Apostrophes

[Clanky]

Not really lierature; more grammar but I hope some student of English can help. Where (if anywhere) should the apostrophe denoting possession be put in:
1) compound plural nouns e.g. Adjutant-General: plural Adjutants-General, so where does the apostrophe go for Adjutants-General cars i.e. the cars of the Adjutants-General?
2) plurals not ending in "s" e.g. escape-from-parents chidrens days i.e. days for children, when they can escape from their parents?

[Old_Geezer]

If the car belongs to the Adjutants-General (whatever those are :-) ) then surely it must be Adjutants-General's car ? Confusion comes when someone comes up with a weird situation where a plural has not put the s on the end, where any normal person would expect it.

Children are already plural. Escape-from-parents chidren's days seems right to me.

[KARL]

1) Singular (owner): Adjutant-General's car; plural: Adjutants-General's car(s).
2) Escape-from-parents children's days (children is already plural, hence childrens' would be wrong)

[tamborine]

1.Adjutant's-General cars (if more than one Adjutant-General)
2. escape-from-parents chidren's days

[Quizmonkey]

Children's is an easy one as the word can't exist without an apostrophe.

[heathfield]

See...

1) Rule 7. (Sorry Tambo!).

2) Rule 4.

http://www.grammarboo...nctuation/apostro.asp

[saxy_jag]

Except that something like 'the Joneses' golf clubs is a bit suspect, because there are those (including me) who say it should be 'the Jones' golf clubs'. But it's a matter of preference and convention, I think, and as long as you're consistent then either is acceptable.

So what you should be doing, Clanky, is writing about a group of adjutants-general and a children's day (because 'children' is a collective noun, i.e. there is just one group referred to, and therefore, for the purposes of this context, is singular).

[saxy_jag]

Sorry, that wasn't clear. In your first question, you need to be talking about 'the adjutants-generals' cars' ... which, I guess, would belong to a group of adjutants-general. ;-)

[jno]

saxyjag, I think the plural of Jones is definitely Joneses... the ones you keep up with... so the possessive form of that one would have to be Joneses'.

[saxy_jag]

There's where people differ. I would spell it Jones', but would probably pronounce it Joneses'. But either is correct.