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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar

Save my life!

I'm having a mind blank here and would like someone to help me clarify something.

A student of mine wrote the following:

'Someone saved mine and my family's life.'

I'm trying to correct it but having a hard time and starting to doubt myself. I know it's correct to say 'someone saved my life' or 'someone saved my family's life' so when combining the two would I just say 'someone saved my and my family's life'? Or 'saved me and my family's life'?

And of course, if possible, please explain your answer so I can learn from this.

Cheers,
  

Top answer

'mine' doesn't have an antecedent until you get to the word 'life', so that won't work. You would need to reverse them. Someone saved my family's life and mine.

— CalifJim

  • 'mine' doesn't have an antecedent until you get to the word 'life', so that won't work.
  • You would need to reverse them.
  • Someone saved my family's life and mine.
  • 'my' works, though awkward.
  • Someone saved my and my family's life.
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1 Answers
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'mine' doesn't have an antecedent until you get to the word 'life', so that won't work. You would need to reverse them.

Someone saved my family's life and mine.

'my' works, though awkward.

Someone saved my and my family's life.

my and my family's life a shorter form of my [life] and my family's life, just as the left and right sid
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