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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
John and Mary's football
John and Mary's football
or
John's and Mary's football
Which is right or is there a better way of expressing the idea of a football that is jointly owned by John and Mary?
Got no help from Fowler.
Gerry
or
John's and Mary's football
Which is right or is there a better way of expressing the idea of a football that is jointly owned by John and Mary?
Got no help from Fowler.
Gerry
Top answer
[nq:1]John and Mary's football or John's and Mary's football Which is right or is there a better way of expressing the idea of a football that is jointly owned by John and Mary? [/nq] Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days. Seems fine to me.
- [nq:1]John and Mary's football or John's and Mary's football Which is right or is there a better way of expressing the idea of a football that is jointly owned by John and Mary?
- [/nq] Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days.
- Seems fine to me.
- Matti
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4 Answers
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[nq:1]John and Mary's football or John's and Mary's football Which is right or is there a better way of expressing the idea of a football that is jointly owned by John and Mary? Got no help from Fowler.[/nq]
Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days. Seems fine to me.
Matti
Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days. Seems fine to me.
Matti
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[nq:2]John and Mary's football or John's and Mary's football Which ... owned by John and Mary? Got no help from Fowler.[/nq]
[nq:1]Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days. Seems fine to me. Matti[/nq]
OK, but there is a problem in a sentence like 'Jack kicked John and Mary's football.'. This could mean that Jack kicked John and he also kicked Mary's
[nq:1]Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days. Seems fine to me. Matti[/nq]
OK, but there is a problem in a sentence like 'Jack kicked John and Mary's football.'. This could mean that Jack kicked John and he also kicked Mary's
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[nq:2]Here in Britain you're most likely to see "John and Mary's football" these days. Seems fine to me. Matti[/nq]
[nq:1]OK, but there is a problem in a sentence like 'Jack kicked John and Mary's football.'. This could mean that ... Jack kicked the football owned by John and Mary. This ambiguity goes away with 'Jack kicked John's and Mary's football.'[/nq]
It does, but it's invented ambig
[nq:1]OK, but there is a problem in a sentence like 'Jack kicked John and Mary's football.'. This could mean that ... Jack kicked the football owned by John and Mary. This ambiguity goes away with 'Jack kicked John's and Mary's football.'[/nq]
It does, but it's invented ambig
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[nq:1]John and Mary's football or John's and Mary's football Which is right or is there a better way of expressing the idea of a football that is jointly owned by John and Mary? Got no help from Fowler.[/nq]
Is that a different Fowler from the one whose name is on Fowler's Modern English Usage?
In the Third Edition it says of Group Possessives 'These normally require an apostrophe only aft
Is that a different Fowler from the one whose name is on Fowler's Modern English Usage?
In the Third Edition it says of Group Possessives 'These normally require an apostrophe only aft
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