NationStates Jolt Archive

Here is a pretty common one. I want to write about "the Solomon Islands's population".

Is that written correctly above? My instincts tell me it is but aesthetically it is disconcerting. Any alternatives? For the record I am writing with Australian (UK) style.

Me being American, I'd say "Islands's" is wrong, and "Islands'" would be correct. An alternative would be "the population of the Solomon Islands."

Don't know if the first bit is different in British English, though.

I'd opt for "the Solomon Islands' population". But I can't guarantee that's better; I'm just not a fan of ..s's

the Solomon Islands population ?

The Solomon Islands population ?

titles are funny thing's

Why not 'The population of the Solomon Islands....'?

I'd opt for "the Solomon Islands' population". But I can't guarantee that's better; I'm just not a fan of ..s's

Yeah, but that looks wrong because an apostrophe generally goes after an s when it is a possessive plural.

Laerod: it needs an apostrophe as the population belongs to the country.

uh.....I don't think you are supposed to do the "s's" thing. I think it's just "s'"

example

The Abrams' baby has blue eyes.

I haven't ever seen

The Abrams's baby has blue eyes.

outside of papers from my 6th graders that I correct with my red grading pen.

I think it should be Solomon Islands' population as the place name is Solomon Islands, whereas it would be Rhode Island's population.

Why not 'The population of the Solomon Islands....'?

This.

Laerod: it needs an apostrophe as the population belongs to the country.Go ahead and count the number of lines that quotation mark has :p

According to this (http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:YHYSIDA_CRIJ:https://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/WritingCenter/apostrophes.pdf+jesus%27s+sermon+apostrophe&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=au&client=firefox-a) the general rule is to use the "'s" as long as it doesn't sound awkward. I'm pretty sure that is what it said in Eats, shoots and leaves (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eats%2C_shoots_and_leaves) also.

For example you'd use it after Jesus but not Islands.

BTW, the reason I wanted to write "the Solomon Islands' population" instead of "the population of the Solomon Islands" is because the former is more concise and sounds a lot better. Also I am going to be writing this phrase numerous times so want to change it up.

Plural possessive
In order to place the apostrophe correctly in plural nouns, you must first be certain of the plural form. If you have questions about these forms, you may want to browse the section on plural nouns above.

For plural nouns ending in "s," add only an apostrophe:

Singers' voices
The cousins' favorite uncle

For plural nouns not ending in "s," add an apostrophe and "s."

Men's clothing
Children's books

http://www.meredith.edu/grammar/plural.htm

"the Solomon Islands' population" is correct, imho

Yeah, but that looks wrong because an apostrophe generally goes after an s when it is a possessive plural.But "the Solomon islands" is a plural, isn't it?

Here is a pretty common one. I want to write about "the Solomon Islands's population".

Is that written correctly above? My instincts tell me it is but aesthetically it is disconcerting. Any alternatives? For the record I am writing with Australian (UK) style.

The future English teacher tells you it's "The Solomon Islands' population" if you insist on saying it that way.

Yeah, but that looks wrong because an apostrophe generally goes after an s when it is a possessive plural.
Which this is, no?

BTW, the reason I wanted to write "the Solomon Islands' population" instead of "the population of the Solomon Islands" is because the former is more concise and sounds a lot better. Also I am going to be writing this phrase numerous times so want to change it up.

You can very much argue whether having four letters less is relevantly more "concise" here, and it definitely doesn't sound any better, quite the contrary, and AFAIK "population" usually collocates with "of" and rarely with the possessive construction in idomatic English.