My friends' house or my friends' houses

Question

If I just have one friend, it would be obvious:

I visit my friend's house every weekend.

But if I have many friends. Each friend only has one house, and I visit them every them every weekend. Should I write:

1. I visit my friends' house every weekend.
or
2. I visit my friends' houses every weekend.

In (1), it looks like there is only one house and the house belongs to all of my friends. In (2), it looks like all each of my friend has more than one houses.

Which is right?

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

'Friends' houses' is a different house for each friend unless expressly stated otherwise. 'Friends' house' easily leads us to suspect that they all live together.

You must take into consideration your reader's intelligence. We do not expect each of your friends to have multiple houses. If they did, you would use 'friends' houses' and then would have to state that explicitly, as a situation out of the ordinary.

Vince · Answer

You can say "Each week I visit one of my friends' houses" can't you?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Is yours a question or advice, Vince?

Khnle · Answer

I am not sure if I am satisfied with your answer completely. The above is just one example. I find myself facing this situation very frequently in writing. When I do, I always have to rephrase the sentence somehow to avoid that ambiguity (not always obvious like when talk about house). Is this a problem of the English language?

By the way, should I write "Is this a problem OF the English language?" or "Is this a problem WITH the English language?".

I'd better stop thinking and writing. Just one confusion right after another.

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Answer

Thanks for registering with English Forums, khnle. Now I know which 'Guest' I'm talking to.

It is not a problem with/of English or any other language. As users, we are expected to know what will be ambiguous for our listener, and what will not. If I tell you that my second wife loves eggs Benedict, you are expected to know that in my culture I am allowed only one wife at a time, so that you are not shocked and accuse me of bigamy.

In the unlikely situation that each of your friends has multiple dwellings, then you are expected to explain that, as the accepted grammar does not cover situations outside the normal range of its culture. You could not expect Polynesian languages to have a subtle range of words describing snow, for instance.

By all means, if you think that a statement could be misconstrued, rephrase it.

Nagariya · Answer

Which one is correct
1.I went to one of my friend's house.
2.I went to one of my friends' house.
Thank you.

Fivejedjon · Answer

nagariyaWhich one is correct1.I went to one of my friend's house.2.I went to one of my friends' house.Thank you.

I have responded to this in another thread. Please don't cause confusion by posting your question more than once.

I visit my V I · Answer

I THINK YOU SHOULD RIGHT I visit my friends' house every weekend.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Guestif I have many friends. Each friend only has one house, and I visit them every them every weekend. Should I write: 1. I visit my friends' house every weekend. or 2. I visit my friends' houses every weekend.

2. I visit my friends' houses every weekend.

GuestIn (1), it looks like there is only one house and the house belongs to all of my friends.

Yes, it does.

GuestIn (2), it looks like all each of my friend has more than one houses.

No, it doesn't.

Anonymous · Answer

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My friends' house or my friends' houses

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