# Grammar question -- multiple possessives **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051 "2003-07-17T03:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vastard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Vastard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vastard)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/1 "2003-07-17T03:16:03Z")
My sister and I co-own our cats. Thus, they are my cats; they are also my sister’s cats. How do I put those two statements together correctly? “My sister’s and my cats” sounds bad, as does “My sister and my’s cats.” Is it possible to say this correctly without reverting to some cheater phrase like “The cats belonging to my sister and me”? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/2 "2003-07-17T03:32:55Z")
My and my sister’s cats. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/3 "2003-07-17T04:05:54Z")
Flawed premise in your example: no-one owns cats. Cats own people. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/4 "2003-07-17T07:05:06Z")
“The cats who belong to me and my sister, but like me better than they like her” perhaps? “See them cats yonder? Those belong to me an’ sis. They’s ours.” “Boots and Whiskers belong to us.” “Wanna buy a cat? I’ll see you one, but we have to tell my sister it ran away. Both cats belong to us.” “Cats? What cats? I don’t know who did that to your sofa, and neither would my sister.” ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/5 "2003-07-17T08:23:57Z")
“My sister and me’s cats” is correct English. The possessive ending goes at the end of the entire phrase. Some people will try and tell you that “my sister and I’s cats” is correct. They are wrong. In English we use oblique pronouns after conjunctions. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/6 "2003-07-17T09:34:10Z")
**Our** cats. :rolleyes: 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/7 "2003-07-17T09:48:55Z")
> [@](#): > > “My sister and me’s cats” is correct English. The possessive ending goes at the end of the entire phrase. Don’t add an appostrophe to form the possessive of _my_. And _I’s_ is also incorrect. Andrew’s _my and my sister’s cats_ is correct even though we don’t usually mention ourselves first. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/8 "2003-07-17T09:52:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hazel-rah \* > \*\*“My sister and me’s cats” is correct English. The possessive ending goes at the end of the entire phrase. > \*\* I hope you’re joking. Really, I hope you are. Please call me whooshed. I would go along with **Andrew T** on this one: My and my sister’s cats, or you could say the same thing in reverse order: My sister’s and my cats. Why do you think this sounds bad? I have heard the constructon Mine and my sister’s cats - but to me that sounds stilted. They are our cats; my sister’s and mine These cats belong to me and my sister My sister and I own those cats ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/9 "2003-07-17T09:55:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hazel-rah \* > \*\*“My sister and me’s cats” is correct English. \*\* I really really don’t think it is. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/10 "2003-07-17T10:59:02Z")
> [@](#): > > “My sister and me’s cats” is correct English. I think you’s pulling me’s leg. ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/11 "2003-07-17T11:06:36Z")
Wouldn’t it be easier to say “ **our** cats”? ---
**Author:** ![Aankh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@Aankh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aankh)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/12 "2003-07-17T11:08:46Z")
Dang. Missed yours, **jr8**. Apologies for redundance. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/13 "2003-07-17T11:15:44Z")
Ah, but assuming **Northern Piper** is correct - _“Flawed premise in your example: no-one owns cats. Cats own people.”_ - how would you state it the other way around? “The cats’ sisters” is obviously incorrect … Julie ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/14 "2003-07-17T11:18:11Z")
Whereas, wheretofore and heretofore the feline household pets lawfully owned jointly and severely and unconditionally by the defendant and his sister, first and second parties of the first part and which allegedly caused the damage on the premises owned jointly and severely by Mr. Tweet E. Bird and his wife, parties of the second part I here do resolve and rule and adjudicate and say . . . . . Or, as the lawyer said to his date: I hope you are here for what I’m here for because if you are not here for what I’m here for, you’ll be here long after I’m gone. