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Is it OK to use Tom's and Jim's room to say the room belongs to both of them?
In the grammar books that I can lay my hands on, it's only logical to say Tom and Jim's room, if the room belongs to both of Tom and JIm.
3 Answers
- ?Lv 74 years agoFavorite Answer
It's often logical in English, where two names have a logical pairing for some other (presumed) reason, that you would PROBABLY say "Jonathan and Rebecca's baby" -- for example. That sounds 'natural.' The 'logic' is fairly clear in that one. But there's nothing immediately wrong *to me* with the 'Tom's and Jim's room' phrasing, for example. It just might be less common, that's all. And you'll probably end up (if more explanation is needed) by saying: "They share a room." as the very next thing....
Source(s): native AmE - 4 years ago
interesting
I think if you say Tom's ans Jim's it refers to 2 rooms.
on the other hand if you say Tom and Jim's, it is more like as follows
(tom and jim) 's
It becomes a collective group rather than 2 separate cases.
remember ho (2+6)/2 is different from 2 + 6/2 in math's. Similarly think of (tom and jim)'s
