Cecily Zamora
The use of an apostrophe in the term 'brother-in-laws' depends on whether it is being used in the singular or plural possessive form. The singular possessive form is 'brother-in-law's', whereas the plural possessive form is 'brothers-in-law's'. For example, I went to my brother-in-law's house is correct, whereas I went to my brothers-in-law's houses is also correct.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Singular form | brother-in-law |
| Singular possessive form | brother-in-law's |
| Plural form | brothers-in-law |
| Plural possessive form | brothers-in-law's |
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What You'll Learn
The singular possessive form of 'brother-in-law'
The singular possessive form of the compound noun 'brother-in-law' is formed by adding an apostrophe and an 's' to the end of the word. This is the standard way of forming the singular possessive case in English, and it applies to compound nouns in the same way as it does to regular singular nouns. So, the singular possessive form of 'brother-in-law' is 'brother-in-law's'.
- My brother-in-law's cooking skills are excellent.
- We went to my brother-in-law's house.
Note that the apostrophe indicates possession, while the 's' indicates the plural or possessive form. In the case of 'brother-in-law', we are dealing with a singular possessive form, so only the 's' is added to the end of the word.
It is worth mentioning that the plural form of 'brother-in-law' is 'brothers-in-law'. If you have more than one brother-in-law and want to indicate possession, you would use the structure 'brothers-in-law's'. For example:
My brothers-in-law's girlfriends are coming to visit.
In this case, the apostrophe and the 's' are added to the end of the plural form 'brothers-in-law' to indicate possession.
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The plural form of 'brother-in-law'
The plural form of "brother-in-law" is "brothers-in-law". This form follows standard pluralisation rules, where an "s" is added to the end of the word.
However, confusion arises when discussing possession or ownership in the plural form of "brother-in-law". For example, consider the sentence "I hate both of my brother-in-laws' girlfriends." Here, the confusion lies in whether the writer has one brother-in-law with two girlfriends or two brother-in-laws, each with their own girlfriend. To clarify, we can rewrite the sentence as "I hate both of my brothers-in-law's girlfriends," indicating that we have one brother-in-law with two girlfriends.
The addition of the apostrophe after the "s" in "brothers-in-law's" indicates possession or ownership by the plural "brothers-in-law". This construction may sound unusual to some, and it is indeed a less common scenario in the English language. In such cases, rephrasing the sentence to avoid the issue, as in "The restaurant my brothers-in-law own is the best in town," may be preferable.
It's worth noting that the possessive form "brother-in-law's" is used when referring to a singular brother-in-law, such as in the sentence "My brother-in-law's cooking skills are excellent."
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The plural possessive form of 'brother-in-law'
The plural of the noun "brother-in-law" is "brothers-in-law". When indicating possession, the apostrophe is placed after the 's' in the plural form, like so: "brothers-in-law's".
For example, if you wanted to say that your brothers-in-law own a restaurant, you would say, "My brothers-in-law's restaurant is the best in town." However, this construction is quite rare in regular sentences, and it may be more common to hear something like, "The restaurant my brothers-in-law own is the best in town."
Some people argue that the correct form is "brothers-in-laws" or "brother-in-laws" without an apostrophe, treating "in-law" as if it were plural. This is because, in Old English, the word "in-law" was treated as a plural, and the 's' possessive was added later in the language's development. However, this is no longer considered standard English, and the apostrophe should be included when indicating possession.
It's worth noting that the plural possessive form of "brother-in-law" is not commonly used in everyday conversation or writing. In practice, people often find ways to avoid using it, as it can be confusing and sound awkward.
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When to use an apostrophe
Apostrophes are used in two main ways: for contractions and for possession.
Contractions
Contractions are shortened forms of words or groups of words where certain letters are omitted and replaced by an apostrophe. For example, "he would" becomes "he'd", "I have" becomes "I've", "they are" becomes "they're", and "you cannot" becomes "you can't". Less common contractions, such as "somethin'", are sometimes used to represent a particular style of speech. In poetry, for instance, you might see "e'er" used in place of "ever".
Possession
Apostrophes are used to denote possession, except for the word "it" and other possessive pronouns such as "hers", "ours", "theirs", and "whose". So, "Harry's point of view" is correct, whereas "in it's place" is incorrect; it should be "in its place". When something belongs to more than one person, make only the final name possessive, for example, "Bob and Jim's bait shop". When referring to separate things that belong to different people, make all the names possessive, for example, "Bob's and Jim's bait shops".
Plurals
Apostrophes can also be used to form the plural of letters, numbers, signs, and words referring to words. For example, "The word Mississippi has many s's". However, do not add an apostrophe when indicating a time period: "1960s", "1800s", etc.
Style Guides
It is worth noting that style guides may vary in their recommendations for when to use an apostrophe. For example, when making a singular proper noun that ends in 's' possessive, some guides recommend adding only an apostrophe, while others suggest adding an apostrophe and an 's'. It is generally advised to pick one style and be consistent.
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When not to use an apostrophe
The apostrophe has a variety of uses in the English language, but there are some instances where it is not used. Here are some guidelines on when not to use an apostrophe:
Plurals
Apostrophes are not used for plurals. For example, the plural of "brother-in-law" is "brothers-in-law", without an apostrophe. This is true for all plurals, not just in the case of "in-laws".
Possessive Pronouns
Apostrophes are not used with possessive pronouns such as "its", "hers", "ours", and "theirs". For example, "the dog pulled on its leash" and "that car is theirs". The word "whose" also does not use an apostrophe.
Verbs
Apostrophes should not be used in verbs. For example, "he finds the book interesting" and "she sees the issue clearly".
Decades
When referring to a span of time that covers a historical decade, do not use an apostrophe. For example, "the 1920s were roaring". However, if you are referring to a specific year within that decade, or if you are abbreviating the decade, then an apostrophe is necessary. For example, "the class of '23" or "'20s fashion".
Contractions
While apostrophes are used to indicate contractions (such as "don't" for "do not"), they should be avoided in formal and professional writing.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the plural form of "brother-in-law" is "brothers-in-law", with no apostrophe.
Yes, the singular possessive form is "brother-in-law's", with an apostrophe and an additional 's' at the end.
Yes, the plural possessive form is "brothers-in-law's", with an apostrophe and an additional 's' at the end.
No, this is incorrect. The correct form is my brothers-in-law.
No, this is incorrect. The correct form is my brothers-in-law.
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