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Grammar/ writing skills

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  • 21-05-2014 9:19am
    #1
    Morris_fe1s
    Closed Accounts Posts: 155 ✭✭


    Insolvent companie's directors' owe duties to the creditor's.

    Does the above sentence, adhere to the correct grammar of English?


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    #2
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,418 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    None of the apostrophes are correct and it's ambiguous at best.

    Insolvent company directors owe duties to creditors. (what are 'duties' here? normally it refers to taxes)

    or

    Directors of insolved companies owe duties to (their) creditors.


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    #3
    Morris_fe1s
    Closed Accounts Posts: 155 ✭✭Morris_fe1s


    pickarooney wrote: »
    None of the apostrophes are correct and it's ambiguous at best.

    Insolvent company directors owe duties to creditors. (what are 'duties' here? normally it refers to taxes)

    or

    Directors of insolved companies owe duties to (their) creditors.

    In what situation would you place the apostrophe after the s, in directors'?

    Directors duties generally refer to the company itself, the shareholders, and the creditors.


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    #4
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,418 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Morris_fe1s wrote: »
    In what situation would you place the apostrophe after the s, in directors'?

    Directors duties generally refer to the company itself, the shareholders, and the creditors.

    Right there is where you should have an apostrophe after the s. It's the possesive of the plural noun.

    I'd be more inclined to say they 'have' duties with regards to the company's creditors but it could do with being more specific.


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    #5
    Wilberto
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 8,573 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wilberto


    pickarooney wrote: »
    None of the apostrophes are correct and it's ambiguous at best.

    Insolvent company directors owe duties to creditors. (what are 'duties' here? normally it refers to taxes)

    or

    Directors of insolved companies owe duties to (their) creditors.

    Would this not be "Insolvent companies' directors", as it's the directors of the insolvent companies rather than company directors of whom are insolvent.

    Also, that is assuming that we're talking about more than one company, obviously! :)


    P.S. I have only just found this forum now and intend to hang around as I feel it's incredibly important to encourage good grammar, particularly in the age of Facebook, Twitter, and anything else that even remotely encourages 'txt spk'!

    :)


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