alytical practical grammar - Toronto Public Library

182 ENGLISH GRAMMAR,
846, Ev('n when the posseesive case, and of with the ubjective, are
equivalent in meaning, the arrangement and euphony, as well as the perspicuity
of the sentence, will often render the or,e expression preferable to
the other. When this is the case, care should be taken to use th,lt form
:",hich, in the circumstances, is best. Thus," In the name of the army,"
IS better than, "In the army's name;" ":'II Y mother's gold ring," is bet·
tcr than, "The gold ring' of my moth"r.·' A succession of words in eithel'
form is harsh, and may be avoided by a proper mixture of the two;
thus. "JlIy brother's wife's sister "-better-" The sister of my brother's
wife."-" The sickness of the son of the king "-better-" The sickness of
the I.ing's son."
847. When severnl nouns come togetber in tbe possessive case, imply.
ing common possession, the sign of the possessive is annexed to the last,
nnd \Iuden,tooll to the rest; as "Jane and Lucy's books," tbat is, books
the common property of Jane and Lucy. nut if common possession is
not implied, or if several words intervene, tbe sign of the pos