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Other than the two most powerful legislators' being arrested....

 
 
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 12:24 pm
From the NYT:
"Other than the two most powerful legislators' being arrested...."
Question: Why is there an apostrophe on "legislators'?"
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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 861 • Replies: 8
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dalehileman
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 01:10 pm
@Schwaben,
Wow, Ben, that's really a good q. There's an implication of "...than the matter of the two..." where "legislators' " modifies "matter." But it's a stretch
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Tes yeux noirs
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 01:42 pm
We use the possessive with gerunds (because they are nouns):

My being arrested
Your paying for my meal

When using any possessive apostrophe it goes before the 's' for singulars:
John's being arrested
The man's hat was black.
The legislator's being arrested was a shock for his family.

It goes after the 's' for plurals:
The mens' hats were different colours.
Two actresses' roles
Guys' night out
The legislators' being arrested was a shock for their families.
It can sometimes also go after a final 's' even for a singular noun, although this is disputed.

Jesus' name
Thomas' house



Schwaben
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 02:01 pm
@Tes yeux noirs,
OK, I know about putting the possessive apostrophe, and all your other examples make sense, but I don't understand why
...the legislators' being arrested...
is possessive.
Tes yeux noirs
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 02:12 pm
We use the possessive with gerunds, and being is a gerund.

For one legislator we could write about
His car (The legislator's car)
His wife (The legislator's wife)
His age (The legislator's age)
His being arrested (The legislator's being arrested)
His being stupid
His being drunk
etc

For multiple legislators we could write about
Their cars (The legislators' cars)
Their wives (The legislators' wives)
Their ages (The legislators' ages)
Their being arrested (The legislators' being arrested)
Their being stupid
Their being drunk
etc

What don't you understand?




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Frank Apisa
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 02:13 pm
@Schwaben,
I do not think it is.

Even the NYT can be grammatically incorrect at times.
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Tes yeux noirs
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 02:14 pm
Frank, it is grammatical.
Frank Apisa
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 02:18 pm
@Tes yeux noirs,
I will concede that either way (with or without) is grammatical...and acceptable, Tes.
Schwaben
 
  0  
Reply Fri 3 Jul, 2015 02:48 pm
@Frank Apisa,
Tes,

OK, I think I get it. I just looked up "gerund" in Wikipedia, and their example

"The teacher's shouting startled the student."

make clear why the gerund takes the possessive. For some reason, "being" threw me.

Thanks.
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