Thomas s book or thomas book james s shop or james shop the smiths s house or the smiths house functions of the possessive. If the name ends in s, like charles, we usually treat it like a singular noun and add s. Fortunately, the rules governing the usage of the possessive s and the plural form are quite clear cut and logical. The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. Apostrophe rules can be broken into four main categories. How do you write a possessive for a name ending in s. As a spanish term, the citys name is a singular noun, plural in form, but if we consider it fully. Rules for plural and possessive names merriamwebster. The genitive in english s and of in english, the genitive or. When pronouncing a possessive name, we add the sound z to the end of the name. When we want the possessive of a pluralized family name, we pluralize first and then simply make the name possessive with the use of an apostrophe.
We use s to show that something belongs to a person or a pet or to talk about relationships between people. Pauls, julies, mikes, and susans are all possessive nouns. There are a few different ways to form the possessive of a noun. Possession john s car, a friend of mine english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. When a common noun already ends in the letter s, an apostrophe quickly shows the reader that youre using the possessive form. The chicago manual of style, the ap stylebook, garners modern. We add s to the singular form, and we add an apostrophe after the plural s ending in the plural form. Forming possessives of words ending in s or an s sound by karen yin 9 comments im 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. Aardvarks and mothers are both in the possessive case. The rules below are based on the chicago manual of style, 17th edition, and are.
David were talking about possession for names or words ending in the letter s. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar and. When a singular noun ends in s, you can make is possessive by putting the apostrophe after the s, but you dont have to. Mignon fogarty is the creator and host of grammar girl. The grammar book allows exceptions for historical nouns, so the examples in the answer to the abovelinked question would pass muster. I always use the first one, but im wondering what the rule is. The possessive pronouns are my, our, your, his, her, its, and their. Mignon fogarty better known as grammar girl, for example, prefers to leave the extra s off.
Nouns ending in x show possession by adding an apostrophe s s to the end of the word. For example, you could write, fortunately, the childrens room had a hidden doorway. Do not change the spelling of a name to make it plural. A name ending in s takes only an apostrophe if the possessive form is not. Plural words that dont end with s, such as children, do take an apostrophes at the end for possession. Does any name ending in s only need the apostrophe to show possession. Form the possessive of all singular nouns, even those ending in.
Jan cavallo s house i know the cavallos, the cavallos house. A 1772 edition of joseph priestley s the rudiments of english grammar, for example, says the possessive is formed by adding s with an apostrophe before it to a singular noun. If the possessive involves a last name with s or z, you can add either. Last week a woman asked me how to make her last name plural. I usually write chris s hat, but now im uncertain if that s correct. The possessive case applies to nouns, pronouns, and determiners. To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the. How to make singular and plural words that end with s possessive. Put the words in the correct order and make possessive structures. William strunk, jr 18691946 the elements of style 1918 ii elementary rules of usage, form the possessive singular of nouns with s. Possessives and attributives the chicago manual of style. Commonly used dental abbreviations are explained in this article. What is the correct possessive form of moses or jesus. How do you show possession on a name ending in s answers.
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. Our companys acronym is singular and ends in an s, just like cmos. When it comes to forming the possessive of a proper name that ends in s, guides disagree. Some of the indefinite pronouns form their possessives with a possessive ending. When we have a singular noun, we just add an apostrophe s like we have already seen. To make a single noun possessive, simply add an apostrophe and an s. Add es for names ending in s or z and add s for everything else. Although it is not considered to be good english, you may add only the apostrophe words ending on unpronounced s. When an added s would lead to three closely bunched s or z sounds just use an apostrophe at the end. Examples include one with a singular noun ending in s venus s beauty.
Possession for words ending in s video khan academy. Theoretically, an inanimate object or abstract idea cannot possess anything, but writers routinely use possessive endings with inanimate objects, as in the rocket s red glare. If you have added an s to make a word plural for example, cat. How do you show possession with a name ending in an x. Phds, have sold old books and magazines at the fair on saturdays and sundays. See rules 1b and 1c of apostrophes for more discussion. With nouns, it is shown by using of or an apostrophe. However, proper nouns are not pluralized the same way common nouns are. The possessive case learn and practice english online.
Nov 01, 2006 our post apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z says, to show singular possession of a name ending in s or z, some writers add just an apostrophe. I am aware that if the word ends with an s you would normally add. The singular noun neighbor is aching for an apostrophe s. How do you write a possessive for a name ending in s answers. You can properly make jones possessive two different ways.
According to my grammar book, but at variance to the answer to this question, the correct singular possessive if a word ends in. We know that we add an apostrophe to show possession or ownership with nouns. If a plural noun doesnt end in s, you make the possessive form by adding s. You dont have to add an s to the pronoun because it s already possessive without the apostrophe. Read on to discover all the apostrophe rules youll ever need to know. Which singular names ending in s form possessives with.
With the addition of s or sometimes just the apostrophe, a noun can change from a simple person, place, or thing to a person, place, or thing that owns something. Not the father of peter peter and mary s car is red my cat s ears are white we also use the possessive s to talk about shops and houses. Although the origins of this phrase are disputed, the expression was used commonly to mean, be careful, dont make a mistake. Some celebrities2 give their children unusual names. To make singular nouns possessive, just add apostrophe. However, it is also correct to just add the apostrophe. But the family name shouldnt be plural when speaking of the family unit. The possessive s is most commonly misused when a writer confuses it with the plural form.
Some style guides say that singular nouns ending in s sounds such as ce, x, and z may take either the apostrophe alone or s. Style book opts for a single apostrophe for all proper names ending in s. How the possessive case is formed when the noun is singular, we make the possessive form by adding s to the noun. This makes the sentence easier to read and less confusing. On this quiz and worksheet, you will be tested on your ability to properly use s in the possessive form of names ending with that letter. Arizona, for example, is the name of a statedakota.
