Apostrophe Catastrophe
(Bob Rusk and Tina Rusk are a married couple and have the same advisor)
Which is correct:
Bob and Tina Rusk’s advisor suggests... or Bob and Tina Rusks’ advisor suggests...
Is there someplace I can find the rule that dictates this? (I need to present proof to settle an argument)
Thank You, Gregg Nagel
Nicholas Sanders (unregistered)
April 12, 2005, 1:13pm
The first is correct.
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speedwell2
April 12, 2005, 2:11pm
First, absolutely, as Nicholas says. Will find cite.
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speedwell2
April 12, 2005, 2:15pm
Got one.
http://www.users.bigpond.com/J_fersOffice/sampl...
"When you have 'double possession' - when two or more people (or subjects) own one item and both (or all) of their names are mentioned, the apostrophe is applied only to the second (or last) name.
'We had coffee at Ermintrude and Marmaduke's mansion.'"
Think of your statement as "The advisor of Bob and Tina Rusk [not Rusks] suggests...".
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Nicholas Sanders (unregistered)
April 12, 2005, 2:54pm
But "The Rusks' advisor..." would also be correct.
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Gregg Nagel (unregistered)
April 13, 2005, 12:15pm
thanks speedwell... I needed the rule to cite as a defense!
The best I'd been able to do was to say "one wouldn't say 'Bob and Tina Rusks are going to the park,'" but I didn't know the actual rule.
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Shirley Mutti (unregistered)
April 15, 2005, 9:35am
Gregg---
I'm sticking with "Bob and Tina Rusk's advisor"...as they are a married couple functioning as a single (not plural) entity.
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speedwell2
April 15, 2005, 2:40pm
Marriage has nothing to do with it. Ownership in common is what counts here. One may correctly say, for example, "John Doe and Mary Roe's lawsuit against their employer."
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Steve (unregistered)
June 19, 2005, 1:32am
unless the name is Bob Rusks... and Tina Rusks. then it would be the Rusks' advisor suggests...
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