Questions tagged [possessives]
for questions about words and word forms used to indicate ownership, belonging, or a similar relationship.
590
questions
2
votes
2answers
95 views
Difference between "it's" and "its"?
I wrote an essay and it contained a lot of it's. Upon doing a grammar check on it, all the it's were suggested to be replaced by its.
I am currently not much familiar with the difference between the ...
0
votes
4answers
132 views
Are any possessive apostrophes needed here? "...headphones for their iPhones"
I am a new English learner and need some assistance with understanding when to properly use an apostrophe for showing possession.
I have an example sentence:
Sophie, Brock, and Hannah all own ...
0
votes
2answers
98 views
"a car of his son" is wrong to use/but/ "a friend of mine" is alright?
There's a question asking which answer is correct in "He uses [a car of his son /his son's car]."
While I know the right one is 'his son's car', I also remember that I surely heard of 'a friend of ...
-1
votes
1answer
42 views
Confusion about the use of the possessive in the field name "Women's studies"
Why does the field Women's studies take the possessive s?
And why is it not the case for "Archaeological studies", for example?
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Why I can't use "that its" in this case?
I faced a question where I was supposed to fill in the missing blank. The question was:
The large family _____ house had been destroyed by the storm was invited to stay at a hotel.
There were ...
0
votes
3answers
168 views
"whose" vs "that its" in English
I'm an English learner and today I faced a question where I was supposed to fill in the missing blank.
The question was:
The large family _____ house had been destroyed by the storm was invited to ...
0
votes
1answer
25 views
"heart function" or "heart's function"
What's the correct genitive construction of heart and function?
Should it be "heart's function" or "heart function"?
For instance:
"The heart function is to supply blood to whole body."
or
"...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
question about plural and possesives [closed]
Is this dialogue correct? (regarding plural and possessives) Thank you.
"I like it; keep going. Would you want some more clovers? I can bring you some," the fairy said.
"Yes! Thank you... What'...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
What is correct (possessive question)
I haven't the foggiest how to express this basic idea correctly in English:
The meaning is "the trip that Paul and I will make to London". So, is "Paul and I's trip to London" or "Paul and mine trip ...
0
votes
0answers
27 views
Possessive case: cosmetic issue prevention or cosmetic issues prevention
Which is correct: cosmetic issue prevention or cosmetic issues prevention?
(That is, prevention of cosmetic issues. The context is just a title, something like: Cosmetic Issue Prevention Products.)
0
votes
1answer
32 views
Use of possessive in complex sentence
"It won't fall only on my shoulders, but also on the company that I'll be working for."
Is this sentence correct or does it need to show possession on the second sentence, like "on the company's (...
0
votes
1answer
852 views
How to chose between "get" and "have got"?
In a class context, would a student, asking about the homework and if any homework is due for today, ask:
Did we get any homework for today?
or
Have we got any homework for today?
Or can both ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
Do you say “ me and my brother’s room” or “ my and my brother’s room” ? Thanks in advance for your answer
I’m not suore which of the two is correct......Me and Tessa’s Books or My and Tessa’s books ? Couldn’t find an answer in grammar books.
0
votes
0answers
31 views
Basic question about plural and possessive
I have multiple tables of different colors.
What is the correct saying if I want to talk about the colors of all the tables ?
The tables' colors.
The table's colors.
The tables colors.
...
0
votes
3answers
16 views
Which is the correct form "Timisoara's public transport network" or Timisoara public transport network?
I often see it without the 's on the maps around the world.
Is it grammatically correct to write it without the 's
0
votes
1answer
38 views
time possessive [duplicate]
It will take 5 days to manufacture them
It took us half an hour to wait
If I want to change the sentences above to noun phrases, time's possessive form, can I write them as below, thanks in ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Use of "s' with apostrophe
Is it really necessary to use 's for possessive case when used for things and places? I mean if we say:
Church marble flooring
It does make sense. I feel that it isn't necessary to put 's in this.
...
4
votes
2answers
211 views
Possessive of multiple words
How do you write a possessive of a noun that has a phrase describing it?
Example:
[The dog at the park]'s food
The food belongs to the dog, not the park. What is the proper way to write something ...
2
votes
3answers
132 views
"results' statistics" vs. "results statistics"
How should I write this. There are many results.
we remove them them from our results' statistics
vs.
we remove them from our results statistics
vs.
we remove them from our result ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
“its something of” vs “something of it”
I am bit confused between the Possessive adjective and Preposition
I got a car from India for my brother and its one wheel are made from Germany.
I got a car from India for my brother and one ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
" species " or " species' " or " species's "?
In an example used for describing the meaning of the word "biodiversity" in Cambridge dictionary the phrase "species habitat and biodiversity" is used:
the number and types of plants and animals ...
2
votes
1answer
9k views
{days / days'} worth of stuff?
I'm confused.
When reading a novel, I've encountered
It's around 3 days worth of stuff.
I thought "why not 3 days' worth of stuff?"
So I checked the Sketchengine, and got 2.2k results for ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
What's the subtle difference in meaning between "of", " 's" and compound nouns?
A lot of grammar books say that with living things (a cat, a man), one can only use an -'s , for or double genitive so the only correct ways to say that a boy owns a hat are:
A boy's hat (...
0
votes
1answer
46 views
Possessive "s" vs no possessive "s" when referring to animate objects
Which one is better (as a question in a forum):
Number of family members: ......
Number of family's members: .....
0
votes
1answer
46 views
"Seventeen days' notice" versus "seventeen day's notice" [duplicate]
Even in those days, this was incredibly rude! Giving the President of your country only seventeen days'' notice before making a speech, especially as he wasn’t top of the bill, would be unthinkable ...
