Name ending in s possessive grammar girl book pdf

If a singular word ends in s, it is still necessary to add s. This rule applies in most cases even with a name ending in s. Examples include one with a singular noun ending in s venus s beauty. Commonly used dental abbreviations are explained in this article. How do you show possession with a name ending in an x.

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. 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. Possessive comes from the same root as possession, something you own. Some of the indefinite pronouns form their possessives with a possessive ending. The genitive in english s and of in english, the genitive or.

The apostrophe is seldom used to form a plural noun. Possessive pronouns show that something belongs to someone. William strunk, jr 18691946 the elements of style 1918 ii elementary rules of usage, form the possessive singular of nouns with s. This makes the sentence easier to read and less confusing. Possessives and attributives the chicago manual of style. How do you write a possessive for a name ending in s. See rules 1b and 1c of apostrophes for more discussion. 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. Some celebrities2 give their children unusual names. 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. How the possessive case is formed when the noun is singular, we make the possessive form by adding s to the noun. 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.

The neighbor s house was at the mercy of the rain and snow that plagued their part of the state. 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. Theres also an independent form of each of these pronouns. You dont have to add an s to the pronoun because it s already possessive without the apostrophe. Bryan garner, garner s modern american usage, second edition 2003 offers the following discussion of how to handle possessive proper names ending in s. Does any name ending in s only need the apostrophe to show possession. Which singular names ending in s form possessives with. The chicago manual of style once recommended a single apostrophe to form. An interesting side note is that it doesnt seem so strange that we use an apostrophes to make words possessive once you. When pronouncing a possessive name, we add the sound z to the end of the name. We use s to show that something belongs to a person or a pet or to talk about relationships between people.

But the family name shouldnt be plural when speaking of the family unit. According to my grammar book, but at variance to the answer to this question, the correct singular possessive if a word ends in. If the look of the three s s in a row doesnt bother you, use that construction. Mignon fogarty is the creator and host of grammar girl. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Put the words in the correct order and make possessive structures. However, it is also correct to just add the apostrophe. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online.

With nouns, it is shown by using of or an apostrophe. Possession for words ending in s video khan academy. But if a word isnt possessive, does it sometimes get an apostrophe anyway. Possession john s car, a friend of mine english grammar today a reference to written and spoken english grammar and usage cambridge dictionary. Therefore, the members of the jones family are the joneses. Aardvarks and mothers are both in the possessive case. Many writers make the mistake of adding just an apostrophe to form the possessive of singular nouns ending in. S ands complete these sixteen sentences to score your knowledge of possessive s and s. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Style book opts for a single apostrophe for all proper names ending in s.

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. 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. Forming possessives with singular names apa style blog. 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. Mar 29, 2012 and unlike the other cases, the possessive case still exists not only for pronouns, but for almost every noun, including proper nouns and common nouns. The possessive case learn and practice english online. Possessive pronouns are never spelled with apostrophes. If the word family comes after the family surname, the family name should remain singular. In that case, add an s to the noun that comes before the pronoun. I am aware that if the word ends with an s you would normally add.

Read up on the details below and then take our quiz. Thomas s book or thomas book james s shop or james shop the smiths s house or the smiths house functions of the possessive. Possessives of names most names, including ending with vowel or y. Grammar worksheet all things grammar grammar focus possessive. Proper names ending in s when proper names end in s, people often get confused about how to form a possessive plural. Arizona, for example, is the name of a statedakota. My brother likes playing with his football but i like playing with his computer games. The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals. Mignon fogarty is the founder of quick and dirty tips and the author of seven books on language. In the latter case, an apostrophe is added in writing, but in sound there is no difference between the possessive and the nominative.

Add es for names ending in s or z and add s for everything else. Do not change the spelling of a name to make it plural. Possessive of proper names ending in s daily writing tips. Decide whether to place the apostrophe before or after the s. 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. The chicago manual of style, the ap stylebook, garners modern.

Form the possessive of all singular nouns, even those ending in. There are a few different ways to form the possessive of a noun. Rules for plural and possessive names merriamwebster. 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. If the word ending with s is plural, add an apostrophe at the end to make it possessive. When a plural noun ends with an s, simply add an apostrophe to make it possessive. A possessive noun shows ownership by adding an apostrophe, an s or both. Last week a woman asked me how to make her last name plural. The grammatically correct way to write your sentence is i want to be buzzs girl. Our companys acronym is singular and ends in an s, just like cmos.

To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the plural first. When it comes to forming the possessive of a proper name that ends in s, guides disagree. Family names ending in s become plural by adding es on the end, after the s. How to make names that end in s plural grammar girl. Noun plurals the most common way to pluralize a noun is to simply add an s at the end. I always use the first one, but im wondering what the rule is. Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns exercise 1. Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns exercise 1 choose the correct word.

