how to make attorney general possessive

by Mr. Toby McClure 3 min read

And how do you make the plural phrase attorneys general into a possessive? You don’t, preferably. You might try to make a case for 35 attorneys general’s briefs, but you’d induce more head-scratching than readerly agreement. To avoid any miscues, the better course is to rephrase with an of -genitive.

When using a compound term like "attorney general," make the plural with the noun. Thus, more than one "attorney general" is a group of "attorneys general," not "attorney generals" (they're not in the military) and certainly not "attorney general's" (no apostrophes in plurals, remember).

Full Answer

How to form the possessive case in correct grammar?

Feb 18, 2013 · This is also why referring to the Attorney General or the Solicitor General as simply “General” is wrong and undeserved, with all respect to the Attorney General and Solicitor General. The only General at the Supreme Court is General Suter. But why does it get messed up when you make it possessive. Say, for example, you wanted to refer to a ...

How do you use Attorney General in a sentence?

The noun “attorney” takes the standard possessive forms. If a book belongs to an attorney (singular), then you would say “the attorney’s book”. If some books belong to a group of attorneys (plural), then you would say “the attorneys’ books”. 616 views View upvotes Answer requested by Nikam Yangfo Related Answer Martin Collier

What are the rules for the use of possessives?

Feb 10, 2016 · The possessive form of the singular noun attorney is attorney's.Example: My attorney's office is in the Evergreen Building.To make singular noun possessive add apostrophe s ('s).boy - boy'sfather...

Why is it “attorneys general” (plural) but not “Attorney’s general?

Oct 07, 2021 · With “Attorney General,” general modifies the noun attorney. Thus, when there is more than one Attorney General, you would write “Attorneys General.” This makes sense. You make the noun plural by adding an “s” to it. What is singular possessive and plural possessive? Singular possessive nouns are easy. If a person, place or thing ...

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What is the possessive of attorneys general?

Thus attorneys general's is correct. Attorney General's is the possessive form of Attorney General.Feb 9, 2020

How do you make attorney general plural?

“General” here, though, is an adjective, not a noun; you can think of them as “general attorneys.” So the plural goes on the noun, and the proper form is “attorneys general.” Unless you're British. Then you can call them “attorney-generals,” but don't forget the hyphen.Mar 21, 2016

Which is correct attorney-generals or attorneys general?

In American English, attorneys general is the correct plural form. The British prefer attorney-generals (the Brits have long hyphenated the phrase).May 1, 2013

Why is the plural of attorney general?

Why is it “Attorneys General” (plural) but not “Attorney's General” (singular possessive)? With “Attorney General,” general modifies the noun attorney. Thus, when there is more than one Attorney General, you would write “Attorneys General.” This makes sense. You make the noun plural by adding an “s” to it.Feb 18, 2013

Is the Attorney General a general?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general since March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

What is the irregular plural for attorney general?

The plural of “attorney general” is… The irregular plural of attorney general is… attorneys general! Similarly, see also: postmasters general, mothers-in-law, and coups d'etat.Mar 7, 2022

Why do they say attorneys general?

The term was originally used to refer to any person who holds a general power of attorney to represent a principal in all matters. In the common law tradition, anyone who represents the state, especially in criminal prosecutions, is such an attorney.

What is plural of power of attorney?

power of attorney. noun. plural powers of attorney. Britannica Dictionary definition of POWER OF ATTORNEY.

How do you write a plural possessive?

Plural possessives indicate when there is more than one of a noun and show ownership of something. The possessive of most plural nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe only: Alice had two kittens. When they were playing in the kitchen, the kittens' toy went under the refrigerator.

How do you say attorney in plural?

The plural of "attorney" is "attorneys." You may have in mind the rule that English nouns ending in "-y" change the "y" to "i" before adding "es" to make the plural form, but this rule applies only when the sound/letter preceding the final "-y" is a consonant, e.g., "city/cities" and "dummy/dummies." The "e" in " ...Sep 14, 2016

What is the plural of trout?

The noun fish can be both singular and plural. Fishes is plural, but not singular. Trout is both singular and plural. Salmon is both singular and plural. More than one trout can also be trouts (plural).Jan 23, 2015

What is the plural of district attorney?

The plural form of district attorney is district attorneys.

Bryan A. Garner of LawProse provides the proper plural form of "attorney general" as well as the plural possessive

In American English, attorneys general is the correct plural form. The British prefer attorney-generals (the Brits have long hyphenated the phrase).

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What Is the Plural of 'Deputy Attorney General'?

Update: After the podcast aired, we got an interesting follow-up question: What is the plural of deputy attorney general ?

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What is possessive grammar?

When it comes to possessive grammar for compound nouns, there are a few ways this is going to be handled, depending on if the compound nouns are working “together” or “separately”. For example, when you say “Michele and Isabella’s”, it means they’re together in ownership.

When to use an apostrophe?

An apostrophe is almost always used with a singular noun in order to indicate possession of an item or items by an individual. For example, use an apostrophe to indicate ownership with the following:

Do possessives have an apostrophe?

Plural possessives will just add an apostrophe after the “s” unless , of course, they are irregular. Names that end in “s” can get a little tricky but mostly come down to your preference. Now that you have a handle on possessive grammar, try possessive nouns. Practice makes perfect when it comes to John’s education!

Do holidays use possessives?

Possessives in Holidays. In the United States, a number of holidays use the possessive case. While many of the rules aren’t hard and fast for holiday’s, check out these examples for possessives in holidays.

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