Welcome to the AbsoluteWrite Water Cooler! Please read The Newbie Guide To Absolute Write
A publisher or agency using Google ads to solicit your novel probably isn't anyone you want to write for.
|
|||||||
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
|
#1 |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 379
![]() |
Possessive form of boss?
boss' or boss's.
(As in the guy you work for, not a last name like Hugo Boss.) I found both on Google. Boss's is more common - and used by Wikipedia if that means anything - but looks strange to me. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Darth Vader is my co-pilot
SuperModerator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The land of cow pies
Posts: 15,991
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
boss's is correct.
Excerpt from Elements of Style: Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's. -Derek
__________________
Absolute Visions Anthology of Speculative Fiction 19 tales of magic, wonder and science. |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Writing Anarchist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: lost among the words
Posts: 27,596
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
My grammar book (The Careful Writer) says that it depends on what the next word is whether it's a ' or a 's.
My boss's phone -- correct because it doesn't have 3 s sounds in a row (ss counts as a single sound) My boss' secretary -- correct. My boss's secretary -- incorrect. That make sense?
__________________
"For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche
|
|
|
|
|
|
#4 | |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 379
![]() |
Quote:
boss's bosses' Makes sense. Thanks. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#5 | |
|
SupahStah!
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: So Cal
Posts: 2,559
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
__________________
jennifer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#6 | |
|
Darth Vader is my co-pilot
SuperModerator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The land of cow pies
Posts: 15,991
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3S rule?
![]() Quote:
-Derek
__________________
Absolute Visions Anthology of Speculative Fiction 19 tales of magic, wonder and science. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Writing Anarchist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: lost among the words
Posts: 27,596
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
No, it's not because it breaks the 3S rule--having 3 S sounds all together.
__________________
"For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche
|
|
|
|
|
|
#8 | |
|
Hapless Virago
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,451
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
In any case, the possessive "s" is pronounced with a "z" sound there, so there aren't three s sounds in a row. On edit: I Googled a bit, and found all kinds of rules about this, including one site (Dictionary.com) that had an incredibly elaborate set of rules that included "If there is already a sibilant in the word, don't add another s: Kansas', not Kansas's." I guess this is a less settled issue than I had thought--you can find many authorities that say the possessive of "boss" should be "boss's", and many authorities that say the possessive of "boss" should be "boss'". So, Doug, whichever you do, some people will think it's right and other people will think it's wrong. Last edited by IceCreamEmpress; 07-24-2008 at 10:35 PM. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 | |
|
Writing Anarchist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: lost among the words
Posts: 27,596
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
__________________
"For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#10 | |
|
Hapless Virago
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,451
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
You have opened my eyes to a phenomenon that I never knew existed, and I've been doing editing and copyediting for 20 years. I even ghostwrote sections of two grammar textbooks, back when dinosaurs walked the Earth. And yet, I had never encountered the "3 S Rule" until today. This is good. Learning is good. I still think it should be "My boss's secretary," but I understand that that is my own dogma talking. Woof! And I am fascinated by the idea that there is no way to do this without somebody thinking you're wrong. Doug, perhaps you should just rewrite the sentence as "My boss's administrative assistant"?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#11 | |
|
Writing Anarchist
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: lost among the words
Posts: 27,596
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
As long as the sentence is understandable, that's all that really matters to me in the end.
__________________
"For unheard of means that it's undreamed of yet; Impossible means not yet done." --Julia Ecklar "You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." --Friederich Nietzsche
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Goethe, Wind in His Hair
AW Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: City Park
Posts: 25,481
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Deleyan, that's exactly what I do. I pick a style for this and other touchy punctuation and spelling matters and stick to it consistently. If some publisher buys it, once I regain consciousness, I'll be glad to make it conform to its house style, even if I disagree with it.
Maryn, team player |
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ocala, Florida
Posts: 458
![]() |
Actually, the "three-s" rule is found in the AP Stylebook, in the back of the book in the grammar section. It is also mentioned in several other grammar books I have read.
Edit: I never heard of it called the "three-s" rule before today, but it seems like a fine name (except usually it causes four s's). I know you can find it in the AP Stylebook in the back punctuation section under "apostrophe-singular common nouns ending in s." "Add 's unless the next word begins with s: the hostess's invitation, the hostess' seat; the witness's answer, the witness' story." Last edited by veronie; 07-25-2008 at 12:31 AM. |
|
|
|
|
|
#14 | ||
|
Hapless Virago
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,451
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 379
![]() |
Actually, the next word is "list," so I can forget the three s rule if I want to.
It's dialog, so I can't really rework the sentence. (Characters say what they say. They don't care whether or not I know how to write it down.) Thanks for the help. |
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 379
![]() |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#17 | ||
|
Darth Vader is my co-pilot
SuperModerator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The land of cow pies
Posts: 15,991
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Quote:
Quote:
![]() From what's been said, I guess the boss's vs. boss' decision depends on what you're writing, fiction or an AP style news article. -Derek
__________________
Absolute Visions Anthology of Speculative Fiction 19 tales of magic, wonder and science. |
||
|
|
|
|
|
#18 |
|
That hairy-handed gent
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Who ran amok in Kent
Posts: 26,229
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Beast's.
caw |
|
|
|
|
|
#19 | |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,039
![]() ![]() |
Quote:
And you spell it like you say it--hence, my boss's secretary. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
#20 |
|
Moderation in All Things
AW Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 12,587
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
My boss's secretary is ALWAYS correct -- just ask her.
__________________
--Roger J. Carlson |
|
|
|
|
|
#21 |
|
Company Man
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,212
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
My boss's mistress.
__________________
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -- Albert Einstein |
|
|
|
|
|
#22 |
|
practical experience, FTW
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ocala, Florida
Posts: 458
![]() |
Since when is this true in English?
Edit: The point some of us are making is that this is a style difference; some style books call for dropping the "s," some do not. If you are not following any set style and you want to keep it, fine. But at the same time, it is perfectly fine for you to drop it. Newspaper style generally calls for "my boss' secretary." Last edited by veronie; 07-26-2008 at 01:16 AM. |
|
|
|
|
|
#23 |
|
a non sequitur
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: cliffs of fall
Posts: 552
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Office floor
I also have a question:
Is "office floor" possessive or not? The floor of the office that is. "... papers scattered on the office floor". If it is, do I need apostrophe + s ? Or is it an adjective? |
|
|
|
|
|
#24 |
|
It's green they say
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: San Antonio
Posts: 1,704
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Adjective.
__________________
In a science fiction novel, if I describe what's on a desk, the reader will use this to figure out the level of technology in the society. In a mystery novel, if I describe what's on a desk, the reader will understand that one of those objects is a clue. In a literary novel, if I describe what's on a desk, the reader will understand it to be a metaphor for the protagonist's mental state. - James D. Macdonald, discussing Reading Protocols, 6 Apr 2009 |
|
|
|
|
|
#25 |
|
integrating
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 629
![]() ![]() |
__________________
~ Quocunque Jeceris Stabit ~ |
|
|
|
![]() |
| Bookmarks |
| Thread Tools | |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
If this site is helpful to you,
Please consider a voluntary subscription to defray ongoing expenses.