Nesbit’s reading a book about the moons ( Extra: Should words like moon and sun be capitalized?) How to Make Names With Apostrophes Possessive. If something belongs to, or is associated with, more than one person whose names are linked by 'and', the apostrophe … Possessive Nouns – The Apostrophe S. A possessive noun, which contains an apostrophe S, is used to show possession or that there is a relationship between two things or that something belongs to someone or something. Right: The Smiths also want a gerbil. Have you ever wondered how to make a possessive name such as McDonald's, Carl's, or St. Anthony's possessive? You can’t add an apostrophe before an “s” when the surname ends in “s.” For instance, do not make the name “Andrews” possessive by putting the apostrophe between the “w” and the “s.” That is changing the spelling of Andrews. This applies to last names as well. Showing , 10.04 Lesson 10D: Family Members and Possessives (Spanish II) Utah , Plural Possessive Nouns Examples , the possessive form of lives possessive … This is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press. When to use an Apostrophe With Last Names. We have two Jennies/Jennys … Rule: To show the plural of a name that ends with a ch, s, or z sound, add es. Don’t use apostrophes when you mean to make last names plural. I see these errors frequently, and they drive me crazy! This is called a possessive apostrophe. Same plural rules for other proper nouns. Most nouns ending in s are pluralized by adding es. Apostrophes before the letter S. Rule 1: To show possession, add an apostrophe followed by an s to the end of a singular noun that does not normally end in s. Example 1: You are reading one of David’s blog posts. Many people can’t resist adding unnecessary apostrophes when Possessives of names Most names, including ending with vowel or y. Are you confused about how to show the plural and the possessive of certain names? To show possession of a whole family: First, add -es or -s to write the family’s last name in plural form. Rules to make possessive case of a noun in different situations. One of my Twitter followers asked me about this story last week, so we’re going to talk about apostrophes, plural nouns, and brand names. With names, as with other nouns, an apostrophe is used to form a possessive or a contraction. Contractions (e.g., let’s, don’t, couldn’t, it’s, she’s) have a bad reputation.Many argue that they have no place at all in formal writing. You should, of course, observe your publisher’s or instructor’s requirements. Use an apostrophe to indicate that letters or figures have been omitted (e.g. Rule 5: To indicate separate possession, add whichever possessive sign is appropriate (an apostrophe plus s or an apostrophe alone) to the name of each person: By . The short … The apostrophe (' or ’) is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritical mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet and some other alphabets. contraction. An apostrophe can be used to show that one thing belongs to or is connected to something. Apostrophe. o’clock, meaning of the clock, or ’90s, meaning 1990s). Some styles may allow you to add only an apostrophe: Athens’ history, Diogenes’ philosophy, Dumas’ novels. I don’t think that I’m 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.g., Smith’s, 2012, study). Contractions The apostrophe for plurals The apostrophe after last names The possessive apostrophe The apostrophe after -s The apostrophe after –x Plural possessives Further study There are some punctuation signs in English that are responsible for only one or two functions. Using apostrophes with possessive nouns gets a little more confusing when the noun ends in a sibilant (an s, z or x sound). (“David” is a proper noun that doesn’t end in s, so to make this name possessive, you change it to David’s. Other things to watch out for when using the possessive s:. Wrong: The Smith’s also want a gerbil. ; The marking of possessive case of nouns (as in the eagle's feathers, in one month's time, at your … It depends on the meaning that Zissman intended. Rule 4: To form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s or es, add an apostrophe plus s to the noun: Examples: her children’s toys, the women’s dressing room. Diogenes’s philosophy . Have you ever wondered how to make a possessive name such as McDonald's, Carl's, or St. Anthony's possessive? possessive. The members of the Johnson and Smith families, for instance, are the Johnsons and the Smiths, not the Johnson’s and the Smith’s. The first rule–the most important thing to remember when working with surnames (a person’s last name)–is do not change a person’s name. Gifts a loved one receives are his, hers, or theirs. However, if the name or word itself ends in s (for example, dress or Ozymandias), then you find yourself in muddier waters. For further reference, see Apostrophes; Lesson Five - Possessive nouns; You need to use the best formula and stay consistent all the time. