Kitty Maitland, a friend of Laura('s) and a party guest

[nelson13]

Kitty Maitland, a friend of Laura('s) and a party guest, is....

Is the possessive case necessary in the above sentence?

If LAURA is replaced by HER, then we must say a friend of hers.

May I have your opinion?

 

[bhaisahab]

Kitty Maitland, a friend of Laura('s) and a party guest, is....

Is the possessive case necessary in the above sentence?

If LAURA is replaced by HER, then we must say a friend of hers.

May I have your opinion?

Yes, it's necessary.

 

[probus]

Yes but we should explain to our students that this is idiom, an exception to grammar. A friend of me or or a friend of Laura may well appear to them to to be correct, rather than a friend of mine or a friend of Laura's.

 

[nelson13]

Yes but we should explain to our students that this is idiom, an exception to grammar. A friend of me or or a friend of Laura may well appear to them to to be correct, rather than a friend of mine or a friend of Laura's.

How about this one on(or in?) wiki?(somehow I don't like a capital letter W):

As a young man in Corinth, Oedipus hears a rumour that he is not the biological son of Polybus and his wife Merope.

 

[5jj]

As a young man in Corinth, Oedipus hears a rumour that he is not the biological son of Polybus and his wife Merope.

That's fine.

 

[nelson13]

That's fine.

Does it mean if the phrase is a Y of Z, we should add 's to make it a Y of Z's; but for the Y of Z, we shouldn't?