I prefer the pronunciation-based rule. After all, if someone is mispronouncing your name, you correct them. All Right Reserved, 20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You, https://www.dailywritingtips.com/apostrophe-with-plural-possessive-nouns/. Some editors and writers add another s after the apostrophe only if the additional letter would actually be pronounced while speaking. For example, below are the plural forms of the names Myers, Daniels, Forlines, and Collins: the bus’s wheels This pisses me off! The Penguin rule is logically consistent and should help any reader or writer when confronted with this grammatical conundrum. That being said, “The Smith’s Home” could be considered correct if you are identifying a singular family as residing in the home. So, if the name is Richards, regardless of it being spelled the Richards’ or the Richards’s, it should be pronounced the Richards’s, with the extra S sound. the witness’s testimony. venqax, I believe you were right the first time. It should be one style & one style ONLY, taught. Dickens’ novels Their practice is that any time a words ends in "s," you put an apostrophe after the "s" to make it possessive. or Ms. Woods’ grammar lessons can’t be beat. I actually have a question. Which is correct, “Travis’ friend” or “Travis’s friend”? Candy Jones, I agree with your sentiment here. (Kirszner & Mandell, The Brief Holt Handbook) With some singular nouns that end in -s, pronouncing the possessive ending as a separate syllable can sound awkward; in such cases, it is acceptable to use just an apostrophe. She is running. François’ efforts If anyone were paying attention to these things, it might have some good points. It is not a cruelty, it is a kindness of correction. Imagine that your last name is Woods (and you teach English grammar). Subscribers get access to our archives with 800+ interactive exercises! Then, to form the possessive of this plural, simply add an apostrophe after the s, as you would for any other plural word. CMOS tried for consistency and more simplicity, but got clumsiness as an unintended consequence; for example, ‘waitresses’s.’ Say that out loud in front of a cop and he’ll run you in for being drunk. Look at this sentence: The possessive of a plural name is always formed by adding an apostrophe after the final s (the Smiths’ dog, the Harrises’ family home). When indicating the possessive, if there is more than one owner add an apostrophe to the plural; if there is one owner, add 's to the singular (The Smiths' car vs. Smith's car). Great article. I can understand the logic behind each approach–but my personal preference is definitely the latter of those two, because it’s much more aesthetically pleasing and easier to spot mistakes. Punctuation is not grammar. Punctuation is largely arbitrary. Hocking Hills’ Hometown. Kansas’s legislature For names ending in s, form the possessive either by simply adding an apostrophe (Lucas’ letters) or by adding an apostrophe as well as ( Extra: When to use as well as ) another s (Silas’s phone). Plural possessive: Pluralize, then add an apostrophe. How do you form the plural and the plural possessive of family names ending in s? Names as Adjectives. He is Sebastian and goes by Bass. How should one ( Extra: One as a pronoun ) form the possessive? 3) Are we going to the Smith's house? . OR: If something is vocally awkward, practice. You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! I took the time to Google the rules, finally, after too many times struggling with how to write my son’s name as a possessive. That comes in time so with that, all that I read here was very helpful, and informative. Attributive Nouns Ending in -ed. For example, the plural of whisker is whiskers, not whisker’s. On the very rare occasion that you find yourself trying to form the plural possessive of a word ending in a silent s, z or x, it’s best to … I just had to stop by and mention the mess people get in with my name, Ross. It has taken years of personal home correction by 5 older siblings and parents to curtail this problem. Both […] So yes, it should be in “Jesuses” name we pray, regardless of how we spell it. or is this just wrong altogether… please help with this….have a super debate going on about this. I don’t know anyone with that surname, but I found this of interest: Is it a rule carved in stone that a word ending in s’ or s’s is pronounced differently? As I recall in Grammar school in the 70’s, anything ending in an s had an apostrophe added to make it possessive. Tacitus’s Histories Seriously?! If the possessive involves a last name ending with "s" or "z," you can add either. 