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/15 "2003-07-17T12:46:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*Don’t add an appostrophe to form the possessive of _my_. And _I’s_ is also incorrect. > > Andrew’s _my and my sister’s cats_ is correct even though we don’t usually mention ourselves first. \*\* I’m pretty sure this isn’t correct. Take for example: Lewis’s and Clark’s expedition vs Lewis and Clark’s expedition The first case, in which both nouns are in the possessive, indicate two separate expeditions. The latter case denotes joint possession of the expedition to Lewis and Clark. Therefore, I would assume that you would not put both possessors in the possessive. I know that colloquially, I would definitely use the construction “Me and my sister’s cat’s.” I’m not convinced this is technically correct, but it may very well be, and for me it certainly sounds the most natural. It’s weird, I’ve studied editing in university and worked professionally in copy editing, but never once came across this question. All I know is, “My and my sister’s” is _definitely_ out. The more I look at it, the more “Me and my sister’s” looks right. The only other alternative would be “I and my sister’s” ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/16 "2003-07-17T13:01:40Z")
Take out the other person in the sentance and see does it make sense. So remove “and my sister’s” I’s cats? Me’s cats? My cats? Me cats? I cats? My’s cats? It ain’t hard ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/17 "2003-07-17T13:12:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shrinking Violet \* > \*\*Ah, but assuming **Northern Piper** is correct - _“Flawed premise in your example: no-one owns cats. Cats own people.”_ - how would you state it the other way around? “The cats’ sisters” is obviously incorrect … > > Julie \*\* Why is it incorrect? There are multiple cats who “possess” multiple sisters. The cats’ sisters were good pets. It seems to me that “our” is the best way to go. Succinct AND correct as can be. When individual ownership needs to be indicated (that is, “our” isn’t appropriate), then the possessive form of each “owner” is used. Joan’s and Sam’s apartments My sister’s and my cats This is only true if the narrator and the sister own different cats - no cat is owned by both people. If the cats are owned by both people, then “our” should be used. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Stranger\_Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Another\_Stranger\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Stranger_Me)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/18 "2003-07-17T13:27:28Z")
I hope this helps… > [@](#): > > Compound Possessives > When you are showing possession with compounded nouns, the apostrophe’s placement depends on whether the nouns are acting separately or together. > > Miguel’s and Cecilia’s new cars are in the parking lot. > This means that each of them has at least one new car and that their ownership is a separate matter. > Miguel and Cecilia’s new cars are in the parking lot. > This means that Miguel and Cecilia share ownership of these cars. The possessive (indicated by 's) belongs to the entire phrase, not just to Cecilia. > Another example: > > Lewis and Clark’s expectations were very much the same. > The means that the two gentlemen held one set of expectations in common. > Lewis’s and Clark’s expectations were altogether different. > This means that the expectations of the two men were different (rather obvious from what the sentence says, too), and that we signify separate ownership by writing both of the compounded proper nouns in the possessive form. > When one of the possessors in a compound possessive is a personal pronoun, we have to put both possessors in the possessive form or we end up with something silly: “Bill and my car had to be towed last night.” > > Bill’s and my car had to be towed last night. > Giorgio’s and her father was not around much during their childhood. > If this second sentence seems unsatisfactory, you might have to do some rewriting so you end up talking about their father, instead, or revert to using both names: “Giorgio and Isabel’s father wasn’t around much . . . .” (and then “Giorgio” will lose the apostrophe +s). - [Quote taken from:] ([http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm](http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm)) \* So I guess it should be “My sister’s and my cats”, if this article has any merit. Good question **Vastard** ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/19 "2003-07-17T13:35:56Z")
By the way, my source was the Harbrace College Handbook, 11th ed. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051/20 "2003-07-17T13:54:06Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by enderX \* \* > [@](#): > > ([http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm](http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm)) \* > > So I guess it should be “My sister’s and my cats”, if this article has any merit. Pronouns are not the same part of speech that nouns are, unfortunately, so they don’t necessarily follow the same rules. It seems to me that that article only explicitly addresses nouns. However, I agree that “my sister’s and my” makes the most sense. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-question-multiple-possessives/189051.md?page=2)