angelgazing | why yes, I should be in bed

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why yes, I should be in bed

I'm not even going to try and pretend this is homework related. Whatever, like any of you all are somehow unaware of the fact that I'm the nerdiest nerd to ever nerd.

POSSESSIVE PROPER NOUNS

Specifically, possessive proper nouns when the proper noun in question ends with an "S", but isn't plural. Does the additional "S" get added? Does it not? Is it one of those "S vs. Z" things where a different correct answer exists depending on where in the world you actually are?

Does anyone but me actually care about this at all?

Why is English such a difficult language?

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW.

To simplify (aka tl;dr):

[Poll #1611325]

And just to preemptively defend myself against the deep, overwhelming feeling of stupidity and shame, I have actually looked into this and seen arguments for and against both ways. I'm the worst grammar nerd ever. /o\

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And... This is why you are Gus. *points at above example*

THESE ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS.

I'm not a native speaker, but my elementary English teacher was! She always told me that a singular proper noun that ends in S gets the additional S (so it's "Eames's"), while a plural proper noun doesn't (as in "the Cobbs'"). (and for the record, she was from Malta, not the UK, so this could still be a geographical sensitive rules...)

What are you saying? English is easy! Try Italian grammar. Just the conjugation of the verb "to be" needs more than 40 different words.

For not being a native speaker, you do better with English than half the people who live around me who wouldn't dream of learning any other language. Or, apparently, this one. Sigh. My life is hard.

I want to say that I learned it that way as well in elementary school, but have since forgotten and/or just chosen to ignore that rule. I don't like the way it looks! I'm shallow, I like pretty things. :(

Hahaha I always want to learn other languages and then get scared. Must since most people around here can't grasp the difference between "your" and "you're" or "a lot" and "allot" or... Anyway, now I'm curious. How do you go about saying, for instance, "to be or not to be..." Because that's scary.

Thank you, I do try :)

Oh, that's easy! It's "essere o non essere...". Essere means to be and to form the negative you just put the particle non before the verb. The real problem comes when you want to conjugate tenses. In English there are only three words to conjugate the verb "to be" in Present Tense (am, are, is), while in Italian there are 5 (sono, sei, é, siamo, siete + sono again for the 3rd plural). English Simple Past has two words (was and were); Italian Simple Past has 6 (ero, eri, era, eravamo, eravate, erano). It goes pretty much like that with every tense.

Also, fun fact! While most conjugation words retain a root that recalls the Infinite Form (for example, the present tense of the verb "fare" - to do - goes "faccio, fai, fa, facciamo, fate, fanno"), the verb "andare" (to go) is and exception to the rule, in fact its present tense conjugation goes "vado, vai, va, andiamo, andate, vanno" and there is absolutely no logic reason behing it. /grammarspazzing

♥_____♥

::chin hands::

I love language so much.

Grammar was totally my favourite subject in school ♥

P.S. I wrote two more parts of the fairytale. They are horrible and will probably disappear tomorrow /o\ How's your sexpollen!fic going?

YOU SHOULD LET ME SEE THESE PARTS, SO I CAN TELL YOU HOW AWESOME THEY ARE AND HOW THEY SHOULDN'T DISAPPEAR!

Sexpollen is going terribly, because school decided it should be the center of my universe. Stupid school. >:( I mean, I think I've figured out some of the main points that I need to hit? I just can't figure out what it is that makes Eames give in.

Trust me, they are horrible! (https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=10Y6PPfbm-lESL-1rc7UGmtBWYHFIRUQSw-CufiRfXFw&hl=en&authkey=CKSfpeoL)

Stupid stupid school *kicks it* I wish I could help, but I'm fairly abismal when it comes to these things :( I can cheer you, though! *\o/* *shakes pompoms*

I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER HOW ADORABLE THIS ENTIRE THING IS. ♥____♥

OMG THAT SECOND ILLUSTRATION! PUCK'S LETTERMAN JACKET AND ARMOR. SO, SO, SO ADORABLE.

