correct use of yours, possive

Question

Is this sentence correct; "Thank you for your letter about the missing items in both yours’ and your mother’s homes"?

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38

2

The apostrophe in yours' is incorrect. See this question for a good explanation.

Otherwise the sentence is correct, but it's open to several interpretations. It might be clearer, albeit more long-winded, to rewrite it thus:

Thank you for your letter about the items missing from your home and from your mother's home.

Update:

As well as the apostrophe in yours' being incorrect in the OP's sentence, the word yours is itself incorrect. It should be your.

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:38

Community

answered Mar 11 '15 at 22:53

Frank H.

The apostrophe s is incorrect here. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 11 '15 at 23:00
@EdwinAshworth - do you mean the apostrophe in mother's? – Frank H. Mar 11 '15 at 23:56
1

You say that the apostrophe needs dropping from yours'. But, as shown in your expanded version, the possessive determiner your is needed here. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 12 '15 at 00:04
Ah, I thought you were referring to my sentence, not the OP's. I have updated my answer. – Frank H. Mar 12 '15 at 00:47

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 11 '15 at 22:53

0

Your is a possessive adjective .

Your car is black!

Yours, however is a possessive pronoun .

That car of yours is black!

Though you may see your’s written even by native speakers, it is incorrect.

Yours should never have an apostrophe.

answered Mar 11 '15 at 22:53

tinku

But should it be your or yours here? – Edwin Ashworth Mar 11 '15 at 23:04
I think you have used apostrophe with yours' which is incorrect... – tinku Mar 11 '15 at 23:06
"Thank you for your letter about the missing items from yours and your mother’s homes"? – tinku Mar 11 '15 at 23:09
I'm not aware of having used any apostrophes here. You haven't answered which is correct: "Thank you for your letter about the missing items in both yours and your mother’s homes" or "Thank you for your letter about the missing items in both your and your mother’s homes"? – Edwin Ashworth Mar 11 '15 at 23:10
The correct one is "Thank you for your letter about the missing items in both yours and your mother’s homes"? – tinku Mar 11 '15 at 23:12
Would you say "Thank you for your letter about the missing items in both hers and your father's homes" ? – Edwin Ashworth Mar 11 '15 at 23:58

2 Answers2