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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

"mark's and lisa's house" or "mark and lisa's house" ?

See the title - please, help!

Thanks.

JS
  

Top answer

It's not a good idea to simply refer to the title, which is often difficult to see when responding. It also shows a lack of concern about having one's question answered. Put your question within the post as well.

  • It's not a good idea to simply refer to the title, which is often difficult to see when responding.
  • It also shows a lack of concern about having one's question answered.
  • Put your question within the post as well.
  • Use the second method.
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7 Answers
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It's not a good idea to simply refer to the title, which is often difficult to see when responding. It also shows a lack of concern about having one's question answered. Put your question within the post as well.

Use the second method.
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Thank you, I appreciate it!

I'll remember your remarks for the future.

JS
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Mark and Lisa's house.

Even when one thing belongs to several people there's only one apostrophe-s -- at the end.

George and Louise and Daniel and Helen's time-share condo.

The same is true of longer descriptions -- only one apostrophe-s.

the Queen of England's throne
the chairman of the club's project


CJ
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Hi,
I was once told that if two people have something that belongs to both of them, you can put the possessive S at the end of the second noun, or add it to both:
The car that belongs to Mark and Lisa is Mark and Lisa's car, or Mark's and Lisa's car.

I hope that's true
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You're not going to hear Mark's and Lisa's car very often at all1, but when two cars are at issue, each owned by one of the people in question, you'll hear Mark's and Lisa's cars.

CJ

1Prescriptivists call it incorrect. Descriptivists call it rare.
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Oh, well, I didn't know if it was common or not... I actually don't like that form much (Mark's and Lisa's car), I think it could be confusing.
Anyway, I've always wondered about this:

Mark's car and Lisa's.

If it is ok, what does it mean? One car for Mark and one for Lisa, and that's the only meaning?
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Mark's car and Lisa's

Without any context that might suggest otherwise, I would automatically understand that you are referring to two cars.

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