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RSSThe Possessive Apostrophe
It’s time to talk about being possessive. Sometimes possessiveness is good, sometimes it’s bad. However you look at it, if you’re speaking English, then you will need an apostrophe to show who owns what.
The apostrophe (’) is one of the most used and misused English punctuation marks. No one is ever quite sure where to put it. You can use it when things are left out (contractions), but it’s the possessiveness that causes the most trouble.
The apostrophe is all about making a statement of ownership. You belong to me. This belongs to that. In grammar speak, the apostrophe shows the possessive of nouns.
There are four ways to use the apostrophe to show ownership or belonging.
1. Add apostrophe s to the end of a singular noun that does not end in s:
- the manager’s room
2. Add apostrophe s to the end of a singular noun, even if it ends in s (this practice may vary in some places):
- Doris’s scarf
3. Add apostrophe s to the end of a plural noun that doesn’t end in s
- the children’s bag
4. If the plural noun ends in s, just add the apostrophe
- my friends’ car
Notice that possessive pronouns like yours, his, hers, ours, its and theirs are not followed by the apostrophe.
Finally, if you want to play around with it, Wikipedia has a list of four phrases illustrating how the apostrophe can literally change the meaning of sentences.
- my sister’s friend’s investments (I have one sister and she has one friend.)
- my sisters’ friends’ investments (I have many sisters and they have many friends.)
- my sisters’ friend’s investments (I have many sisters and they have one friend.)
- my sister’s friends’ investments (I have one sister and she has many friends.)
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Interesting!
A common mistake on the MUD I run. Which is pretty bad considering it’s a text-based RPG
This one inparticular is a stickler! Thanks for clearing it up.
this practice may vary in some places
How does it vary?
And what about this:
We’re going out with the Walkers.
We’re going to visit the Walker’s residence.
When does a couple’s (family’s) name get an apostrophe? Use one for ownership (their house), don’t use one when referring to them as a couple?
Thanks, found you from a comment on thesimpledollar.com
“How does it vary?”
Some people do not use the s when singular nouns end with s (they follow pronunciation).
i.e., Doris’ hat.
There is no standard rule as far as I know here.
Regarding family names, the process is like you said. Use the apostrophe if you want to state ownership or belonging.
Your second phrase, however, would read like this:
We’re going to visit the Walkers’ residence.
Good post.
I’m wondering, though, do you have any idea if British English is different at all?
The only part where both versions could diverge is the one regarding the singular nouns ending with an s.
Good post. My question is about a list of things that posses one thing.
Shaun and Geji’s house was nice.
Shaun’s and Geji’s house was nice.
They both own the house. I think the second one is right. however the first one sounds better to my ear. Which one is correct?
Have the rules changed so drastically that this is now acceptable?
“You don’t drive like her, why should you pay the same insurance as her?” (T.V. commercial for insurance)
I have seen the apostrophe misused so much when it comes to “its vs it’s”. The possessive is acutally “its” and the contraction “it is” is shortened to “it’s”.
Another grossly abused contraction is “there’s”. I keep seeing it used with plural nouns/objects as in:
“There’s dogs running everywhere.” It should be “There are dogs running everywhere.”
I do agree that most people don’t even realize what they are saying when they use “there’s” or “that’s” incorrectly with plurals.
What about names that end in S? For example, are the possessive forms of Jesus and Moses Jesus’ and Moses’ or Jesus’s and Moses’s? I read somewhere it has to do with style, but Oxford’s website says that of the ending sounds like -es then it only requires an apostrophe at the end.
What is the proper use?
All of your questions can be professionally answered by going to The Apostrophe Protection Society site. It’s free and you would be made very welcome. Jeff.
I have a doubt regarding the use of the apostrophe in the following contex:
An organization´s directory which contains the profiles of each member of the organization.
Would you say?
1) Individual members´profiles
2) Inidividual member profiles
3) Members´profiles
I think the correct answer is “Members´profiles” even though “Individual members´profiles” could also work.
Can you advise please?