Noun plurals the most common way to pluralize a noun is to simply add an s at the end. In the latter case, an apostrophe is added in writing, but in sound there is no difference between the possessive and the nominative. But the chicago manual of style says that forming the possessive with names ending in s is just like forming the possessive with names that dont end in s. Bryan garner, garner s modern american usage, second edition 2003 offers the following discussion of how to handle possessive proper names ending in s. There s some confusion, i think, about what to do if youve got to make someone s name possessive if their name ends in an s, for example, my friend jess. Many writers make the mistake of adding just an apostrophe to form the possessive of singular nouns ending in. The apostrophe is seldom used to form a plural noun. The same is true of members of professions or associations of people. When a plural noun ends with an s, simply add an apostrophe to make it possessive. If the look of the three s s in a row doesnt bother you, use that construction. An interesting side note is that it doesnt seem so strange that we use an apostrophes to make words possessive once you. If the word family comes after the family surname, the family name should remain singular.
The grammatically correct way to write your sentence is i want to be buzzs girl. To form a singular possessive, add s to most singular nounseven those ending in s, ss, and x hence, jones s, nichols s, witness s, vitex s. If you have to show joint ownership, give the possessive form to the final name only. Grammar worksheet all things grammar grammar focus possessive. Forming possessives with singular names by tyler krupa i dont think that im revealing a big grammar secret by letting you know that the possessive of a singular name is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s e. Possessive pronouns are never spelled with apostrophes. 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. Only today, i read an article by a young woman about to graduate and looking for a job. That is my professional opinion except for the established english possessive forms of proper nouns. Forming possessives with singular names apa style blog. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Possessive comes from the same root as possession, something you own. Style books do not agree on how to show ownership with singular nouns ending in s.
Possessive pronouns show that something belongs to someone. Consider the name of a band that ends in s, whether singular or plural. The rule is you need to add es and then an apostrophe. Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns exercise 1 choose the correct word. Some people say to always add an apostrophe and an s to the end of the singular word.
Jed kelly s house i know the kellys, the kellys house. We usually use possessive s when we are talking about living things, such as people, groups of people, and animals. A noun which shows ownership or possession is said to be in the possessive case. S ands complete these sixteen sentences to score your knowledge of possessive s and s. Add s for possessive, s for plural, and s for possessive plural. My brother likes playing with his football but i like playing with his computer games. The neighbor s house was at the mercy of the rain and snow that plagued their part of the state. The rule is easy to follow but trips up a lot of people.
If the word ending with s is plural, add an apostrophe at the end to make it possessive. Johns dog, the schools mascot, her parents mistakes. Get the tools you need to improve your writing skills with grammar girls linkedin learning better writing video coursestart your free trial today. Whether youre thinking about pursuing a career in dentistry or you just have a curiosity as the patient in the chair, getting a grasp on the lingo can come in handy.
Chris s or chris name ending in s examples of possessive nouns in a sentence. But if a word isnt possessive, does it sometimes get an apostrophe anyway. And the uncertainty is often greatest when the first word is a plural ending in s. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Plural and possessive forms with names ending in y grammar blog. If were talking about jess, and were talking about something that belongs to her, like jess s hat. To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first.
Its also possible to make a singular noun with an s ending possessive by adding an apostrophe and another s at the end, as seen above in rule 1 for apostrophes before the letter s. Theres also an independent form of each of these pronouns. Possessive singular of nouns ending in s, english grammar. Decide whether to place the apostrophe before or after the s. Now, there are some simple rules about how to use the apostrophe s. Most stylebooks agree that the rule for forming the possessive of a singular noun ending in s is formed by adding s. Read up on the details below and then take our quiz. It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another.
We follow the guidance of leading reference books such as the chicago manual of. Possessives of names most names, including ending with vowel or y. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language. The chicago manual of style once recommended a single apostrophe to form. Easily share your publications and get them in front of issuus. A possessive noun shows ownership by adding an apostrophe, an s or both. There s also an independent form of each of these pronouns. Apostrophes are used to form contractionsthat is, words that are shortened by omitting one or more lettersfor example, youre for you are, maam for madam, tellin for telling. Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns exercise 1. Today is jeremy, catherine s, and my last day of school. After the 18thcentury grammarians began to refer to the genitive case as the possessive case, grammarians and other commentators got it into their heads that the only use of the case was to show possession.
Simply changing the name of the genitive does not change or eliminate any of its multiple functions. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. How to make names that end in s plural grammar girl. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar. In that case, add an s to the noun that comes before the pronoun. A noun names a person, place, thing, idea, quality or action. Some stylebooks recommend a single apostrophe for biblical or classical names like jesus and achilles, but s for names like james and charles. If a singular word ends in s, it is still necessary to add s. My sister likes riding her bike but i like reading her books. How is the possessive form of a name ending with s. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s. If there are multiple nouns that refer to more personsthings add s to both nouns. Since the 1980s, the thomases, both of whom have multiple phds, have sold old books and magazines at the fair on saturdays and sundays.
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 smiths car. Unanswered questions what is the particular type of processor model and operating system on which a computer is based called. Proper names ending in s when proper names end in s, people often get confused about how to form a possessive plural. Why its bridget joness not jones baby grammar girl. This rule applies in most cases even with a name ending in s. Ken smith s house i know the smiths, the smiths house. Therefore, the plural is gillises, and the plural possessive is gillises. Family names ending in s become plural by adding es on the end, after the s. Therefore, the members of the jones family are the joneses. 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. This page has lots of examples of the possessive case and an interactive exercise.