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Sandra Bartl - 17 Nov 2004 15:35 GMT

Hello everybody,

at the moment I´m working on my diploma thesis. Beside writing the thesis, I
have to publish an english paper.

Last week I had a question on grammar and every person, I asked in my
working group, wasn´t sure about the answer. Unfortunately I coulndn´t find
my grammar book.

I wanted to write about the requirements of a single process.

Is it
the process´s requirements
or
the process´ requirements?

I think it´s the second possibility, but I´m not really sure.

Thanks for your help.

Kind regards, Sandra

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Owain - 17 Nov 2004 19:56 GMT

| Last week I had a question on grammar and every person, I asked
| in my working group, wasn´t sure about the answer. Unfortunately
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
| the process´ requirements?
| I think it´s the second possibility, but I´m not really sure.

I say, 'the process's requirements,' because it's pronounced with three
syllables.

H W Fowler, A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, says (under Posessive
Puzzles"):

It was formerly customary, when a word ended in -s, to write its posessive
with an apostrophe but no additional s, eg Mars' hill, Venus' bath,
Achilles' thews.

In verse, and in poetic or reverential contexts, this custom is retained,
and the number of syllables is the same as in the subjected case, eg
Achilles' has three, not four; Jesus' or of Jesus, not Jesus's.

But elsewhere we now add the s and the syllable, Charles's Wain, St James's
not St James', Jones's children, the Rev Septimus's surplice, Pythagoras's
doctrines.

Owain

PS Is everyone doing a "Learning About The Internet" unit at the University
of Karlsruhe?

Owain

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Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / November 2004

EES Inqueries and Information