1
vote
1answer
433 views
Family or family's?
I have a rather silly question that I can not work out the answer for. I've overthought it so much that I seem to have confused myself.
If I am referring to something that belongs to my family would ...
2
votes
1answer
25 views
"Titan Dahl's hedge fund's website" vs. "Titan Dahl hedge fund's website"
Titan Dahl's hedge fund's website"
or
Titan Dahl hedge fund's website
Methinks the second is correct. I need to know which of the sentences above is correct as I add plenty of references to an ...
0
votes
2answers
63 views
'I want to study all of them's subtitles.' - is that correct?
Please tell me, can I say following:
I got 10 movies and I want to study ALL OF THEM'S English subtitles.
My question refers to the words all of them's. Can I say that or must I use the normal
...
1
vote
1answer
47 views
Is it considered wrong to make a noun that is modified possessive?
I have heard people do this--make a noun that is modified with additional information (e.g. Aaron who didn't finish college's mom, The dog that is dirty's owner, etc.) possessive, but I don't think I'...
1
vote
0answers
68 views
The Difference between "the means of production" vs "means of production"?
Sometimes I see words like I mentioned that use without using article the.
Is there any difference in meaning?
Because as far as I know we should use article the for the possessive form of non-living ...
0
votes
1answer
25 views
possessive form or adjectival noun
I cannot see a pattern or rule that enables me to decide whether I should use possession structure or adjectival noun.
election results: No one writes election's results and election is a modifier ...
3
votes
2answers
3k views
I appreciate "you trying" or "your trying"?
You said the names wrong. But I appreciate you trying.
You said the names wrong. But I appreciate your trying.
I saw the first sentence in a TV-show. Is it grammatical? I thought sentence 2 was ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Concerning the use of the possessive form in this context
In this newspaper article, just under the "China is reluctant to get too involved" heading, the possessive form has been used thus:
Just a few minutes’ walk away from the Legislative Council ...
2
votes
2answers
155 views
Sir Alex Ferguson advice OR Sir Alex Ferguson's advice
I came across this title on a sports website
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should follow Sir Alex Ferguson advice over Real Madrid and Paul Pogba
and was wondering why there was no possessive.
Ole ...
1
vote
1answer
87 views
Am I correct about possessives?
1 When you say about a bird in general, you say "This is a feather of a bird", you can also say "This is a bird's feather".
a. So when you say "These are feathers of a bird", so will you say "These ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
Can you help me explain this?
1 When I say "This is a pig's trough.", so is the word "a" describing or attached to "pig" or "trough"?
2 When I say "This is the pigs' trough.", so is the word "the" describing or attached to "pigs" ...
0
votes
1answer
833 views
Which is better? "Student Performances" or "Students' Performances"
I was told to use "Students' Performances" instead of "Student Performances" for the cover page of a video project that shows the performances of students from several schools for a rally and ...
18
votes
8answers
7k views
Is there a rule that prohibits us from using 2 possessives in a row?
An English teacher made a comment on my usage of the phrase, "Our last week's meeting", saying that it should be, "last week's meeting", is there a rule for this?
0
votes
1answer
70 views
Possessive 's with inanimate nouns (e.g. programming languages)
It has bothered me for a while. I am a software developer and I keep noticing things like
the features of the Java 8's release
during C++'s development period
This method is one of the ...
0
votes
1answer
133 views
Makers Night, Maker's Night or Makers' Night?
We're running an evening craft fair soon and the posters are being designed. It's called "Makers Night", as the multiple independent stallholders who make and sell the crafts are also known as "makers"...
0
votes
0answers
1k views
using possessive apostrophe with country names
Why is it so that it is more correct to say
In India, Independence Day is not on August 14th.
instead of
India's Independence Day is not on August 14th.
?
Is it because the usage of ...
0
votes
1answer
733 views
Can "father" be used as "Dad"?
As "Dad" and "Mom" start with a capital letter if they came as the father and mother's names. Then, is it possible for "father" to be used in the same situation but without capitalizing its first ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
"Someone else's", "Someone's else", and "Someone else's one"
For example:
-- You should move your car out of the way.
-- This is not my car but someone else's car.
I want to get rid of the redundancy in the sentence which is presented by the second "...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Adults department or adults' department?
Should it be adults department or adults' department?
The Older Adults Department at CCSF offers non-credit classes specially designed for those 55 plus, but all are welcome to attend.
Source: ...
1
vote
1answer
232 views
What is the difference between city centre and city's centre?
I was wondering about what's the difference because I always learned it as city centre, but now I read it like that, and... Is it the same?
0
votes
1answer
39 views
Do I need to repeat 'of the'?
Let us suppose you are a repairman.
Each evening you must check the condition of the fireplace and of the boiler?
1
vote
1answer
52 views
Is "One's life of them" a valid phrase?
I want to use a phrase that takes the form of possession. It may be a matter of an apostrophe with s or a usage of a possessive pronoun, I suppose.
What I want the phrase to mean and indicate is that ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Personal pronoun with a gerund or infinitive?
My father never approved _____ a foreigner.
a. her to marry
b. her marrying
c. she marrying
d. she not marry
Please answer the question with an explanation.
1
vote
2answers
106 views
Use of possessive apostrophe with "every"
In the following sentence, can anyone tell me where the apostrophe should be placed please?
Every coders' worst nightmare
Every coder's worst nightmare
I have a feeling that the second sentence is ...
3
votes
1answer
25k views
Sister's vs. Sisters'
Question regarding the use of apostrophe/ownership in the case of twins.
Noun: The Night Sisters (who constitute a twin object).
Sentence: Mary tended John throughout the Night Sisters passing.
...