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Apostrophes in Names Rules You will use apostrophe with “s” for possessive singular nouns: You will use the apostrophe with the letter “s” in showing possessive form of the singular noun, even if the singular noun is ending with the letter “s”. You can use an apostrophe to show possession with a singular noun by adding an apostrophe plus the letter s ('s). If there are more than one syllable in the name, the aprostrophe-s is replaced with just the apostrophe, as in Willis’. possessive rules for last names tags : rules and examples for apostrophe usage. Possessives. These nouns might end in … The rule goes like this: If your name ends in s , … Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z. If the apostrophe appears before the letter s then it may denote that the possessive case is singular, i.e. Are you confused about how to show the plural and the possessive of certain names? As we’ve mentioned above that an apostrophe is used to show possession, however, there are several ways of how to use apostrophes correctly in showing possession. To form the plural of most surnames in English, simply add the suffix -s to the end of the name. To form the plural of a name ending in y, simply add an s. Examples. Alexandre Dumas’s novels. Mignon Fogarty Grammar Girl. 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). See also Possessives for more information. When used as proper names, Woods or Burns are singular forms. With a Singular Noun. In the spirit of the season, I beg you. Add ’s for possessive, s for plural, and s’ for possessive plural. two Marias, two Joes, several Jennys in the class two Kansas Citys, two Germanys, I love Thursdays two St. Louises. Tip. Contractions. A contraction is a combination of two or more words. The members of the Edwards and Doss families are the … Instead of saying “the house of Paul” in English we use the apostrophe S to show that the house belongs … If your goal is simply pluralization, however, forgo the apostrophe. Apostrophes with Names Ending in s, ch, or z. By adding apostrophe (’) + s that is (’s) at the end of a noun: ... Possessive case is made of last word in case of compound nouns or noun in phrase. Punctuation used to denote a sudden change or break in a sentence, e.g. It is also important to know about rules in using apostrophes in names so that you will not have a hard time in writing. Apostrophes with Names Ending in S. Common nouns: When it comes to grammar rules for apostrophe after s, you should be consistent in writing. Apostrophe Rules for Possessives. Making a last name plural should never involve an apostrophe. If two nouns jointly possess something, use only one apostrophe… Maybe you know to write I met the Smiths, I drove Brenda Smith’s Ferrari, and I visited the Smiths’ house.But what if the name is Sanchez or Church or Williams?. his book, her sweater, its tail). Whereas in the past it was thought bad form to add an s , style guides are now pointing in that direction, even ones in the US where grammar tends to be policed in more traditional ways. of Jupiter. The apostrophe ( ’ ) has three uses: contractions, plurals, and possessives. It doesn’t matter. Apostrophes on Singular Nouns. Surname Spelling Rules. The Whole Family’s Last Name. The main use of the apostrophe is to form the possessive case of most nouns by adding an apostrophe or an apostrophe and 's'. Personal pronouns don’t require apostrophes when they become possessive. ... proper nouns ending in s that are singular follow the general rule and add ’s : Athens’s history. Apostrophes are used to show possession. 5 Responses to “Where to Place the Possessive Apostrophe in a Surname” Pat on January 19, 2011 2:19 pm. Names are pluralized like regular words. Apostrophe rules also mention that if the family name has ending like x, ch, sh, or z, however, we need to add ‘es’ to form the ending. When we make other words that end in ‘s’ plural we usually add an ‘es’—like with the word “dress” (“I just bought seventeen dresses“). If the possessive involves a last name ending with "s" or "z," you can add either. Spaces may or may not be added before or after a … Examples: Alexander the great’s empire, Luis the sixteenth’s regime. Look at the examples below: a … Examples. What do the rules of English grammar and punctuation say about Bakers Toolkit? by Tyler Krupa. Nesbit’s spacesuit is green. Last names ending in s are no different. The electronic device you’re reading this grammar guide on is yours, not your’s or yours’. Add -es for names ending in "s" or "z" and add -s for everything else. Look at the example: Paul’s house is very big. I have seen conflicting rules in reliable sources about the use of apostrophes for names (singular and plural) that end in s. The one I go by is that if the name is one-syllable, like James, it’s accurate to add apostrophe-s to it, making James’s. 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