
(1) in two weeks' time - correct
(2) in two-week time - incorrect
But I don't know what will be without "in".
For example (my own sentences):
(3) Two weeks' time is enough for a ...
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2
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60
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Is this usage of apostrophe grammatical: "the person with dementia’s employer"
This is from a booklet about caring for elderly people who has dementia:
"requesting flexible working arrangements from your employer and the person with dementia’s employer."
When I read it,...
0
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1
answer
31
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When we refer to a 'Room key', is the room being used as an adjective here? can't I say 'Room's key' instead?
What I am trying to find out here is the etymology of the phrase "Room key". Surely, it must have been "room's key" first. When and how did it become "Room key"? and Can ...
1
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1
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62
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Should there be a possessive in "like that of a peacock('s)"?
She has great charm, even like that of a peacock's
She has great charm, even like that of a peacock
The comparison is not between the lady and the peacock. It is between the charms of the lady and ...
12
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4
answers
3k
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Shouldn't there be a ('s) in "University of Texas('s) Basketball Coach"?
I came across this New York Times headline:
University of Texas Basketball Coach Faces Felony Domestic Assault Charge
Shouldn't there be a ('s) in this construction like, "University of Texas's ...
1
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1
answer
14
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"a generation of future potential" or "the future potential of a generation"
I come across the title of a UNICEF report "Children's Exposure to Lead Pollution Undermines a Generation of Future Potential" Blockquote
I do not understand the use of “a Generation of ...
2
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3
answers
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Answering <Whose is this book?> with <One of my friends'>
Let's say I am in a library and there is a book on the desk beside mine. If someone who works at the library or someone else studying at the library comes up to me and asks, "Do you know whose ...
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1
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53
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"Criteria we have smth." vs "Criteria why we have smth." vs "Reasons we have smth." as a title [closed]
I'm writing an article and stuck a bit with the title.
I'd like to use form:
Criteria we have something
But I've been told that this might not be correct.
This form came from the analogy of:
...
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2
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131
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Is it "me" or "my" in this sentence? And why?
He was pretty emphatic about me leaving.
He was pretty emphatic about my leaving.
Which is correct, and why?
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1
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I want to know usage of 's (with apostrophe) in the example given below
According to some grammar, 's is used for human.
I know some of the usages here:
My uncle's son Faizan goes to Bombay Cambridge School every day.
Used as ‘of’ for human possession.
It’s been ages ...
1
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2
answers
25
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Is an article determained by the possessive 's?
Today I came across the following sentence:
AI's decision-making process is usually too difficult for most people to comprehend.
It seemed weird to me because I thought that the word process ...
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1
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38
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Interpretation of saxon-genitives in various contexts [closed]
For saxon-genitives I am trying to figure out how they interact with articles and what they can mean. Consider the following imaginary situations:
Suppose a person & their friend are talking ...
2
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2
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300
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a ten-minute talk/walk VERSUS ten minutes' talk/walk
I have come across an opinion of a native speaker that:
a ten-minute talk - correct
ten minutes' talk - wrong
a ten-minute walk - correct
ten minutes' walk - correct
I can't come up with the ...
0
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2
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378
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How to properly use possessives when you refer to the death of a person?
I'm wondering, what would be the grammatically correct form when you refer to the death of a close relative/important person/anyone? I have found these two cases on Google:
The death of my wife.
My ...
0
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1
answer
27
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Restaurant value or restaurant's value
I'm confused.
What is another way to say "the value of the restaurant" or "the target audience of the restaurant"?
Is it ok to say "restaurant's value or restaurant's target ...
1
vote
1
answer
33
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Bob Marley music or Bob Marley's music
Which of these sentences would you say? I think they're both idiomatic. What's the difference between them?
I listen to Bob Marley music.
or
I listen to Bob Marley's music.
2
votes
2
answers
61
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"list items" or "list's item": A compound noun or possessive?
If we are referring the items belong to a list, it sounds like a list in this case is a possessive noun: "the items of a list".
However, the google says that a form "the list items"...
1
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1
answer
70
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Which sentence is more appropriate
Is there any difference between these two sentences? Which is the appropriate sentence to use?
A student misbehaving with his teachers is so disrespectful.
A student's misbehaving with his teachers ...
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2
answers
32
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... mankind and man's place
For people do not and cannot think in isolation from society, and therefore from the class interests and class struggles which pervade society, any more than they can live and act in such isolation. A ...
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3
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75
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My / her - word choice
Which of the two options is more appropriate for this sentence? Why?
I am a 25-year-old girl who likes interacting with people and practising my / her English.
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1
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113
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It's vs its on social media username context
I'm not a native speaker and just realize there is a difference between "it's" and "its". I still have a little bit confused in some contexts. As an example, on social media ...
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3
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47
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Which is grammatically correct, and why?
Are you a parent who wants the best for their kids?
Are you a parent who wants the best for your kids?
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1
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our readers thought that
a. When that article was published, readers thought that the policy of our journal had changed.
b. When that article was published, the readers thought that the policy of our journal had changed.
c. ...
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1
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39
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Pete's and Tom's computers
a. Pete's and Tom's computers were stolen.
Could the sentence be used if each had one computer?
Could the sentence be used if one had one computer and the other had more?
Could the sentence be used if ...
1
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1
answer
25
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his guests would notice it
a. Jeff's friends went to Sally's place and talked to her father.
Does that necessarily mean all of Jeff's friends went to Sally's place and talked to her father?
b. I knew that if I gave the flash ...
0
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0
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1 a women's stereotype 2 a woman's stereotype 3 women's stereotype 4 a woman stereotype - what's the difference?
1 a women's stereotype
2 a woman's stereotype
3 women's stereotype
4 a woman stereotype
What do they mean?
My take
1 a stereotype which women have about something
2 a stereotype which women have ...
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0
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43
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What is the possessive form of "Macy's"? [duplicate]
Basic rules:
For a singular noun ending with no "s," we add an apostrophe and s at the end.<br />
For a plural noun ending with no "s," we add an apostrophe and s at the end.&...