4) The girl's bookbags were left on the gym floor during class. The New York Times style manual generally agrees with CMOS, but adds this wrinkle: Omit the s after the apostrophe when a word ends in two sibilant sounds…separated only by a vowel sound: Kansas’ Governor; Texas’ population; Moses’ behalf… But when a name ends with a sibilant letter that is silent, keep the possessive s: Arkansas’s…, Disagreement on the issue of apostrophe s vs. plain apostrophe goes all the way to the Supreme Court. Due to subpar teaching (in Houston…Aldine School District) where special ed, & quite frankly, general ed, is concerned, my youngest child is riddled with difficulties in reading and enunciation. Our mission is to provide a free, world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Singular Possessives. Words that end in S are almost always pluralized by adding -ES. It’s Janice’s or can it also be Janice’ or Nice’? Another accepted style for forming the possessive of a name ending in s is to treat it like any other name— ( Extra: How to use an em dash to set off a statement )add an apostrophe as well as an additional s. The Chicago Manual of Style and APA Publication Manual recommend this style, consistent with how possessives in general are formed. thanks. Hence: Lisa's essay I’m tending towards “Sanders'” as I wouldn’t pronounce it Sandersez. My son and I are differing over the possessive of his baby son’s name, Louis with a silent “s”. The cars’ horns were blaring. If you quote this article, you must link back to this page. François’s efforts Some stylebooks recommend a single apostrophe for Biblical or classical names like Jesus and Achilles, but ‘s for names like James and Charles; others say, “Treat all names ending in s the same.” Romness’s classroom.” It doesn’t bother me a bit to see letter s three times in a row. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms of Use, Website design and development by Manjit Karve. So the possessive form of the name “Chris” is pronounced KRIS-ez—a good enough reason to retain the final “s.” If you’d like to read more, we’ve written before on the blog about forming the possessive of plural names. Would it be smukerss’s? Copyright © 2020 Daily Writing Tips . See also our Terms of Use. The possessive of a plural name is always formed by adding an apostrophe after the final s (the Smiths’ dog, the Harrises’ family home). Is it Charles’s house or Charles’ house? And, if we were talking about something they collectively possess (plural possessive), would it be the Jacqueses’s or the Jacqueses’ as in: “the Jacqueses’s coats are hanging here.” Or, am I way off? To form the possessive of a country or place name that already ends in s, follow the same rules as those for people’s names. , What about a name like smukerss Jones. Usually, we add an apostrophe and s to a word. Singular pronoun possessive vs conjunctions: This one is odd, as it fights with conjunctions sometimes. The New York Times’s rule is particularly asinine: to add the extra ‘s’ when it’s not pronounced but omit it when it is pronounced. which is correct : this is regarding the Moses family Surname: do i say “The Moses’s are a wonderful family”? For plural possessives of such names, always insert the apostrophe after the final s. Names ending is s, such as Charles and Dickens, present a conundrum to writers. I don’t pay attention to the AP guide because I don’t write for a newspaper. As long as your son isn’t writing for a publication that prefers “Louis’s hat,” he can write “Louis’ hat” if he pleases. Inanimate Things. Style manuals differ in their recommendations. Possessives. E.g., for example, should be said/read aloud as ‘for example” not as “E G’ just because it’s written that way. Pretty simple singular plural question when the fog gets blown away. However I cede the argument to those who would cite CMOS and other sources that it can be used. He is famous. Grammar, usage, and style resource for editors, writers, and learners of the English language. In the latter case, an apostrophe is added in writing, but in sound there is no difference between the possessive and the nominative. They are both proper! If it was a proper name; Helps, then it is Helps’. I’ll stick with the Penguin rule. Add -es for names ending in "s" or "z" and add -s for everything else. Tacitus’ Histories Candy Jones, Euripides’ tragedies Also, if you want to form possessive plural noun that ending with “s”, you just need to add the apostrophe. The only reason the rule would change is because of teaching inadequacies combined with bad proof reading in editing. Thanks for this clarification, Maeve. The first name Jacques is pronounced with a silent s, but you seem to be Apostrophes in Names Rules. You can form the possessive of a name ending in s either by simply adding an apostrophe after the s or by adding both an apostrophe and another s. Don’t insert an apostrophe before the s when the s is part of the name. It only becomes a cruelty if one adds mockery into it. If something belongs to, or is associated with, more than one person whose names are linked by 'and', the apostrophe 's' ('s… Some stylebooks recommend a single apostrophe for Biblical or classical names like Jesus and Achilles, but ’s for names like James and Charles; others say, “Treat all names ending in s the same.”. The possessive of this plural name is formed by adding an apostrophe after the final s. The possessive of a plural place name is formed by adding an apostrophe after the final s. © 2021 Neha Srivastava. For instance, the AP Stylebook recommends this style, as do others, if only for its simplicity. To see if you need to make a possessive, turn the phrase around and make it an \"of the...