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Edit_gal Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Plural Nouns and Possessives

Good Evening,

Would anyone be able to assist me please? I would really appreciate it. I am trying to edit the following phrase with the appropriate possessive punctuation:

Department of Corrections Prisons Computer System

I have been going back and forth in my mind. There is only one Department of Corrections. However there are several prisons that are apart of the Department of Corrections. Initially I thought that the following was correct:
Department of Corrections' Prisons' Computer System

Then I was thinking that since there is only one Department of Corrections it should be as follows:

Department of Correction's Prisons' Computer System

Thank you for any assistance that you can provide.
  

Top answer

Hi, Would anyone be able to assist me please? I would really appreciate it. I am trying to edit the following phrase with the appropriate possessive punctuation: Department of Corrections Prisons Computer System I have been going back and forth in my mind.

— Clive

  • Hi, Would anyone be able to assist me please?
  • I would really appreciate it.
  • I am trying to edit the following phrase with the appropriate possessive punctuation: Department of Corrections Prisons Computer System I have been going back and forth in my mind.
  • There is only one Department of Corrections.
  • However there are several prisons that are apart of the Department of Corrections.
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3 Answers
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Hi,

Would anyone be able to assist me please? I would really appreciate it. I am trying to edit the following phrase with the appropriate possessive punctuation:

Department of Corrections Prisons Computer System

I have been going back and forth in my mind. There is only one Department of Corrections. However there are several prisons that are apart of th
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CliveYou can't change the name of the Department of Corrections to the Department of Correction.

I assume that it is a system that deals with prisons.

So, I would write it as
Department of Corrections's Prisons Computer System.
But much depends on why you want this phrase. If that's what the system will be called, it seems very unwieldy to me.
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CliveOr, for just a name, I'd just drop the 'apostrophe ess' for the sake of simplicity.
ie Department of Corrections Prisons Computer System.
I think this is becoming more and more common.
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