When the news talks about more than one Attorney General, why do they say Attorney's General, instead of, say, ' the attorney generals of all the affected states will be involved in ...............'
2007-03-17 01:40:18 · 10 answers · asked by critter 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Because "general" is an adjective. The officer is not a specific attorney (for this or that jurisdiction or purpose) but the overall attorney for the government. As with any such modified noun, you pluralize the noun not the adjective. You don't say "pretties girl" do you?
It is unusual, but not unique, for an adjective to follow the noun in English
2007-03-17 01:51:05 · answer #1 · answered by P. M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Attorney Generals
2007-03-17 02:44:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Attorneys-General.
2007-03-17 03:15:26 · answer #3 · answered by doctor_buchan 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's Attorneys-General.
2007-03-17 01:43:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
because the noun is Attorney, so it has to take the plural form. General is just an adjective describing the kind of Attorney.
2007-03-17 01:55:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I guess because Attorney is the noun and General is a modifier. I keep trying to think of a similar phrase but can't. I noticed that too, when I was watching the new.
2007-03-17 01:45:00 · answer #6 · answered by crichmond1000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's Attorneys General. Like fathers-in-law, because "attorney" is the noun, and "general" refers to a specific type of attorney, and "father" is the noun, with "in-law" modifying it.
2007-03-17 02:24:26 · answer #7 · answered by night.lark 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
should be attorneys general or attorney generals not Attorney's that shows ownership
2007-03-17 01:44:15 · answer #8 · answered by whirlwind_123 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
...the word Attorney become more then "one"... as there are many Attorneys... BUT "they" have only (1) top-cop or General... hence Attorney's General...
2007-03-17 01:47:58 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
For the same reason that in military law multiple trials are Courts Martial instead of Court Martials. WHY?? I dont know.
2007-03-17 01:55:56 · answer #10 · answered by Mike M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