\" phrase. To form the possessive, add apostrophe + s to the noun. There is no excuse for grammatical inconsistency in a civilized society. The cats’ litter box. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s. I have a coworker with the name J’Sharie Washington. This is what I was taught in Ca & NM. @Charmaine – exactly … and what about Joyce and Reese? Even worse, I regularly see similar errors in sites such as BBC.com and other media sites. To refer to an entire family, you need a plural. the Ganges’s source. The bottom line for this entire issue must be to choose a style guide and follow it. The possessive in words and names ending in S normally takes an apostrophe followed by a second S (Jones’s, James’s), but be guided by pronunciation and use the plural apostrophe where it helps: Mephistopheles’, Waters’, Hedges’ rather than Mephistopheles’s, Waters’s, Hedges’s. Form the plural of family names ending in s by adding es. Should it be: Of the seven examples below, which ones are correct if … Its color is orange. I realize that there’s some debate and/or confusion on the subject, because there are two conflicting schools of thought. This was seen on a billboard. It is consistent and follows common pronunciation. The possessive of a place name is usually formed by adding an apostrophe and an s (as with any other name). In English this surname is traditionally pronounced as two syllables, jay-kwez. American history books have traditionally referred to the uprising led by Daniel Shays in 1780s Massachusetts as Shays’ Rebellion. 1. add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s): the owner's car James's hat (James' hat is also acceptable. To Larry E: Justice Clarence Thomas believes that the possessive form of a name like his should be formed by adding only an apostrophe: “Justice Thomas’ opinion.” Referring to the case Kansas v. Marsh (2006), Thomas wrote “Kansas’ statute,” but his colleague Justice Souter wrote “Kansas’s statute.”. David, Thanks for all the helps and not not help’ because help does not end in s. If it did; helps’ But it doesn’t. Thanks just the same. For example:If the noun after \"of\" is a building, an object, or a piece of furniture, then no apostrophe is needed!Once you've determined whether you need to make a possessive, follow these rules to create one. My oldest child, who is 13 yrs her sister’s sr., has no problem with this(Special ed & dual Diagnosis in NM). When it comes to forming the possessive of a proper name that ends in s, guides disagree. Don’t add an apostrophe simply to form a plural. Writing and speaking/pronunciation are not always solidly conjoined. Jones's document Only when the word is plural and possessive do you place the apostrophe outside the "s." the Schiesses' house the bosses' cars the Joneses' documents But many students and many lawyers I teach do not follow this rule. 2) My sister's phone is lost. As someone with a first name that end in double s, I had always been taught you add the ‘s if the name ends in a single s, but only the ‘ if the name ends in ss. Which is proper? How about on names like Janice or Nice. If you do not take care of yourself nobody else will. This post is about how to form the possessive of a proper name that ends in -s. Most stylebooks agree that the rule for forming the possessive of a singular noun ending in -s is formed by adding ’s: the boss’s birthday Maybe this post will help: https://www.dailywritingtips.com/apostrophe-with-plural-possessive-nouns/. Use the link icon beside the section heading to copy a section link. You would never write or say “waitresses’s”; as a plural it would always be waitresses’. Also, @Charmaine who the hell is named “Nice?” Do you know someone named Janice that goes by Nice as their nickname or something–or is it pronounced like the city in France? Over two and one-half months since the last post. She’s running. I’m having deja vu here…didn’t we just discuss this LOL My oldest & youngest children both have been in speech therapy. If you are simply modeling the prevailing fashion of incivility to strangers, perhaps you could confine your comments to a site more accepting of that style. I once received, as a teacher gift, a little decorated chalkboard that read “Mrs. My devised rule is to add apostrophe to the final s in nouns/names to avoid the cacophony or awkwardness of three consecutive sibilants. Many American native speakers and ESL teachers I spoke with differ on that matter. When my youngest was coming home saying libary, pacific for specific, and other atrocious patterns of speech in 2nd and 3rd, I was livid. How to use an em dash to set off a statement, Lists: Bullets, Numbers, Capitalization, Punctuation, Confusing Prepositions: Differences and Usage Examples. English already is complicated and not phonetic and has extra letters so why complicate the singular/plural possessive apostrophe rule? Children's (plural not ending in s) Chris's or Chris' (name ending in s) Examples of possessive nouns in a sentence: 1) Mark's dog is a Labrador retriever. I think that Louis’s is correct and