possessives and number (sing./pl)
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I'm revising a text containing these two sentences:
a) Students’ sex was coded by using their first names. b) Students’
birthday was self-reported in the survey,
I'm sure the correct version should have "students' birthdays" because the rule in English is to use the plural for the possessed objects, even if the possessors only have one each.
But if I apply this logic to sentence a) about sex, I get
"students' sexes" ...
which seems ridiculous. Why? They are both potentially plural, yet each student has only one sex, and one birthday.
I wonder if the parameter "sex" has only a superficial resemblance to the parameter "birthday". Have you any ideas? Many thanks.
grammatical-number possessives
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
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I'm revising a text containing these two sentences:
a) Students’ sex was coded by using their first names. b) Students’
birthday was self-reported in the survey,
I'm sure the correct version should have "students' birthdays" because the rule in English is to use the plural for the possessed objects, even if the possessors only have one each.
But if I apply this logic to sentence a) about sex, I get
"students' sexes" ...
which seems ridiculous. Why? They are both potentially plural, yet each student has only one sex, and one birthday.
I wonder if the parameter "sex" has only a superficial resemblance to the parameter "birthday". Have you any ideas? Many thanks.
grammatical-number possessives
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I'm revising a text containing these two sentences:
a) Students’ sex was coded by using their first names. b) Students’
birthday was self-reported in the survey,
I'm sure the correct version should have "students' birthdays" because the rule in English is to use the plural for the possessed objects, even if the possessors only have one each.
But if I apply this logic to sentence a) about sex, I get
"students' sexes" ...
which seems ridiculous. Why? They are both potentially plural, yet each student has only one sex, and one birthday.
I wonder if the parameter "sex" has only a superficial resemblance to the parameter "birthday". Have you any ideas? Many thanks.
grammatical-number possessives
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
I'm revising a text containing these two sentences:
a) Students’ sex was coded by using their first names. b) Students’
birthday was self-reported in the survey,
I'm sure the correct version should have "students' birthdays" because the rule in English is to use the plural for the possessed objects, even if the possessors only have one each.
But if I apply this logic to sentence a) about sex, I get
"students' sexes" ...
which seems ridiculous. Why? They are both potentially plural, yet each student has only one sex, and one birthday.
I wonder if the parameter "sex" has only a superficial resemblance to the parameter "birthday". Have you any ideas? Many thanks.
grammatical-number possessives
grammatical-number possessives
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
asked Nov 11 at 9:40
Richard Robinson
12
12
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
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Keep it simple and rephrase it to avoid the problem:
a) Each student's sex was coded by first name. b) Each student's birthday was self-reported in the survey.
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
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1 Answer
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up vote
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Keep it simple and rephrase it to avoid the problem:
a) Each student's sex was coded by first name. b) Each student's birthday was self-reported in the survey.
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
Keep it simple and rephrase it to avoid the problem:
a) Each student's sex was coded by first name. b) Each student's birthday was self-reported in the survey.
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
Keep it simple and rephrase it to avoid the problem:
a) Each student's sex was coded by first name. b) Each student's birthday was self-reported in the survey.
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
Keep it simple and rephrase it to avoid the problem:
a) Each student's sex was coded by first name. b) Each student's birthday was self-reported in the survey.
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
answered Nov 12 at 0:00
Jason Bassford
15.2k31941
15.2k31941
add a comment |
add a comment |
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