The changes' ?

pdh0224 · Post by **pdh0224** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:32 am

Dear teacher,

By the end of October, a Wikipedia administrator from New Orleans decided to put both candidates' entries under protection until after the election: no one could edit a page on either candidate without the changes' being vetted on a discussion page. Thus Senator Kerry and President Bush took their places next to the other untouchables in the Wikipedia: Ariel Sharon, Osama bin Laden, Rush Limbaugh and Salvador Allende.

Q : why was " ' " used at the end of "changes"?

All the best,

Alan · Post by **Alan** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 7:38 am

Plural noun changes' here is the subjective agent of the gerund phrase 'being vetted', and is accordingly in the possessive case. Cf. Do you object to MY smoking here?