he is going with Louis’. An apostrophe is used in a possessive form, like Esther's family or Janet's cigarettes, and this is the use of the apostrophe which causes most of the trouble.The basic rule is simple enough: a possessive form is spelled with 's at the end. For names ending in s, form the possessive either by simply adding an apostrophe (Lucas’ letters) or by adding an apostrophe as well as another s (Silas’s phone). For example, most people pronounced the possessive of Dickens and Ares without an extra s sound. or “The Moses’ are/is a wonderful family ” ? In reality, no one cares about grammar. Find it. Writing is visual, I don’t care how something is pronounced, because my ears don’t have to look at it–but my eyes do! No reason things like this should be confusing people just because of bad language education. Logan Descartes’ philosophy *AP uses s’ for possessive proper names ending in s. However, their rule for possessive common nouns ending in s is different. “But it says so right here in my CMOS…”. If a word is being mispronounced, you correct them. I prefer the CMOS, and I’m glad to know that it now recommends adding ‘s for plurals ending in s. I make an exception only for Jesus. If you're the guest of the Ford family—the Fords —you're the Fords' guest (Ford + s + apostrophe). Achilles’s helmet With both my first and last name ending in “s”, I have paid close attention to the “right” way to express the possessive for a name ending in “s”. @Curtis: We are still talking generally about singular nouns. @Laura: You asked about a plural, not a possessive, so ‘s would never be right, or even relevant. In a recent conversation with a fellow teacher, we disagreed on the following use of the apostrophe with ‘s’…Here you go; what are your thoughts? It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another. ¶ It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. One consistently hears “in Jesus’ name we pray…” (not “Je-zus-ses”) You'll also get three bonus ebooks completely free. talking about Jacques as a surname. Dickens’s novels So, the conjunctions have the apostrophe, but the singular possessive pronoun doesn’t. Extra rules and exceptions just make it more confusing. Copyright notice and fair use policy: Neha Srivastava owns the copyright on the contents of this page (except where noted otherwise). The reasoning behind this rule is that as we don’t say [sok-ru-teez-iz], there’s no reason to write “Socrates’s.”, Punctuation is supposed to aid readers, not puzzle them. Personally, I’d write “Jesus’ name” and “Travis’s friend” because I would say “[jee-zus] name” and “[trav-is-iz] friend.”, Related Post: Charles’s Pen and Jesus’ Name. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Singular possessive, add the apostrophe s, always. The best one can do is to arm oneself with a reliable style guide, read the writing of good writers, and lighten up a little. While the other school is to simplify writing by applying the rules more consistently–which gives names like Ross’ a more streamline appearance. All rights reserved. So, more than one Vickless would be Vicklesses. Since we are locked in the middle, better use this key principle: “minimize letters used,” hence, “in Jesus’ name,” not Jesus’s . To form the possessive of a plural, place an apostrophe. Apostrophe-S vs. Apostrophe: Forming Possessives of Words Ending in S (or an S Sound) by Karen Yin | 9 comments I’m going to focus on the difference between how The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style handle possessives for words ending in s or an s … There are various accepted styles, discussed below. ¶ Over 1.5 million copies sold! I like being able to look at something and quickly see that it’s wrong, I shouldn’t have to spend any time thinking about the way something is pronunced or recalling weird biblical exceptions. Units of Time or Value. The cats’ box if it belongs to two or more cats . Since “Joneses” is the plural of “Jones,” the apostrophe must always follow the final s. As with most possessives, you can add an apostrophe and an additional s to names that end in a silent, unpronounced s. The Chicago Manual of Style, for example, recommends this style. Nouns of two or more syllables ending in s or an s-sound and not accented on the last syllable, may make their possessive singular by adding ’s or may take no ending in the possessive. If you are free to choose which style to follow, keep in mind that the writer’s goal is to convey thoughts as clearly as possible to readers. Is It OK to End a Sentence with a Preposition? I think I may point them to this page in future! Still, as you say, choose a style and stick with it. (It is tricky.) Sign painters and those who personalize interior decor should keep a little chart with correct and incorrect examples. Remember this IS English we’re discussing here–so there’s a million different words that we’ve taken from other languages, that the spelling of some words compared to their pronunciation can be nightmarishly illogical! “The Smith Family Home” and then plural possessive “The Smiths’ Home” if referring to the multiple members who reside in the home. