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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihuxn!gadfly
From: gadfly@ihuxn.UUCP (Gadfly)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Possessive plurals of last names
Message-ID: <1160@ihuxn.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Sep-85 09:44:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxn.1160
Posted: Mon Sep 16 09:44:10 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Sep-85 06:11:12 EDT
References: <2475@mit-hermes.ARPA>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 22

--
> Our local newspaper uses anomalous punctuation of plural possessives 
> attached to people's last names...
> 
> Thus: "The students' possessions were destroyed in a fire."
> But: "The Johnson's possessions...."
> 
> What do others think?

Bad example.  The possessive of a plural noun is supposed to be
<noun>s'--I know of no alternative rule.  For nouns whose singular
ends in "s", including proper names, Strunk and White suggest
no special exception to the 's rule.  Thus: Carliss's snot-nosed
kid, Thomas's hideous deformity, etc., which are no different from
the usual "'s" possessive, viz: Ken's bizarre mood.
-- 
                    *** ***
JE MAINTIENDRAI   ***** *****
                 ****** ******  16 Sep 85 [30 Fructidor An CXCIII]
ken perlow       *****   *****
(312)979-7753     ** ** ** **
..ihnp4!iwsl8!ken   *** ***


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