I'm wondering how to write this properly: If a family's last name is, say, Foster, how would you write their name in the posessive? Would it be "The Foster's Living Room" or "The Fosters' Living Room"? This is driving me crazy!
2007-05-09 16:06:00 · 18 answers · asked by I Like C 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
It is the Fosters' living room.
Who owns the living room? The Fosters
Therefore, the apostrophe is placed after the word "Fosters".
If you write "the Foster's living room", you are saying that the living room belongs to one Foster (whatever that is).
2007-05-09 17:12:49 · answer #1 · answered by grammarhammer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In order of sequence: Johnny Foster's living room. The Foster family's living room. The Fosters' living room. (The Fosters are a group of people who all possess one living room, so the living room is the Fosters' living room).
More examples of possessives:
The student's book (one student's book)
The students' books (people in a group or in a class together with the same object being discussed).
I believe that the (blah) society is developed.
I believe that the (blah) society's issues need to be addressed.
Societies' (more than one society) needs for Agricultural Development.
2007-05-09 22:10:33 · answer #2 · answered by maybe this will help-Harvey Milk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the Fosters' living room
2007-05-09 17:16:30 · answer #3 · answered by MysticCat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The ace is correct. The word is not Foster, but Fosters, as there are multiple members of the family. The possessive of Fosters is Fosters'.
2007-05-09 16:14:11 · answer #4 · answered by Fred 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Foster is one of the family members. Fosters is the whole family. so it would be the Fosters' living room since you are speaking about the whole family.
2007-05-09 16:15:07 · answer #5 · answered by LYNN W 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, that is wrong. The Fosters are a group of people, so it would be the Fosters' living room.
2007-05-09 16:11:46 · answer #6 · answered by Oghma Gem 6 · 6⤊ 1⤋
It would be the Fosters' living room.
Because you're referring to family unit. It's the members of the family who own that room. Not the family name as a singular.
The Foster's living room would be saying that it is one guy named Foster who owns the living room.
Like calling your friend "the Fonz". It's the Fonz's living room.
2007-05-09 16:10:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
Foster is singular, Fosters is plural.
Possessive of singular is Foster's, possessive of plural is Fosters'.
More grammar fun: Mr. Jones's dog. Mrs. Jones's cat. Both pets live in the Joneses' house.
2007-05-09 16:27:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it would be "The Fosters' Living Room" because if there is more than one person that is foster, u say fosters'
but if there is only one, u say foster's..
u know, like ladys' and lady's...
if aposterphe is AFTER the "s" its more than one!!=)
2007-05-09 16:14:48 · answer #9 · answered by DogL♡ver 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would be " The Fosters' " because it belongs to the FosterS , not the Foster.
2007-05-09 16:19:11 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. Awesome 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