What is the correct singular possessive form of brother-in-law? What is the correct plural possessive form?
1 Answer
Nov 14, 2016
Singular possessive: brother-in-law's
Plural possessive: brothers-in-law's
Explanation:
The plural of brother-in-law is brothers-in-law because the base noun is made plural.
However, when forming possessives, the compound noun is considered as a unit.
Hence the singular possessive brother-in-law's and the (awkward) plural possessive brothers-in-law's. The latter, as stated, sounds awkward and could be replaced by a restructured sentence to convey the same meaning.