Possessives and compound nouns
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radiation’s risks
can you explain (including exceptions) how possessives are used in English including compound nouns and adjective/ noun pairings like radiation burns
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In English, possessives are typically used to show ownership, relationships, or associations. Here's a breakdown of how they work, including exceptions, compound nouns, and adjective/noun pairings like "radiation burns."
1. Basic Possessives
The most common way to form a possessive is by adding 's to a noun:
Singular nouns: Add 's to the noun, even if it ends in -s.
The boy’s book.
James’s car.
Plural nouns ending in -s: Add just an apostrophe (').
The dogs’ owner. (more than one dog)
Plural nouns not ending in -s: Add 's.
The children’s toys.
The men’s restroom.
2. Compound Nouns
For compound nouns, the possessive form is usually applied to the last element of the compound:
Examples:
My brother-in-law’s house.
The editor-in-chief’s decision.
However, if possession applies to two separate entities, each element gets the possessive form:
Tom’s and Jerry’s cars (each has a car)
Tom and Jerry’s car (they share one car)
3. Adjective + Noun Pairings (like “radiation burns”)
When you have adjective + noun pairings, the possessive form typically doesn't involve the adjective itself. For example, in the phrase "radiation burns," "radiation" acts as an adjective (modifying "burns"), not as a noun showing ownership, so no possessive is needed.
Correct: Radiation burns (not radiation's burns).
Reason: "Radiation" describes the type of burn, not ownership.
This applies to similar structures like:
Fire damage (not fire’s damage).
Water contamination (not water’s contamination).
4. Possessive with Inanimate Objects
English sometimes avoids possessives for inanimate objects and instead uses the "of" structure, though this is not a strict rule:
More natural: The door of the car.
Possible but less common: The car’s door.
However, with certain inanimate nouns (especially when the relationship is clear), possessives are still used:
The city’s mayor.
The book’s title.
5. Exceptions and Special Cases
Joint ownership: When two people jointly own something, you add the possessive to the second noun.
John and Mary’s house (one house).
John’s and Mary’s houses (each has a house).
Names ending in s: As mentioned above, possessives for names ending in "s" can add either 's or just an apostrophe, depending on style or preference. Some prefer to say:
Jesus’ teachings (without an extra "s" sound).
James’s book (with an extra "s").
Possessive pronouns: Do not take apostrophes:
His, hers, ours, yours, theirs, its (Note: Its is possessive, while it’s means it is).
Summary of Key Rules:
For most nouns, add 's.
For plural nouns ending in -s, just add an apostrophe.
Use possessive for inanimate objects sparingly.
With adjective + noun pairings like “radiation burns,” don’t use the possessive form unless it’s a true ownership situation.