OT Grammar

"Dale Hallmark" dalehall"AT"cableone.net wrote in message
...
I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?

Dale



Let's rule out choice c. immediately, as plural's are NEVER formed with
apostrophe's. NEVER! 8)

The American Heritage Dictionary gives HALVES as the plural of HALF. Thus
endeth...

Mr. Jaggers

Dale Hallmark wrote:

I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?

Since the plural of "half" is "halves" (like the plural of "knife"
being "knives"), number one is correct. Number two is a case of
incorrect formation of a plural. Number three is absolutely wrong;
there are no words in English that form their plurals by adding
apostrophe-S. Not even "Levi's".

--
Stefano

Dale Hallmark wrote:

Ben Franklin Half's to be plural possesive.

No, that would be singular possessive. Plural possessive would be "Ben
Franklin Halves'".

--
Stefano

"Stefano MacGregor" wrote in message
ps.com...
Dale Hallmark wrote:

Ben Franklin Half's to be plural possesive.

No, that would be singular possessive. Plural possessive would be "Ben
Franklin Halves'".

--
Stefano


Are you sure it isn't "Ben's Franklin Halves"?

Mr. Jaggers

"e" wrote in message
...
In article , Edwin Johnston
wrote:

Dale Hallmark wrote:
I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?


Yes, I have not Franklin halves.

i am halving a headache from grammar lessons.

I halve my cake and then eat it, too.

Mr. Jaggers

"Señor Amistad" wrote in message
news
"Dale Hallmark" tossed out an interesting query:
I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?

I would likely use #1 if I were writing out that string myself.

This reminds me of some sage advice that Foghorn Leghorn once gave to
Henry, the little chicken hawk during Henry's math studies. Said Foghorn,
"Son, I say son, just remember this -- two half nothings make a whole
nothing!"

Sr. A.
"Or something like that..."

I started out with nothing and halve at least half of it left. Does that
count?

Mr. Jaggers

"Stefano MacGregor" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dale Hallmark wrote:

I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?

Since the plural of "half" is "halves" (like the plural of "knife"
being "knives"), number one is correct. Number two is a case of
incorrect formation of a plural. Number three is absolutely wrong;
there are no words in English that form their plurals by adding
apostrophe-S. Not even "Levi's".

--
Stefano


Isn't that a possessive, though? As in: "Whose jeans are those?" "Those
are Levi's." Therefore, when you pay money, you don't really buy them, you
just rent them, because they are still Levi's.

Mr. Jaggers
'whew!'

"Mr. Jaggers" lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com wrote in message
...

"Dale Hallmark" dalehall"AT"cableone.net wrote in message
...
I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?

Dale



Let's rule out choice c. immediately, as plural's are NEVER formed with
apostrophe's. NEVER! 8)

The American Heritage Dictionary gives HALVES as the plural of HALF. Thus
endeth...

Mr. Jaggers




I've often seen in the local newspaper the word "attorney" pluralized to be
"attornies". The online dictionary tells me this is wrong, it should be "attorneys".

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=attorney%20

But I always had trouble reading articles in the newspaper dealing with meetings of
more than one "attorney general". The local paper always uses "attorneys general",
whereas I thought "attorney generals" sounded better. The online dictionary says
either is correct.

http://dictionary.reference.com/sear...rney%20general

jim menning

"Stefano MacGregor" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dale Hallmark wrote:

I have three Ben Franklin Halves.
I have three Ben Franklin Halfs.
I have three Ben Franklin Half's.

Which is correct?

Since the plural of "half" is "halves" (like the plural of "knife"
being "knives"), number one is correct. Number two is a case of
incorrect formation of a plural. Number three is absolutely wrong;
there are no words in English that form their plurals by adding
apostrophe-S. Not even "Levi's".

--
Stefano


Yes the plural of "half" is "halves, no argument there but in the case of
the Ben Franklin Half,
as I have used it, Half is a name and not half as defined by the dictionary
which makes a plural
by changing it to halves. You make plurals of
names most commonly by adding s.

I had two Half-Dollar coins
The Halfs were halved.
Now two of those halves of of the Halfs have multiple chopmarks.
The halves' chopmarks are intricate. One of the halves of of the Halfs'
chopmarks is halved.

;-) Lots of good answers, the best being to avoind the situation and none
that totally convinces me that the plural of the name half isn't halfs.
Getting there though.


Dale

"Mr. Jaggers" lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com wrote in message
...

"Stefano MacGregor" wrote in message
ps.com...
Dale Hallmark wrote:

Ben Franklin Half's to be plural possesive.

No, that would be singular possessive. Plural possessive would be "Ben
Franklin Halves'".

--
Stefano


Are you sure it isn't "Ben's Franklin Halves"?

Mr. Jaggers


No, they're "Ben Franklin's halves". I wonder if he wants them back?

jim menning