Possessive When Name Ends In S
Possessives of names that end in X or Z use an apostrophe and S regardless of the syllable pronounced. Its the rule that the Chicago Manual of Style and AP Stylebook recommend. For names ending in s or es and having two or more syllables, you usually just add an apostrophe.
If the name is only one syllable, add -'s. The names Jesus and Moses are always made possessive with the apostrophe alone: The usual way to show possession with a name that ends in a silent s, z, or x is with -'s. When forming the possessive with names ending in -s, English offers two main conventions: adding just an apostrophe after the final s, or adding both an apostrophe and another s.
To form the possessive of a country or place name that ends in s, follow the same rules as those for peoples names: add either an apostrophe and another s or just an apostrophe, depending on the style you follow. Rule 1: In general, you form a possessive singular noun (both proper and common) by adding an apostrophe and the letter S to the end of the word. Thats simple enough.
Its when the car belongs to a person named Chris, or were talking about the petals of a crocus that the rules get blurry. In general, to form the singular possessive case of a noun, add an apostrophe s to the end of the noun. Both common and proper nouns follow the same principle.
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. If you want to form a possessive from a noun ending in s, you can do so in two ways, depending on the style youre following.
You can simply follow normal possessive rules or add only an apostrophe. If a person's name ends with an "s", such as James, you are wanting to show a singular noun (James) that ends in an "s" as being possessive. How you form the possessive depends on which style guide your subject area or your assignment is using.
For apostrophes with possessive proper nouns, remember these three guidelines: If the noun is singular, add s (Kansass). If the noun is plural but does not end in s, add s (the Magis gifts). If the noun is plural and ends in s, add just an apostrophe (the Beatles greatest hits).
