Quizzes & Puzzles2 mins ago
Which apostrophe?
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Which apostrophe would you say is correct?...a: Is that Jenkins' car?...or b: Is that Jenkins's car?...I always have trouble with this. Ta Muchly.
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Hi Woodelf
Most of the guides to grammar suggest that the use of the possessive apostrophe (following a name ending in 's') should reflect the way that the words would be spoken. So the car owned by Mr Jenkins would indeed be "Jenkins' car" but the car owned by Mr Bates would be "Bates's car".
Chris
Most of the guides to grammar suggest that the use of the possessive apostrophe (following a name ending in 's') should reflect the way that the words would be spoken. So the car owned by Mr Jenkins would indeed be "Jenkins' car" but the car owned by Mr Bates would be "Bates's car".
Chris
This is a rule that I always feel uncomfortable with and there are inconsistences- for example I would write "Mr Bates's car", but I'd also want to write Jesus's disciples and Pythagoras's theorem, yet the accepted practice seems to be to omit the S after the apostrophe on names from history.
And there are variations regarding St Thomas hospital, St Thomas' hospital and St Thomas's hospital.
And there are variations regarding St Thomas hospital, St Thomas' hospital and St Thomas's hospital.
Woodelf:
The rule seems to be that if you end up saying 'sez' on the end of a word, then the additional 's' (after the apostrophe) needs to be added in order to represent the extra syllable.
So, for example, most people would refer to the car owned by Mr Bates as "Bates-sez car",so it should be written as "Bates's car"
However most people would probably refer to the car owned by Mr Jenkins as "Jenkinz car" (rather than as "Jenkins-sez car"), so it should be written as "Jenkins' car".
So the rule is simply that adding an extra syllable onto the end of a person's name requires the additional 's'. If you don't add another syllable you don't need the final 's'.
The rule seems to be that if you end up saying 'sez' on the end of a word, then the additional 's' (after the apostrophe) needs to be added in order to represent the extra syllable.
So, for example, most people would refer to the car owned by Mr Bates as "Bates-sez car",so it should be written as "Bates's car"
However most people would probably refer to the car owned by Mr Jenkins as "Jenkinz car" (rather than as "Jenkins-sez car"), so it should be written as "Jenkins' car".
So the rule is simply that adding an extra syllable onto the end of a person's name requires the additional 's'. If you don't add another syllable you don't need the final 's'.
PS:
I've just remembered the wonderful 'Online style Guide', produced by the Times newspaper to advise reporters and correspondents of the conventions followed by that publication. (It's a fantastic source for answering questions like the one you've asked).
Scroll down to 'apostrophes with proper names' here:
http://www.timesonlin...ide/article986718.ece
I've just remembered the wonderful 'Online style Guide', produced by the Times newspaper to advise reporters and correspondents of the conventions followed by that publication. (It's a fantastic source for answering questions like the one you've asked).
Scroll down to 'apostrophes with proper names' here:
http://www.timesonlin...ide/article986718.ece
As woodelfs screen reader doesn't work with AB links here's a tiny url to the times link.
http://tinyurl.com/2z47ru
http://tinyurl.com/2z47ru
