possessive use

telford · Nov 12, 2011

I thought I had this puppy put to bed but a friend just queried it so perhaps someone can give me a definative answer. I can only hope that the jury is not out on this point.

The ship's hull OR the ships' hull.

I assumed it was the former my friend thinks it's the latter.

It is consistent throughout the novel but times change, so wadda ya tink AW?

Thanks T

TheIT · Nov 12, 2011

There's only one ship, right? So "ship's hull" is correct. If there were more than one ship, then "ships' hulls" since each ship has its own hull.

DeleyanLee · Nov 12, 2011

And just remember that the plural is "ships" and not "ship's".

Susan Coffin · Nov 12, 2011

telford said:
I thought I had this puppy put to bed but a friend just queried it so perhaps someone can give me a definative answer. I can only hope that the jury is not out on this point.

The ship's hull OR the ships' hull.

I assumed it was the former my friend thinks it's the latter.

It is consistent throughout the novel but times change, so wadda ya tink AW?

Thanks T

The first. The second would indicate there are two ships, in which case it would be the ships' hulls.

telford · Nov 12, 2011

Thanks everyone. And yes, only one ship.

nibris · Nov 14, 2011

ship's hull -___- I wanted so badly to get this in before the help was no longer needed

Rufus Coppertop · Nov 15, 2011

Me too!

jdm · Nov 15, 2011

TheIT said:
There's only one ship, right? So "ship's hull" is correct. If there were more than one ship, then "ships' hulls" since each ship has its own hull.

Unless, of course, the ship builder gave birth to co-joined ships with only one hull between them and there was no way to surgically separate the two without sinking one or both of them.

possessive use

telford

We learn by doing

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

telford

We learn by doing

nibris

Rufus Coppertop

jdm