(See Lesson lai.) The
possessive sign should generally be placed immediately before the name of
the thing possessed.] Jefferson, enemy, eagle, gunpowder, book, house,
chair, torrent, sun, ocean, mountain, summer, year, day, hour, princess,
Socrates.
* * * * *
LESSON 123.
CONSTRUCTION OF POSSESSIVE FORMS.
As the possessive is the only case of nouns that has a distinctive
inflection, it is only with this case that mistakes can occur in
construction.
+Caution+.--When several possessive nouns modify the same word and imply
common possession, the possessive sign is added to the last only. If they
modify different words, expressed or understood, the sign is added to
each.
+Explanation+.--_William_ and _Henry's_ boat; _William's_ and _Henry's_
boat. In the first example, William and Henry are represented as jointly
owning a boat; in the second, each is represented as owning a separate
boat--_boat_ is understood after _William's_.
+Remark+.--When the different possessors are thought of as separate or
opposed, the sign may be repeated although joint possession is implied; as,
He was his _father's_, _mother's_, and _sister's_ favorite; He was the
_King's_, as well as the _people's_, favorite.
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