It s so bad omg D: It is awful and bad and I'm going to chuck it into a black hole and save humanity from the sheer fail that this thing is going to be DDDD:

This is how part five goes: turns out that the wild flowers sir puck and lady quinn trampled while drunk were a patch of woundwort plants that were supposed to bear baby elves. Fairies Santana and Bittany were watching over the patch, but sir puck and lady quinn ruined it and now, to make amends, they have to take care of one of the plants they stomped on. Lady quinn doesn't want to have anything to do with plants, and so she leaves the droopy plant with sir puck and goes back to cheerio, leaving our knight to deal with the consequencies.

OMG, OMG, NO. NO. It is the total opposite of awful and bad. It is wonderful, and adorable and I looove it.

Seriously, seriously. SO ADORABLE. The most adorable ever. I love it. Love, love, love.

I often feel like I should apologize for desecrating the English language in such a manner :(

Did you know that woundwort was given this name because it was used to treat knight's wounds? This is relevant to our interest not only because Puck is a knight and will be "cured" from his bad ways by the little bundle of sunshine that will come out of the flower, but also because the less common name of the plant is Betony, which can be easily turned into Beth. Woundwort infusion can also cure sore throat, which can happen when you sing all day long. Also, it makes for a nice title, no? Thumbelina, Donkeyskin, Rapunzel, Woundwort....

You should absolutely not feel like that ever. I often should, so I would know. But no, no, you. You are doing fantastic things to the English language. The English language totally wishes more people would do the things you are doing to it.

THAT IS GENIUS. I love it so much! You put so much thought into it and that's just amazing. So amazing! It does make such a good title, too. \o/

*flails all over the place* You are much too kind! And your writing is way more amazing! And the world would be a better place if there was more of your writing in it!

I'm such a nerd! *headdesk*

No, no. I'm sure you will find that I am rarely, if ever, kind. I am honest. Honesty, yay! My writing, however, is one giant boo. You, clearly, are the one being kind.

There is nothing wrong with being a nerd! It adds layers that are super cool for people smart enough to know those things!

You are honest, ok, but kindly so! And also a skilled writer! :D

Layers! I can work with those \o/

I was always told that if it ends with an s you write Eames'. Although I could be wrong because I am known to epically fail with grammar.

This makes me wanted to do my second chapter of my Glee/Inception crossover XD

See, I like Eames' better, so... I don't know! I'm thinking that this might be one of those cases where I don't really care if it's not totally correct, because the other way drives me nuts.

Also, also, I really like your icon! :D

Thanks I need one since I am writing my little crossover.

I think Eames' looks better too XD

As long as you're consistent, I wouldn't worry too much. Though you know I generally use the additional s at the end.

I am so good at being consistent. If only that were the most I had to worry about with everything else in life.

I grew up with:

Eames'

But I believe that either way is correct now, as long as you are consistent.

Personally, I think

Eames's

looks FRAGGIN' RIDICULOUS.

....but that's just my opinion.

That is, in fact, NOT just your opinion. Because I can't stand the way Eames's looks at all.

Like I said, I think I was originally taught to add the extra s, but I can't remember the last time I actually did that, just because I really do think it looks ridiculous.

Ah, hello. I sort of stumbled onto your lj,looking for fic.... but I taught English as a foreign language, and even teachers don't it all. But we have resource books to double check and find out. :) Michael Swan's Practical English Usage (4th ed.) says you can do it either way. When the possessive noun ends in s you can add just an apostrophe ('). This is especially common when using classical or literary references, like Socrates' (though you would likely still pronounce it as Socrates's) whether the second s is written or not), but, in fact, the apostrophe s ('s) is more common in general. So Eames's or Eames' both work. It is a matter of preference and topic.

Hi! Thanks for weighing in! It's nice to get an answer from someone who has actually taught English. :D

I'm especially glad that you justified my refusal to add the s. Thanks!

And, uh, good luck with the fic hunting?

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why yes, I should be in bed

POSSESSIVE PROPER NOUNS

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