Boys or Boys'

[EMom]

Not when you are talking about 2 boys having a basketball, that would be boys' basketball because Jim and John have a basketball.

Seriously? You are now throwing in a jointly owned basketball?

At any rate, it depends on whether you are looking at it as a plural possessive or a description. That depends on the context in which it is used and even the exact sentence.

I am talking about a team, not an actual jointly owned basketball.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Well of course, I would, but I'm not the one arguing that you can't say boy's basketball, but you can say the boys' teacher because it's "their teacher". I am completely not following your argument.

Way back, I was talking about 2 boys and you changed what I said thinking Jim or Joe vs Jim and Joe...in the example I used, Jim and Joe both owned the basketball so it would be boys' (2 boys, one basketball). You then said that it would be boy's (Jim or Joe).

 

[EMom]

Well of course, I would, but I'm not the one arguing that you can't say boy's basketball, but you can say the boys' teacher because it's "their teacher". I am completely not following your argument.

The argument is meandering and difficult to follow.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Seriously? You are now throwing in a jointly owned basketball?

At any rate, it depends on whether you are looking at it as a plural possessive or a description. That depends on the context in which it is used and even the exact sentence.

I am talking about a team, not an actual jointly owned basketball.

That is because boys' would suggest that 2 or more boys own a basketball in that context.

In the context I read, they were talking about boys basketball teams in general.

 

[EMom]

That is because boys' would suggest that 2 or more boys own a basketball in that context.

In the context I read, they were talking about boys basketball teams in general.

Honestly, I have no idea how you got off on that tangent. But I have no desire to go down that rabbit hole with you.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Honestly, I have no idea how you got off on that tangent. But I have no desire to go down that rabbit hole with you.

Ok, thanks for playing

 

[HeatherC]

Too funny. I JUST taught this to a 4th grade class. It would be Boys' with an apostrophe. It is considered a plural possessive. If it is singular you would add 's.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Too funny. I JUST taught this to a 4th grade class. It would be Boys' with an apostrophe. It is considered a plural possessive. If it is singular you would add 's.

But what is it possessing if you are simply talking about boys basketball, meaning boys are playing and not girls? It's not possessive, it's descriptive or an adjective. Again, I get if you are talking about an actual ball belonging to a bunch of boys, boys' makes perfect sense then, but why would it be boys', girls', dogs' if you are just talking about the composure of the team?

 

[EMom]

But what is it possessing if you are simply talking about boys basketball, meaning boys are playing and not girls? It's not possessive, it's descriptive or an adjective. Again, I get if you are talking about an actual ball belonging to a bunch of boys, boys' makes perfect sense then, but why would it be boys', girls', dogs' if you are just talking about the composure of the team?

No one is talking about a ball except you, as far as I can tell. We are all talking about basketball as a sport, not a round object.

 

[Happy Snowman]

No one is talking about a ball except you, as far as I can tell. We are all talking about basketball as a sport, not a round object.

but when you say boys' basketball, it implies you are talking about a ball 2 or more boys own, like the Jones' house, or Jim and Sue Smiths' car, etc.

 

[EMom]

but when you say boys' basketball, it implies you are talking about a ball 2 or more boys own, like the Jones' house, or Jim and Sue Smiths' car, etc.

Only to you.

 

[Happy Snowman]

Only to you.

um, no....

 

[EMom]

um, no....

Congratulations! You have killed your own thread.

 

[mjkacmom]

My girls' dance studio is having a fundraiser.

The boys basketball team is having a fundraiser.

The varsity soccer team is having a fundraiser.

My boys' soccer club is having a fundraiser, to benefit the boys basketball team.

 

[Happy Snowman]

This Wall Street Journal article has boys basketball... http://www.wsj.com/articles/is-new-...asketball-1423879658?KEYWORDS=boys+basketball

Washington Post has boys' http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...f285ba-c1d2-11e4-9271-610273846239_story.html

why is College Basketball ok and not Colleges' http://www.nytimes.com/pages/sports/ncaabasketball/index.html...or Men's College Basketball vs Mens'??

 

[goofy4tink]

If it's just referring to a basketball team made up of boys, then no apostrophe. BUT...if it's a case of something like this...'John and Joe want to their team to go to the get away. But, the boys' basketball team wasn't invited.' But, if it's 'the boys basketball team wasn't invited to the get away', with no proper nouns involved then no apostrophe. At least that's how I learned it.

 

[Happy Snowman]

If it's just referring to a basketball team made up of boys, then no apostrophe. BUT...if it's a case of something like this...'John and Joe want to their team to go to the get away. But, the boys' basketball team wasn't invited.' But, if it's 'the boys basketball team wasn't invited to the get away', with no proper nouns involved then no apostrophe. At least that's how I learned it.

That is how I learned it as well. In your example, "the boys' basketball team..." it is referring to John and Joe's team, makes perfect sense. Boys' basketball just as a team of boys makes no sense.

 

[leebee]

Nevermind...

 

[bcla]

"Women's basketball" is plural possessive. Something to chew on.

 

[bcla]

That is how I learned it as well. In your example, "the boys' basketball team..." it is referring to John and Joe's team, makes perfect sense. Boys' basketball just as a team of boys makes no sense.

It's usually referring to a system of competition between different teams. However, I almost never see an apostrophe even though it probably should have one.