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    master's thesEs vs masters' thesEs -- correct plural?

    8­ Replies
    Subject

    master's thesEs vs masters' thesEs -- correct plural?

    Sources
    I recently started supervising a master's thesis; and then some more.

    Now what do I write in my CV: "master's theses supervised" or "masters' thesis supervised?"
    Comment
    I am aware the question about the /singular/ has been discussed extensively in the forum, and I should state I feel strongly *master's thesis* to be the correct singular.

    Yet what is the /corresponding/ plural?

    In case it is not clear, I am concerned about where to put the apostrophe.

    Anyone who feels inclined to argue it should be wholly absent will not be able to answer my question.

    I figure by analogy to girls' school and men's clothing it must be masters' theses, but I would be very glad to be confirmed (or corrected, for that matter).

    And thanks to all those who still strive to improve the usage of language!
    Authorjumpered-to-slave03 Jun 10, 15:57
    Comment
    "master's theses" würde ich sagen.

    In jedem einzelnen Fall handelt es sich um eine "master's thesis".

    Die Mehrzahl bezieht sich dannn auf die "theses", nicht auf die einzelnen Menschen, die diese Arbeiten schreiben.
    #1AuthorPhillipp03 Jun 10, 16:05
    Comment
    One Master's thesis, two Master's theses.
    One Master's degree, two Master's degrees.

    cf. six butcher's shops.
    five lady's maids.

    Each thesis has only one master, each shop only one butcher, each maid only one mistress.
    #2AuthorSteve UK03 Jun 10, 16:07
    Comment
    So why is it men's clothing and not man's clothing then?
    Every single piece of clothing is only worn by /one/ man..

    [men's clothing is the only correct translation of Herrenkleidung in LEO, and the way I would have written it]
    #3Authorjumpered-to-slave03 Jun 10, 16:18
    Comment
    Nur eine Vermutung: Zum einen ist es Kleidung für Männer (im Allgemeinen) und nicht nur für einen Mann. Zum anderen ist clothing nicht zählbar (item(s) of clothing), so dass hier vielleicht auch deswegen die Faustregel durchbrochen wird.
    #4AuthorDeepThought03 Jun 10, 16:23
    Comment
    Men's clothing is clothing for men, plural.

    Granted, people will very often say "six men's shirts" when what they mean, strictly speaking, is "six man's shirts", but I would regard that as a variation from the normal pattern.*

    * Six man's shirts: sechs Herrenhemden.
    Six men's shirts: sechs Herren Hemden.
    #5AuthorSteve UK03 Jun 10, 16:24
    Comment
    Wenn ich noch ma Michael Swan zitieren darf:

    Singular and Plural: noun modifiers
    1. In noun+noun structures, the first noun is normally singular in form even if it has a plural meaning.
    A shoe shop

    2. Some nouns have the plural -s even when modify other nouns. These include nouns which have no singular form (like clothes), nouns which are not used in the singular with the same meaning (like customs), and some nouns which are more oftenused in the plural [...]
    A clothes shop
    A savings account

    In general, the use of plural modifiers is becoming more common in Britsish English; American English often has singular forms where British has plurals.
    #6AuthorDeepThought03 Jun 10, 16:31
    Comment
    @6
    That's not relevant though, because we're talking about genitives, rather than (nominative) plural modifiers.
    #7AuthorSteve UK03 Jun 10, 16:33
    Comment
    @ 7: Maybe I don't understand what you mean - my grasp of grammar is rather limited, which is why I usually quote Mr Swan instead of trying to explain anything myself ;o). My #6 was aimed at "So why is it men's clothing and not man's clothing then?"
    #8AuthorDeepThought03 Jun 10, 16:38
     
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