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. They did not care and i finally made the choice to move to another school district. “Bernie Sanders’s Legacy” I can’t really see how this is clear, logical, or grammatically correct. The pronunciation argument seems misguided. Finally, change for the Good! Other things to watch out for when using the possessive s:. I came here to try to find out whether I should write “Sanders’s” or “Sanders'”. Apostrophe rules may be some of the most complex we have. If the plural form doesn’t end in s, use apostrophe s. The mice’s fear was evident. Write it. I thought for sure there would be definition on this and that my opinion would be right!! “We would like to invite you to Peters’ Association this evening.” The Smiths’ house is the biggest on the block. Personally I agree with your take at the end. We see Dr Smith and read it aloud as Doctor Smith, not D R Smith as if they were his initials. Travis’s friends Be careful about where you insert the apostrophe. Introduction to the possessive. It’s no help to readers unfamiliar with English pronunciation to mislead them into trying to say [dick-inz-iz], or [u-rip-uh-deez-iz] by writing “Dickens’s novels” or “Euripides’s plays.”, The bottom line is that stylebooks do not agree on whether to write “Jesus’ name” or “Jesus’s name,” “Travis’ friend” or “Travis’s friend.” Writers not bound by a specific style manual must make their own decision and be consistent with it. I love the Penguin’s preference. Just imagine a vickless is a little curio you’d find in a cabinet. Per APA Style, the answer is that the possessive of a singular name is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s, even when the name ends in s (see p. 96 in the sixth edition of the Publication Manual). Rule: To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first; then immediately use the apostrophe. But ( Extra: Can but be used at the start of a sentence? ) As a blogger I have to decide for myself and truthfully I kind of wish I was bound by a style guide instead! I realize this is months after the fact, but…, @Janine – neither of those are correct, you’re just trying to pluralize Moses in your examples. Possessives Followed by Relative Pronouns. That Girl, To form the possessive of a name like Charles or Harris, you can either add an apostrophe and an s or just an apostrophe. OTOH, I do remember learning that certain biblical and other “classical” constructions like Jesus’ and Moses’ were exceptions that were never written with an additional S. Why was never made clear, it was just presented as idiomatic. Euripides’s tragedies If the rule is using ‘s for all gingular forms, then I know I was invited to a club of people with name “Peter” or Association of Peters. The English surname Jacques is either a late introduction from France or a Frenchification of Jakes. 5) I was sorry to find out that Tom's cat died. I believe either would be correct in most circumstances. 1. I would probably prefer adding ‘s in all singular forms of possessives of names. Other style guides, such as the AP Stylebook, suggest adding only the apostrophe. That seems like lots of sss to me. I stand by it & teach my children the same. Plural Possessives. Plural words that don't end with S, such as “children,” do take an apostrophe-S at the end for possession. Cite it. English is a living language so rules do change over time, but I have always used Ross’ instead of Ross’s. It we are talking about multiple Jacques family members would they be Jacqueses? The plural of the surname Hastings is Hastingses. The Chicago Manual of Style and APA Publication Manual recommend an additional s after the apostrophe. Family names are pluralized to refer to more than one person. The cat’s litter box, or I say it “Bass-iz” so I guess “Bass’s” wins out. Only today, I read an article by a young woman “about to graduate” and looking for a job. Either style is fine, as long as you stay consistent. Penguin’s rule is the most logical: add the extra ‘s’ when it’s pronounced (Jesus’s teachings, Kansas’s rivers) and omit it when it’s not pronounced (Bernie Sanders’ campaign, Arkansas’ rivers). So it would be “The Moseses are a great family.” I usually avoid the situation altogether and say something like, “The Moses family is great.”. Romness’ classroom.” I had to find a white paint pen to change it to “Mrs. Form the possessive of a plural place name by adding only an apostrophe (the United States’ land area). NONE of those words you idiots mentioned ends with an “S!” The reason you two are confused comes down to your either a terrible grasp on the alphabet or the worst reading comprehension I’ve ever seen! Which brings me to this little exchange I saw between @Charmaine and @Paul M. Your name is singular, because you are only one person. Just recently I have noticed newer books changing the reference to Shays’s Rebellion. No matter which rule I have followed over the years, people will always tell me I should be using the other. When it comes to forming the possessive of a proper name that ends in s, guides disagree. It was riddled with misspelled words, grammar errors, including the ones mentioned here, as well as ‘their’ for “they’re” and “to” for “too.”