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Which is correct with or without ('s)?He is a friend of Bob('s)

Deadrat · Accepted Answer

You may almost always drop the second possessive, the "apostrophe-s" There are differing opinions on the double possessive -- grammatical, ungrammatical, formal, informal. But you'll often hear it or read it with persons. So "He is a friend of Bob's" is natural. Not so much for other things. Donating $100 to the civil orchestra will make Bob a friend of the symphony, not a friend of the symphony's. Then again, two degrees of separation is always "a friend of a friend," not a friend of a friend's."

There's one instance where the double possessive is useful, and that's with pictorial representations. If we say "Bob's picture," do we mean the one that Bob owns or the one that depicts Bob? It's the former for "a picture of Bob's"; the latter for "a picture of Bob."

Anonymous · Answer

deadrat So "He is a friend of Bob's" is natural. Not so much for other things.

Thanks a lot for your reply and explanation.

deadratDonating $100 to the civil orchestra will make Bob a friend of the symphony, not a friend of the symphony's.

Yes, 's does not sound correct here.

deadratIf we say "Bob's picture," do we mean the one that Bob owns or the one that depicts Bob

Do you mean that saying 'Bob's picture' can have these two meanings?

deadratIt's the former for "a picture of Bob's"; the latter for "a picture of Bob."

So it is useful to distinguish between these two meanings, right?

Where "the one that Bob owns" = "a picture of Bob's"; and "the one that depicts Bob" = "a picture of Bob"

Have I understood correctly?

Deadrat · Answer

You have.

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