Thank you
I need help capitalization and apostrophe placement for the following — which is correct in describing one’s level of education in a bio.
master’s degree?
Master’s degree?
Master’s Degree?
Thanks,
Liz Reed
Shaun asked about:
Shaun and Geji’s house was nice.
Shaun’s and Geji’s house was nice.
The correct usage is: Shaun and Geji’s house was nice.
If there are two possessors, only the second possessor gets the ’s.
Tyree asked: are the possessive forms of Jesus and Moses Jesus’ and Moses’ or Jesus’s and Moses’s?
It’s Jesus’s and Moses’s.
We add ’s at the end if we pronounce the additional “s”.
When spoken, we say Jesus-es, and Moses-es.
Rosa asked:
Would you say?
1) Individual members´profiles
2) Individual member profiles
3) Members´profiles
By themselves, all of these are correct. The usage determines if they are employed correctly.
For example:
1) Update his individual members’ profile.
Here the name of the thing that we must update is an “individual member’s profile”; i.e., the organization refers to a record as an “individual members’ profile”.
2) All of the individual member profiles must be updated.
Here the organization refers to a record as a “individual member profile”.
3) Please update the members’ profiles.
Here the organization refers to a record as a “members’ profile”.
It is NEVER anything other than Jesus’ or Moses’; ancient proper names are the exception to the rule!
Is it Business’s Tall Poppies or Business’ Tall Poppies. I prefer the first.
So not sure if this is only used colloquially or if written format is ok too…
Brian is a hard worker. = Brian’s a hard worker. (?)
The tree is big. = The tree’s big. (?)
Is it ok to turn a noun into a contraction in writing?
Is it ok to turn a noun into a contraction in writing?
Absolutely.
“JESUS’S words ” is awkward as used in worship, bible study, etc.
“JESUS’ words ” is so much more simple and and easy for communication.
ok: Alice’s words Alice’s shoes
difficult: Alias’s words
simple & easy: Alias’ shoes
CAN YOU PROMOTE simplicity?
Jayden,
I never knew that “ancient proper names are the exception” to the rules. Perhaps, though I haven’t seen this in any style guide.
Orville,
It is actually very simple. If you pronounce “esses” at the end, as you would if you said Jesus’s, then you put an “s” after the apostrophe.
If you don’t pronounce “esses” at the end, as in Marys’, you don’t put an “s” after the the apostrophe.
What you have proposed would cause more confusion as it would further divorce written language from speech.
Traditionally it was Jesus’ and Moses’ and Socrates’ and Pythagoras’ and Sisyphus’ and so on and so forth for every other name that ends in an ‘esse’ sound.
That Jesus’s exists is an aberration of language indicative of the grand lack of historical sense that belies all faith in a Christian God in 2010.
But either are correct: here’s a post from another website.
———————————————————————————-
Believe it or not, native speakers are often unsure of this; and there’s no agreed “right” way to do it.
My personal preference is to write -s’s, since it’s generally pronounced with an extra syllable: “Jesus’s” is pronounced with three syllables.
However, many people consider this incorrect, and say you should simply add the apostrophe: Jesus’.
Just how much disagreement there is over this is evident when you consider that in London there is a St Thomas’ Hospital and a St James’s Park. A quick Google search also reveals a large number of educational establishments which have apparently given up on the question and call themselves St Thomas University (Miami Gardens, Florida and Fredericton, New Brunswick) or University of St Thomas (St Paul, Minnesota and Houston, Texas) — the former, of course, will give a lot of grammar sticklers indigestion.
One author, giving advice to budding writers, recommended avoiding giving characters any names that end in -s, simply to sidestep the issue altogether.
So use one or the other, but be consistent — always -s’ or always -s’s.
Of course, with Jesus, there is one other option available: the old-fashioned variant “Jesu”. However, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Just wondering which is correct (is ‘one’ a pronoun)?
In the dim light one might look like ones son.
In the dim light one might look like one’s son.
In the dim light one might look like one’s son.