An English Grammar Question

By Daniel Miessler on December 6th, 2008: Tagged as Language

I even got Bejtlich and Ranums’ opinions on that, and they agreed with me as well.

This seems wrong. What’s the right way to do this?

Bejtlich’s and Ranum’s opinion?

I don’t think so, because I got two opinions.

Anyone know for sure?

  • Jason Powell

    “…Bejtlich’s and Ranum’s opinions…”

  • Jason Powell

    “…Bejtlich’s and Ranum’s opinions…”

  • http://dmiessler.com/ Daniel Miessler

    Ah, thanks Jason. :)

  • http://dmiessler.com Daniel Miessler

    Ah, thanks Jason. :)

  • Jason Powell

    I did not know, myself. I beseeched the almighty Google, sending forth my praise and thankfulness for my query-base existance. In return, I was rewarded with much grain and hyperlinks.

  • Jason Powell

    I did not know, myself. I beseeched the almighty Google, sending forth my praise and thankfulness for my query-base existance. In return, I was rewarded with much grain and hyperlinks.

  • http://slashback.org/ Zealot

    Depends on how many opinions they had, not how many subjects there are.

    People can share an opinion (ex: My parents’ opinion on the matter is that we should not elope), or they can have two opinions.

    Using the singular “opinion” infers that you asked them at the same time and they both had similar replies. Using the plural “opinions” infers that you either asked them separately or that each subject had a different opinion.

    Oh, and in this case, each name should always end with an apostrophe followed by an s, even if the name ends with an s:

    Bejtlich’s Ranmus’s

    …since there’s only one Bejtlich and one Ranmus.

  • http://slashback.org/ Zealot

    Depends on how many opinions they had, not how many subjects there are.

    People can share an opinion (ex: My parents’ opinion on the matter is that we should not elope), or they can have two opinions.

    Using the singular “opinion” infers that you asked them at the same time and they both had similar replies. Using the plural “opinions” infers that you either asked them separately or that each subject had a different opinion.

    Oh, and in this case, each name should always end with an apostrophe followed by an s, even if the name ends with an s:

    Bejtlich’s Ranmus’s

    …since there’s only one Bejtlich and one Ranmus.


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