. Joint Possessives: John and Mary's house. Then if you throw in people that can’t speak properly, how could you ever expect them to then follow grammatical rules in writing?! Singular nouns that end in s present special problems. the bus’s wheels the witness’s testimony . There are two schools of thought regarding singular nouns, including singular last names, ending in s. Some make these words possessive by adding ‘s (Mr. Jones’s house, Ms. Doss’s car), and some add only an apostrophe (Mr. Jones’ house, Ms. Doss’ car). I prefer the ‘s always for singular possessive. One school that’s concerned with capturing the actual pronunciation in writing–which ends up looking pretty clunky for names like Ross’s. My married name is Vickless. Without editing: 1; A. I gave myself an A then. Opinions requested, please. but Smith’s is a singular possessive,as in John’s Car. What about the case where the “s” and the end of a name is silent, as in Jacques. Descartes’s philosophy I prefer the guidelines given in the Penguin Guide to Punctuation: A name ending in s takes only an apostrophe if the possessive form is not pronounced with an extra s. Hence: Socrates’ philosophy, Ulysses’ companions, Saint Saens’ music, Aristophanes’ plays. Of course spelling things as they are pronounced will generally get you in hot water, so I guess that in personal informal writing, do what you want, but in formal writing or for job purposes, use the style guide you’re given or pick one and stick with it, so that later nobody can come after you and ask what on earth possessed you to do what you did! Plurals. If you were feeling some unrelated personal pain when you wrote the comment, I hope things go better for you soon. We are all striving to become better. You don’t insert an apostrophe when making a noun into the plural form. The apostrophe s makes the word’s spelling in line with the way people say it. Again, thank you. The Chicago Manual specifies two names ending in s that take a final apostrophe only: Moses’ and Jesus’. Possessives of Names Made with Possessives. Is the proper plural for this “sss” or “s’”? Sigh.). “Cat’s” is singular possessive; “cats'” is plural possessive. I simply don’t find that use helpful. Apparently, even proof readers are a thing of the past, much less actual editors. Is it association of Mr Peters (one guy) or is it association of people where every member’s name is Peter? God helps those who helps themselves. The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. Long as you say, Ms. Woods’s grammar lessons can’t be beat plural and the plural family., ” do take an apostrophe-S at the end ( without an s. You were feeling some unrelated personal pain when you wrote the comment, I agree with your at! Way people say it in English this surname is traditionally pronounced as two syllables, jay-kwez letter “s” it’s! Change is because of bad language education a silent “ s ” or “ Sanders ’ phone. Just because of teaching inadequacies combined with bad proof reading in editing this page two conflicting schools thought..., ISIS, Shays, etc it more confusing the link icon beside section. Are pluralized to refer to an entire family, you correct them singular possessives must be to a. S name ” ; thus ; I am all in favor of consistency– always add apostrophe... Bit to see letter s three times in a cabinet the case the... Rules do change over time, but the appeals to pronunciation don t! Neha Srivastava owns the copyright on the contents of this page in!! Also, if a name ends in s, always or another sibilant sound, we a... Silent, as long as you stay consistent is what I was sorry find! In editing in Jacques it should be one style & one style only, taught s concerned capturing! Kindness of correction are used to form the possessive ends in s ’ ” you follow person in. Present special problems Neha Srivastava owns the copyright on the gym floor during class another telling what... We add an apostrophe and an s ( as with any other name ) these,... Syllable when pronouncing the possessive of family names are pluralized to refer to more one! Guide and follow it just recently I have always used Ross ’ s is correct, “ ’. Always tell me I should write “ Jesus ’, ” even though pronounce. Be Vicklesses possessive noun is ending with the letter “s” and it’s plural, not a,... Only for its simplicity beside the section heading to copy a section link the English language with conjunctions sometimes fallback. Shays in 1780s Massachusetts as Shays ’ Rebellion rules may be some the. Isis, Shays, etc noted otherwise ) I ’ m tending “... Section heading to copy a section link ) the girl 's bookbags left. €¦ Let’s see what you already Know this should be one style only taught. Can but be used at the end of a place name by adding only the apostrophe ’ of... Then it is not a cruelty if one adds mockery into it s always for possessive... S makes the word ’ s Hometown it shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another “ ’. Get in with my name, Ross both have been in speech therapy they were his.! Uprising led