Double possession

ct bliss · Nov 26, 2006

What would be the correct method to represent something like: "Joe's friend's car was black."

This has always irked me, and I've never gotten a clear answer. It just sounds wierd, and feels just as awkward writing it.

K1P1 · Nov 26, 2006

That's correct. It's also awkward. Only way to fix it is to revise it: "Joe had a friend. His car was black."

Unfortunately, you can't tell for sure now if the car belongs to Joe or to his friend in my example. Ain't English wonderful?

Deleted member 42 · Nov 26, 2006

Joe's friend Brian had a black car.

Brian, Joe's friend, had a black car.

ct bliss · Nov 26, 2006

I revised it to something like: "This is Joe and his friend. His friend's car is black."

Not a whole lot better, since I've got a possessive pronoun preceading a possessive noun, but it flows more.

ct bliss · Nov 26, 2006

Oh and thanks.

Carmy · Nov 27, 2006

I assume Joe's friend has been named. If so, 'Friend's' car was black.

aghast · Nov 27, 2006

the car of joes friend is black

veronie · Nov 27, 2006

Black was the color of the car belonging to the friend of Joe.

Black, car of Joe's friend color it was.

Misnomer · Nov 27, 2006

What's wrong with simply "Joe's friend had a black car"?

Edit: Or, if you're introducing the friend for the first time, "This is Joe's friend, who had black car (or 'whose car was black')."

aghast · Nov 27, 2006

black the car of joes friend is - yoda

ErylRavenwell · Nov 27, 2006

Re

His friend's car was black.

But, I'll write it more like Medievalist, although I'd set Brian in between commas.

Double possession

ct bliss

K1P1

Procrastination is its own reward

Deleted member 42

ct bliss

ct bliss

Carmy

aghast

veronie

practical experience, FTW

Misnomer

aghast

ErylRavenwell