possessive use

[Droflet]

I know this is an old chestnut and I thought I'd put this puppy to bed; but:

ship's hull OR ships' hull.

Sorry if this has been done to death in the past. Even sorrier if the jury is still out on this one. Times and trends change almost overnight on small matters like this. I've gone for the former but a non writing friend insists on the latter. Sigh!

Thanks in advance for any thoughts. T

 

[Langadune]

For one ship it's ship's hull. For more than one ship it's ships' hulls. If it's over one hundred ships it's shipses hullses... okay, not sure about that last one, couldn't find my grammar book.

 

[Pyan]

And if it's a catamaran or a trimaran, it's ship's hulls... I can't honestly think of a reason for using ships' hull.

 

[Langadune]

I can't honestly think of a reason for using ships' hull.

Perhaps some sort strange even where two or more ships have fused together so that they all share one hull.

 

[HareBrain]

Even sorrier if the jury is still out on this one. Times and trends change almost overnight on small matters like this.

Well, no, they don't. The jury keeps returning its verdict in one second flat, over and over again; it's just that a lot of people (not you, btw) can't be bothered to listen to it.

The fact that an increasing number of people seem unable to correctly use an apostrophe does not mean that their correct use has changed.

Make your friend buy you a beer as an apology. It's the only way he'll learn.

 

[Droflet]

Thanks everyone. Hmm, beer.

 

[FictionQuest]

Try to get yourself a copy of "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss. Fun to read and tells you all you need to know about the comma and other punctuation.

 

[Mouse]

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe

I second Eat, Shoots and Leaves. Very funny too.

 

[The Judge]

telford, don't forget The Toolbox here on Chrons, which sets this all out at length and to which you can point your friend.

Meanwhile, this isn't a Workshop matter so Im moving it to GWD.

 

[Culhwch]

If it's over one hundred ships it's shipses hullses... okay, not sure about that last one, couldn't find my grammar book.

That only applies if the character speaking is Gollum...

 

[Droflet]

Thanks again everyone. Gollum, aye?

 

[Brian G Turner]

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe

I second Eat, Shoots and Leaves. Very funny too.

Excellent, simple, resource.