The possesive of plurals not finishing with "'s"

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like "mice", "deer" or "brethren". mice's?there's no kaangut. it's only yourself.+48.888.106.477email: zbihniew(at)krasl(dot)czhttp://zbihniew.krasl.cz

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[nq:1]like "mice", "deer" or "brethren". mice's?[/nq]
English plurals do not end in "'s." (Minor exception for occasional use of 's to pluralize numerals and abbreviations.) Most English plurals end in "s". Some are irregular and end in other letters.

The possessive of plurals ending in "s" is formed by adding only an apostrophe: pigs', human beings', authors'. All those are regular plural possessives. The possessive of a plural not ending in the letter "s" is formed by adding "'s": children's, deer's, mice's. This is a matter of form, not sound. "Mice" ends in an "s" sound, but it does not end with the letter "s", so it is pluralized with "'s".
Because this is a matter of convention, usage has made no inroads of which I am aware. The rules are the rules.

Bob Lieblich
Awaiting dissent

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]like "mice", "deer" or "brethren". mice's?[/nq]
[nq:1]...this is a matter of convention, usage has made no inroads of which I am aware..[/nq]
In line with convention then, which of the following is 'correct'? John Knox' house, or
John Knox's house.
I have come across both, e.g. on the first page of hits matching "John Knox" in Google Search.
Jack.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]...this is a matter of convention, usage has made no inroads of which I am aware..[/nq]
[nq:1]In line with convention then, which of the following is 'correct'? John Knox' house, or John Knox's house.[/nq]
Just to make certain we're all considering the same thing: our question relates to the possessive forms of singulars that end in "s" letter or sound not plurals. There is no single convention about this as there is about plurals, and a case can be made for either answer to your question. This NG has batted this topic around on many occasions. I think there's a branch of this very thread on which something of the sort is going on right now.
[nq:1]I have come across both, e.g. on the first page of hits matching "John Knox" in Google Search.[/nq]
No surprise there. And you can't call either "wrong."

And how do I do it? I'm of the "spell it as you say it" school:

- John's sake
- Charles's sake
- Knox's sake
- Conscience' sake
- Jesus' sake
Where there's an "s" I pronounce it separately, where there is none, I don't. Or, in reverse, when I pronounce the "s" separately, I include it in the written form; when I don't, I don't.

Others form the singular possessive by invariably adding "'s", and still others invariably add only the apostrophe. Your choice.

Bob Lieblich
Sakes alive

Usenet · Answer

O czasie 2004-04-10 22:12, taki/taka jeden/jedna Robert Lieblich wzi±/ê³(a) i napisa³(a) :
[nq:2]like "mice", "deer" or "brethren". mice's?[/nq]
[nq:1]English plurals do not end in "'s." (Minor exception for occasional use of 's to pluralize numerals and abbreviations.) Most English plurals end in "s". Some are irregular and end in other letters.[/nq]
Sorry. My mistake.
[nq:1]The possessive of plurals ending in "s" is formed by adding only an apostrophe: pigs', human beings', authors'. All those ... ends in an "s" sound, but it does not end with the letter "s", so it is pluralized with "'s".[/nq]
Exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks.
[nq:1]Because this is a matter of convention, usage has made no inroads of which I am aware. The rules are the rules.[/nq]
there's no kaangut. it's only yourself.
+48.888.106.477
email: zbihniew(at)krasl(dot)cz
http://zbihniew.krasl.cz

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]like "mice", "deer" or "brethren". mice's?[/nq]
Yes. You add "'s". Men's, women's and children's clothes. The brethren's home. The mice's, deer's and geese's food. The oxen's manger. The narcissi's and gladioli's blooms.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The narcissi's and gladioli's blooms.[/nq]
We had "gladioli" and "narcissus"(1). I see that MWCD10 lists "narcissi", "narcissuses", and "narcissus" as the plural. (They also list "gladioluses", but not "gladiolus".)
Of course, usually, they were just "glads".
(1) Except that jocularly, they were "narcissuseses".

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[nq:2] John Knox' house, or John Knox's house.[/nq]
[nq:1] Your choice.[/nq]
Thank you, Bob. I have a little bit more confident in using, or not using,"'s" now, at least in nouns/pronouns ending with an "s" sound.

Jack.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]...I have a little bit more confident in...[/nq]
Sorry, "confidence"
Jack.

The possesive of plurals not finishing with "'s"

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