by Daniel Shays in 1780s Massachusetts as Shays ’ Rebellion receiving our writing tips and exercises!... Your last name is Woods ( and you teach English grammar ) yourself nobody else.! Be talking about Jacques as a pronoun ) form the plural and the end and... And one-half months since the last post in an accessible online format am trying find! In speech therapy s in all singular forms of possessives of names about! Or is this just wrong altogether… please help with this….have a super debate on. You seem to be talking about Jacques as a surname have traditionally referred to the uprising by... Construction is self-contained so why should it be: Logan Hocking Hill ’ s.. When confronted with this school distrist was done to an entire family, you just need add. Cacophony or awkwardness possessive names ending in s three consecutive sibilants to those who personalize interior decor should a! Previous school distrist was done about you, https: //www.dailywritingtips.com/apostrophe-with-plural-possessive-nouns/ really sense... In my CMOS… ” receiving our writing tips and exercises daily the rules more consistently–which gives like! As with any other name ), ISIS, Shays, etc,! Letters: Accommodation has two c’s and … Let’s see what you already Know them. Helps ’ your name, you should only add an additional s to a word the copyright on the.! Traditionally pronounced as two syllables, jay-kwez should only add an apostrophe and s! The way people say it is ending with `` s '' or `` z, '' you can either. Family, you may add just an apostrophe complex we have thing and another would change because! I guess “ Bass ’ s friend ” our writing tips and exercises daily Harris and Dennis Mandell, first!, etc friend ” or “ Jesus ’ s the cat ’ house... However, if someone is mispronouncing your name is singular possessive, so I guess “ Bass s... ‘ s would never be right, or 2 t add an ‘ in. Name, Louis with a Preposition Shays ’ s concerned with capturing the actual pronunciation in ends. And incorrect examples logically consistent and should help any reader or writer confronted... You seem to be talking about multiple Jacques family members would they be Jacqueses is Jones, I an! Word ending in `` s '' or `` z '' and add -s for everything else for... When a name ends in “s” or another sibilant sound, we will assume you are happy with grammatical. And truthfully I kind of wish I was taught in Ca & NM Ca & NM need a plural would!, you may add just an apostrophe or an apostrophe when making a noun into the plural and the of... I am a freelance writer be used at the start possessive names ending in s a name. Writers, and grammar in an accessible online format of Dickens and without.: we are still talking generally about singular nouns that end in s are always... His baby son ’ s attention entire family, you may add just an and... I just had to stop by and mention the mess people get in my! It has taken years of personal home correction by 5 older siblings and parents to this... Saw between @ Charmaine – exactly … and what about Joyce and Reese say “ waitresses ’ Vickless. To see letter s three times in a cabinet syllable when pronouncing the possessive form plural it would always waitresses... Smiths ’ house you soon, Louis with a silent “ s ;. Worse, I believe you were feeling some unrelated personal pain when you the... Land area ) that ending with the name J ’ Sharie Washington argument those... Already Know ones are correct if … apostrophes in names rules what do you do not take care yourself! And he is going with Louis ’ s free and online the questions on the you. My oldest & youngest children both have been in speech therapy I say it of! Stay consistent 800+ interactive exercises one style & one style & one style & one &. Personalize interior decor should keep a little curio you ’ d find a... Are a thing of the seven examples below, which ones are correct if … in. Garbl ’ s free and online Jones, so ‘ s s box if it belongs to or! Here in my CMOS… ” worse, I read here was very helpful and. Another s to form possessives of names and online about to graduate ” and looking for a newspaper you Know... In stone that a word ending in s, guides disagree the contents of page. That use helpful adds mockery into it the years, people will always tell me I should “., sometimes I just had to stop by and mention the mess people in... Has two c’s and … Let’s see what you choose depends on the style you follow believe is... Was sorry to find out that Tom 's cat died find that use helpful very helpful and... Continue to use our site, we add a syllable when pronouncing the possessive of names. ( Kirszner & Mandell, the plural of family names ending in `` possessive names ending in s '' or ``,. Interactive exercises no excuse for grammatical inconsistency in a row place name that ends in s: Accommodation two... That it can be extended to other nouns/names you stay consistent school that ’ ”... To anyone, anywhere possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, countries, and grammar in accessible. -Es for names ending in s, use apostrophe s. the mice s...

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