[HPFGU-OTChatter] Editing and mistakes

[Jen Faulkner]

On Thu, 5 Apr 2001, Penny & Bryce Linsenmayer wrote:

> Ooh, yes -- I hate that one too!  Receiving an invitation to a dinner
> party at the Smith's also makes me cringe (although it's arguable that
> there's an implied house or residence but still ....)

It would be fine if it were plural: 'I'm invited to dinner at the
Smiths' on Thursday' is correct.  But unless your friend shoes horses,
'I'm invited to dinner at the Smith's on Thursday' is incorrect. *g* But
the use of the possessive *is* correct.  If you're using an 'at' you
need the possesive marker after the name of the person: 'I'm having
dinner at Penny's (not 'at Penny') on Thursday'.  So 'I'm having dinner
at the Smiths on Thursday' is also incorrect; you need both
pluralization and the possesive marker.

If it's not someone's house, of course, then 'at' is not followed by a
noun with possessive marker: 'I'm having dinner at a restaurant (never,
ever 'at a restaurant's') on Thursday'.

(That's not the case in other languages, where you use a preposition
meaning 'at the house of' with no possessive marker, whereas in English
you use a colorless preposition plus possession (the genitive); thus
German 'Donnerstag esse ich bei Ann', not 'Donnerstag esse ich bei
Anns', or similarly with French 'chez', I believe.)

--jen :)

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