Trampoline and stuff belonging to it

Question

Can the word trampoline be used as a possessive noun?

Kind of like, the trampoline's elasticity ?

Or, ...belonged to the trampoline's frame... ?

Got the doubt because my auto-correct (granted, it was the auto-correct in Google Docs) marked the word as wrong

Don't know why, but it feels wrong. What about the second sentence? — Sphoorthy Nutulapati, Apr 23 '16 at 15:51
Still fine. I would argue that all countable nouns can take the possessive form. — SomethingDark, Apr 23 '16 at 15:53
Uhhh... doubt. You kinda answered my question in the comments itself. So, does the question stay unanswered? — Sphoorthy Nutulapati, Apr 23 '16 at 15:55
Let me find a source to back up my claim and I can post an actual answer... — SomethingDark, Apr 23 '16 at 15:58

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 23 '16 at 16:11

You can turn any noun into a possessive noun (or at least, I can't find any evidence that you can't).

"Trampoline's" is perfectly valid, and it's simply showing up in Google Docs as incorrect because that word isn't in Google's spell check dictionary, as many words aren't.

That said, some people may find it more natural to say "the elasticity of the trampoline" or "the frame of the trampoline." Find what sounds best to you and be consistent.

Many writers consider it bad form to use apostrophe -s possessives with pieces of furniture and buildings or inanimate objects in general. Instead of "the desk's edge" (according to many authorities), we should write "the edge of the desk" and instead of "the hotel's windows" we should write "the windows of the hotel." In fact, we would probably avoid the possessive altogether and use the noun as an attributive: "the hotel windows." This rule (if, in fact, it is one) is no longer universally endorsed. We would not say "the radio of that car" instead of "that car's radio" (or the "car radio") and we would not write "the desire of my heart" instead of "my heart's desire." Writing "the edge of the ski" would probably be an improvement over "the ski's edge," however.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 05 '22 at 14:03

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I can see both usages:

"My trampoline's frame is powder coated to prevent corrosion"

"My trampoline frame is powder coated to prevent corrosion"

In general I try to write using possessives only if the possessor acting as an agent, and in some way has ownership. Thus:

"The dog's bed..." is the bed of a particular dog. When it first came into the house it wasn't his,and he sniffed it with suspicion.

"The dog bed..." is pointing out a particular pet bed in the room, but not ascribing possession to it.

answered Dec 05 '22 at 14:03

Sherwood Botsford

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Hello, Sherwood. Though quite common, 'dog bed' still sounds rather unnatural to my ears. It's possible that 'dogs bed' (no apostrophe but plural-form attributive noun) might appear. 'Travellers cheques', 'working mens clubs' and 'writers guilds' have become established usages (see travellers cheques / customers requirements – use of the singular Saxon genitive ...), and certainly 'dogs home/s' rivals 'dogs' home/s' for the establishments. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 05 '22 at 15:30
"dog bed" and "trampoline frame" both seem pretty common. But you would say "My dog's bed is over there" or "The dog's bed..." - "My dog bed" suggests I sleep in a dog bed. – Stuart F Dec 05 '22 at 17:43

Trampoline and stuff belonging to it

2 Answers2