To show plural possession of a name ending in s, ch, or z, form the. 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. Consider the name of a band that ends in s, whether singular or plural. Chris s or chris name ending in s examples of possessive nouns in a sentence. 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. That is my professional opinion except for the established english possessive forms of proper nouns. A noun names a person, place, thing, idea, quality or action. 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. Nouns ending in x show possession by adding an apostrophe s s to the end of the word. 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. Phds, have sold old books and magazines at the fair on saturdays and sundays. For example, you could write, fortunately, the childrens room had a hidden doorway.

The possessive pronouns are my, our, your, his, her, its, and their. The rule is you need to add es and then an apostrophe. Mignon fogarty better known as grammar girl, for example, prefers to leave the extra s off. Get the tools you need to improve your writing skills with grammar girls linkedin learning better writing video coursestart your free trial today. David were talking about possession for names or words ending in the letter s. If were talking about jess, and were talking about something that belongs to her, like jess s hat. Simply changing the name of the genitive does not change or eliminate any of its multiple functions. We follow the guidance of leading reference books such as the chicago manual of. What is the correct possessive form of moses or jesus. 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. Apostrophe rules can be broken into four main categories. Pauls, julies, mikes, and susans are all possessive nouns. Since the 1980 s, the thomas s, both of whom have multiple phd s, have sold old book s and magazine s at the fair on saturday s and.

There s also an independent form of each of these pronouns. Possessive singular of nouns ending in s, english grammar. How to make singular and plural words that end with s possessive. A noun which shows ownership or possession is said to be in the possessive case. If a plural noun doesnt end in s, you make the possessive form by adding s. The possessive case applies to nouns, pronouns, and determiners. Ken smith s house i know the smiths, the smiths house.

We add s to the singular form, and we add an apostrophe after the plural s ending in the plural form. Easily share your publications and get them in front of issuus. Although it is not considered to be good english, you may add only the apostrophe words ending on unpronounced s. Style books do not agree on how to show ownership with singular nouns ending in s.

Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar. Since the 1980s, the thomases, both of whom have multiple phds, have sold old books and magazines at the fair on saturdays and sundays. 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. 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. Fortunately, the rules governing the usage of the possessive s and the plural form are quite clear cut and logical.

If there are multiple nouns that refer to more personsthings add s to both nouns. The grammar book allows exceptions for historical nouns, so the examples in the answer to the abovelinked question would pass muster. Today is jeremy, catherine s, and my last day of school. Unanswered questions what is the particular type of processor model and operating system on which a computer is based called. When a singular noun ends in s, you can make is possessive by putting the apostrophe after the s, but you dont have to. Most stylebooks agree that the rule for forming the possessive of a singular noun ending in s is formed by adding s. To make a single noun possessive, simply add an apostrophe and an s. Jan cavallo s house i know the cavallos, the cavallos house. Although the origins of this phrase are disputed, the expression was used commonly to mean, be careful, dont make a mistake. If the name ends in s, like charles, we usually treat it like a singular noun and add s.

It shows a relationship of belonging between one thing and another. I usually write chris s hat, but now im uncertain if that s correct. However, proper nouns are not pluralized the same way common nouns are. If the possessive involves a last name with s or z, you can add either. If you have to show joint ownership, give the possessive form to the final name only. How do you show possession on a name ending in s answers. 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. If you have added an s to make a word plural for example, cat. When a common noun already ends in the letter s, an apostrophe quickly shows the reader that youre using the possessive form. Apostrophes with names ending in s, ch, or z grammar and. 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. We know that we add an apostrophe to show possession or ownership with nouns. Therefore, the plural is gillises, and the plural possessive is gillises.

As a spanish term, the citys name is a singular noun, plural in form, but if we consider it fully. You can properly make jones possessive two different ways. The possessive s is most commonly misused when a writer confuses it with the plural form. The singular noun neighbor is aching for an apostrophe s. If the noun is plural, or already ends in s, just add an apostrophe after the s. My sister likes riding her bike but i like reading her books. A name ending in s takes only an apostrophe if the possessive form is not. And the uncertainty is often greatest when the first word is a plural ending in s. Read on to discover all the apostrophe rules youll ever need to know. The rules below are based on the chicago manual of style, 17th edition, and are. Some people say to always add an apostrophe and an s to the end of the singular word. The same is true of members of professions or associations of people. Some stylebooks recommend a single apostrophe for biblical or classical names like jesus and achilles, but s for names like james and charles.

Only today, i read an article by a young woman about to graduate and looking for a job. Johns dog, the schools mascot, her parents mistakes. 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. Why its bridget joness not jones baby grammar girl. 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. The rule is easy to follow but trips up a lot of people. When we have a singular noun, we just add an apostrophe s like we have already seen. Plural and possessive forms with names ending in y grammar blog. Plural words that dont end with s, such as children, do take an apostrophes at the end for possession. To make singular nouns possessive, just add apostrophe. How do you write a possessive for a name ending in s answers.

This page has lots of examples of the possessive case and an interactive exercise. One book includes a poster showing shapes circle, square, triangle. When an added s would lead to three closely bunched s or z sounds just use an apostrophe at the end. Now, there are some simple rules about how to use the apostrophe s. How is the possessive form of a name ending with s. Add s for possessive, s for plural, and s for possessive plural.