# Grammarians: Which sentance is correct? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346 "2006-04-26T19:34:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/1 "2006-04-26T19:34:01Z")
Kim and Jim’s Wedding. or Kim’s and Jim’s Wedding. Kim and Jim are the couple, so I’m inclined to choose the first option. To me the second sentance would infer that there were two weddings. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/2 "2006-04-26T19:36:27Z")
Crap, Sent **e** nce Why is it that everytime I ask a question about spelling or grammar, I screw something up in the post? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/3 "2006-04-26T19:38:13Z")
a) the word is sentence, not sentance b) the word you’re looking for is imply, not infer c) The wedding is that of Kim and Jim, therefore Kim and Jim’s wedding is just fine. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/4 "2006-04-26T19:41:08Z")
My take: the latter is strictly correct, and should be used when writing it - otherwise you’re talking about two separate things: “Kim”, and “Jim’s wedding”. If the couple are generally considered an “item”, you might get away with “Kim-and-Jim’s wedding”, but it might look a little twee. However, colloquially, the former would sound weird spoken aloud, so the latter would be more appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/5 "2006-04-26T19:44:00Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Kim and Jim’s Wedding. > > or > Kim’s and Jim’s Wedding. > > Kim and Jim are the couple, so I’m inclined to choose the first option. > > To me the second sentance would infer that there were two weddings. Well I aint no grammarian, so you may not want to listen to me. The first _sounds_ correct to me, but I suspect the second is actually correct (in the fifth grader portion of my mind a teacher is explaining how the sentence should make sense if you remove either “Kim’s” of “Jim’s”, i.e., you wouldn’t say “Kim wedding”). I anxiously await someone who is more smarter to illuminate me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/6 "2006-04-26T19:46:22Z")
\ > [@jjimm](#): > > My take: the latter is strictly correct, and should be used when writing it - otherwise you’re talking about two separate things: “Kim”, and “Jim’s wedding”. > > If the couple are generally considered an “item”, you might get away with “Kim-and-Jim’s wedding”, but it might look a little twee. > > However, colloquially, the former would sound weird spoken aloud, so the latter would be more appropriate. I beg to differ. The first one is most definitely correct. See [“Compound Possessives”](http://writing.lifetips.com/cat/8364/punctuation/index.html) about halfway down the page for a simple explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/7 "2006-04-26T19:49:54Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > (in the fifth grader portion of my mind a teacher is explaining how the sentence should make sense if you remove either “Kim’s” of “Jim’s”, i.e., you wouldn’t say “Kim wedding”) That’s how you determine case forms of pronouns, not possessives: “The house belongs to John and me.” You can take out “John and” to see that “me” and not “I” is correct. In the OP’s sample, “Kim and Jim” is the compound unit that takes the possessive. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/8 "2006-04-26T19:52:46Z")
I’d prefer the first sentence. Nobody in their right mind would think that “Kim and Jim’s wedding” would mean anything other than “the wedding of Kim and Jim.” You’re talking about one wedding. If, on the other hand, you were talking about two separate events, e.g. Kim and Jim are maybe your siblings, and had two separate weddings to two other people – then, you’d say “Kim’s and Jim’s weddings (plural).” But I’m not sure whether this would hold if they had a double ceremony. And yes, the word is “imply,” not “infer.” ---
**Author:** ![cruel\_butterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5daacb/32.png) [@cruel\_butterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cruel_butterfly)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/9 "2006-04-26T19:54:43Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Crap, > Sent **e** nce > > Why is it that everytime I ask a question about spelling or grammar, I screw something up in the post? I believe it’s called _Gaudere’s Law_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/10 "2006-04-26T19:57:45Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > That’s how you determine case forms of pronouns, not possessives: > > “The house belongs to John and me.” You can take out “John and” to see that “me” and not “I” is correct. > > In the OP’s sample, “Kim and Jim” is the compound unit that takes the possessive. Well, whaddya expect from a fifth grader? 😛 Thanks for the info, **Scarlett**. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/11 "2006-04-26T20:03:49Z")
> [@cruel butterfly](#): > > I believe it’s called _Gaudere’s Law_ 😉 Nope. Gaudere’s Law is when you’re posting to correct someone else’s spelling, you’ll make a spelling error of your own. Just asking a spelling or grammar question doesn’t trigger the Law. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/12 "2006-04-26T20:06:17Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And yes, the word is “imply,” not “infer.” From the OED: **Infer** , v, **4** To lead to (something) as a conclusion; to involve as a consequence; to imply … Yes, the prescrptivists have tried to straitjacket the two words (and, admittedly, it’s a useful distinction) but historically both words have been interchangeable for centuries (first cite for _infer_ in this sense from the OED is 1530.) ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/13 "2006-04-27T00:10:59Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Nope. Gaudere’s Law is when you’re posting to correct someone else’s spelling, you’ll make a spelling error of your own. Just asking a spelling or grammar question doesn’t trigger the Law. Yeah… I’ve done that too! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/14 "2006-04-27T03:09:13Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Yes, the prescrptivists have tried . . . And perhaps another “prescriptivist” will be along to correct your spelling. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/15 "2006-04-27T03:13:57Z")
In a computer programming sense, I would code it as: (Kim and Jim)'s Wedding. Making clear that the 's possessive applies jointly to Kim and Jim. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/16 "2006-04-27T03:37:13Z")
John and Mary are a married couple who jointly own a house and two cars. John and Mary’s cars are parked in their garage. Sam and Stella are coworkers in the office, whose only out-of-office contact is at the annual office Christmas party. Sam’s and Stella’s cars are in the parking lot adjacent to the office. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2006, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/17 "2006-04-27T04:21:30Z")
Yes, formally the first is absolutely correct. An apostrophe-s need not simply take the word it’s attached to–it can take a noun phrase. If we need even more citations backing this up, here’s the American Heritage Dictionary Book of English Usage, 1996: > [@](#): > > **Group possessive.** You form the possessive for noun phrases by adding an ’s or an apostrophe at the end of the phrase: _Jim and Nancy’s house, the Department of Chemistry’s new requirements, a three months’ journey._ ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammarians-which-sentance-is-correct/354346/18 "2006-04-27T06:18:08Z")
> [@](#): > > **aldiboronti** : …It’s a useful distinction) but historically both words have been interchangeable for centuries (first cite for infer in this sense from the OED is 1530.) But since the distinction _is_ useful, they are not truly interchangeable in the minds of some. And, according to old reliable Strunk and White, it’s at least a matter of style. If nothing else, it allows for some weaseling in GD.