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Grammar quiz!









rocker959

Well-known member
Jan 22, 2011
2,802
Plovdiv Bulgaria
6 ffs
 








GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,466
Gloucester
9/10 - but the BBC have got it wrong, or inconsistent at least. Questions 2 and 6 should have the same answer.
If Jesus' is correct for something belonging to Jesus, then Harris' is correct for something belonging to Harris (although due to common usage, Jesus's and Harris's may well become the 'proper' answers in a few years). BBC claim Jesus' is right, but Harris' is wrong - can't have it both ways!
 


Carrot Cruncher

NHS Slave
Helpful Moderator
Jul 30, 2003
5,052
Southampton, United Kingdom
9/10 - but the BBC have got it wrong, or inconsistent at least. Questions 2 and 6 should have the same answer.
If Jesus' is correct for something belonging to Jesus, then Harris' is correct for something belonging to Harris (although due to common usage, Jesus's and Harris's may well become the 'proper' answers in a few years). BBC claim Jesus' is right, but Harris' is wrong - can't have it both ways!

I did wonder that and guessed correctly based on the logic the answers would be different. I agree with your logic.
 




Goldstone1976

We Got Calde in!!
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Apr 30, 2013
13,763
Herts
9/10 - but the BBC have got it wrong, or inconsistent at least. Questions 2 and 6 should have the same answer.
If Jesus' is correct for something belonging to Jesus, then Harris' is correct for something belonging to Harris (although due to common usage, Jesus's and Harris's may well become the 'proper' answers in a few years). BBC claim Jesus' is right, but Harris' is wrong - can't have it both ways!

It's arcane, but technically they're right. Jesus is a biblical name; Harris is not. Possessives of biblical names ending in s should technically be s'; those of non-biblical names s's. I know...
 


GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,466
Gloucester
It's arcane, but technically they're right. Jesus is a biblical name; Harris is not. Possessives of biblical names ending in s should technically be s'; those of non-biblical names s's. I know...

In 60 odd years I have never heard about that differential between biblical proper nouns and other proper nouns before - so I went to the bible for these things, Fowler's Use of English.
It appears that the s' form was the correct way for all (singular) proper nouns ending in s (and that's what I'd have been taught at school from an early age right up to my English Language GCE, many years ago) but that in recent years the s's format has come to be the accepted correct format, with the exception of biblical and poetic examples.
So, change is taking/has taken place - and I now confidently expect that what I said earlier, that in a few years s's will be the proper format in all cases, will come to pass sooner rather than later.

OK, I'll count my 9/10 as 9.5/10 !
 


bassking

Member
Mar 18, 2011
801
The Dollar Store
download.jpg
 






Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Feb 6, 2016
17,625
Indiana, USA

Ditto



Your Result
10/10
Fantastic! You are a total grammar demon! Feel free to spread your pedantry far and wide. Listen to The 'Apostrophiser', a fascinating documentary about one man’s secret battle against sloppy punctuation on Bristol's shop signs.

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Answer 9 ✔

Answer 10 ✔
 


Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Feb 6, 2016
17,625
Indiana, USA
9/10 - but the BBC have got it wrong, or inconsistent at least. Questions 2 and 6 should have the same answer.
If Jesus' is correct for something belonging to Jesus, then Harris' is correct for something belonging to Harris (although due to common usage, Jesus's and Harris's may well become the 'proper' answers in a few years). BBC claim Jesus' is right, but Harris' is wrong - can't have it both ways!

You do realize Jesus and Jesus Morales have special places in British Judeo-Christian society?
 




SUA Seagull

Well-known member
Jul 23, 2016
408
Stratford-upon-Avon
10/10. Although it seemed to be counter-intuitive, I made the same 'guess' as CC above re Harris's but hadn't appreciated the difference between biblical proper nouns and other proper nouns until reading the above explanation. Live and learn.
 















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