How do you write a plural possessive?
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Harper Davis
Studied at the University of Oxford, Lives in Oxford, UK.
Hello there! As an expert in the field of English grammar, I'm here to help you understand how to form plural possessives. English grammar can be quite intricate, and the rules for possessive forms can sometimes be a bit tricky, but let's break it down together.
Firstly, it's important to understand what a possessive is. A possessive is a form of a noun that indicates ownership or some form of relationship between two entities. For example, in the sentence "John's book," the possessive "John's" indicates that the book belongs to John.
Now, let's delve into the rules for forming plural possessives:
1. Singular Nouns: When you have a singular noun that is possessive, you add an apostrophe followed by an "s" to the end of the word. For instance, if you have the singular noun "dog" and you want to show possession, you would write "dog's" to indicate that something belongs to the dog.
2. Plural Nouns Ending in 's': For plural nouns that already end in an "s" sound, you simply add an apostrophe after the "s" to make it possessive. This is because the "s" already indicates plurality, so you don't need to add another "s". For example, "buses" becomes "buses'" to show possession for multiple buses.
3. Plural Nouns Not Ending in 's': If a plural noun does not end in an "s" sound, you add an apostrophe and an "s" to the end of the word to indicate possession. For example, "children" becomes "children's" to show that something belongs to the children collectively.
4. Irregular Plurals: Some plural nouns are irregular and do not follow the standard pattern of adding an "s" to the singular form. For these, you still follow the same rule as for regular plurals. If the irregular plural ends in an "s" sound, you add only an apostrophe. If it doesn't, you add an apostrophe and an "s". For example, "men" becomes "men's".
5. Compound Possessives: When you have a compound noun (a noun made up of two or more words), the possessive form is usually made on the last word of the compound. For example, "mother-in-law's" house indicates that the house belongs to the mother-in-law.
6. Joint Possession: If two or more entities own something together, you only add the possessive form to the last noun. For example, "John and Mary's house" means the house is owned by both John and Mary.
7.
Individual Possession: If each entity owns something separately, you make each noun possessive. For example, "John's and Mary's houses" means John owns one house and Mary owns another.
8.
Indefinite Possessives: Sometimes, possessives are used with indefinite pronouns like "someone," "anyone," "no one," etc. In these cases, you still add an apostrophe and an "s". For example, "someone's book" indicates a book that belongs to an unspecified person.
9.
Special Cases: There are always exceptions to the rules, and possessives are no different. For example, "its" is a possessive pronoun that does not take an apostrophe because it is a contraction of "it is" or "it has".
Now, let's look at some examples to solidify these rules:
- Singular: The cat's toy (the toy belongs to one cat)
- Plural ending in 's': The buses' route (the route belongs to multiple buses)
- Plural not ending in 's': The children's playground (the playground belongs to the children)
- Irregular plural: The men's changing room (the room belongs to the men)
- Compound: My brother-in-law's car (the car belongs to my brother-in-law)
- Joint possession: John and Mary's shared office (the office is shared by John and Mary)
- Individual possession: John's and Mary's separate offices (John has one office, Mary has another)
- Indefinite: Someone's left their umbrella (the umbrella belongs to an unspecified person)
By understanding these rules and practicing their application, you'll be able to use plural possessives correctly and effectively in your writing. Remember, the key is to show the relationship of ownership or belonging between the nouns in your sentences.
Now, let's move on to the translation of the above explanation into Chinese.
Firstly, it's important to understand what a possessive is. A possessive is a form of a noun that indicates ownership or some form of relationship between two entities. For example, in the sentence "John's book," the possessive "John's" indicates that the book belongs to John.
Now, let's delve into the rules for forming plural possessives:
1. Singular Nouns: When you have a singular noun that is possessive, you add an apostrophe followed by an "s" to the end of the word. For instance, if you have the singular noun "dog" and you want to show possession, you would write "dog's" to indicate that something belongs to the dog.
2. Plural Nouns Ending in 's': For plural nouns that already end in an "s" sound, you simply add an apostrophe after the "s" to make it possessive. This is because the "s" already indicates plurality, so you don't need to add another "s". For example, "buses" becomes "buses'" to show possession for multiple buses.
3. Plural Nouns Not Ending in 's': If a plural noun does not end in an "s" sound, you add an apostrophe and an "s" to the end of the word to indicate possession. For example, "children" becomes "children's" to show that something belongs to the children collectively.
4. Irregular Plurals: Some plural nouns are irregular and do not follow the standard pattern of adding an "s" to the singular form. For these, you still follow the same rule as for regular plurals. If the irregular plural ends in an "s" sound, you add only an apostrophe. If it doesn't, you add an apostrophe and an "s". For example, "men" becomes "men's".
5. Compound Possessives: When you have a compound noun (a noun made up of two or more words), the possessive form is usually made on the last word of the compound. For example, "mother-in-law's" house indicates that the house belongs to the mother-in-law.
6. Joint Possession: If two or more entities own something together, you only add the possessive form to the last noun. For example, "John and Mary's house" means the house is owned by both John and Mary.
7.
Individual Possession: If each entity owns something separately, you make each noun possessive. For example, "John's and Mary's houses" means John owns one house and Mary owns another.
8.
Indefinite Possessives: Sometimes, possessives are used with indefinite pronouns like "someone," "anyone," "no one," etc. In these cases, you still add an apostrophe and an "s". For example, "someone's book" indicates a book that belongs to an unspecified person.
9.
Special Cases: There are always exceptions to the rules, and possessives are no different. For example, "its" is a possessive pronoun that does not take an apostrophe because it is a contraction of "it is" or "it has".
Now, let's look at some examples to solidify these rules:
- Singular: The cat's toy (the toy belongs to one cat)
- Plural ending in 's': The buses' route (the route belongs to multiple buses)
- Plural not ending in 's': The children's playground (the playground belongs to the children)
- Irregular plural: The men's changing room (the room belongs to the men)
- Compound: My brother-in-law's car (the car belongs to my brother-in-law)
- Joint possession: John and Mary's shared office (the office is shared by John and Mary)
- Individual possession: John's and Mary's separate offices (John has one office, Mary has another)
- Indefinite: Someone's left their umbrella (the umbrella belongs to an unspecified person)
By understanding these rules and practicing their application, you'll be able to use plural possessives correctly and effectively in your writing. Remember, the key is to show the relationship of ownership or belonging between the nouns in your sentences.
Now, let's move on to the translation of the above explanation into Chinese.
2024-05-13 17:52:03
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Studied at the University of Seoul, Lives in Seoul, South Korea.
To make most nouns plural, add an -s or -es. The -es is added to words that end in an s or z sound. To make a plural noun possessive, simply add an apostrophe to the word. If the plural does not end in an s, then add an apostrophe plus s.
2023-06-18 23:04:29
Isabella Lee
QuesHub.com delivers expert answers and knowledge to you.
To make most nouns plural, add an -s or -es. The -es is added to words that end in an s or z sound. To make a plural noun possessive, simply add an apostrophe to the word. If the plural does not end in an s, then add an apostrophe plus s.
