Grammar Point
Ah, the things that people care to talk about...
A question arose recently concerning the rules in English grammar to show possession. I'm sure many of you discuss the English language often ( hehe ), but this question did generate some interest, apparently. So....
The question revolved around how to write the possessive of a proper name that ends in "s" or "z", like Sanchez or Miles. One thought was that if a word ended in "s" or "z", there is only an apostrophe. Another thought was that if you heard and extra "s" sound in the possessive, you added the 's, like James's.
From "A Writer's Reference" by Diana Hacker:
Possessive nouns usually indicate ownership, as in Tim's hat or the lawyer's desk. Frequently, however, ownership is only loosely implied: the tree's roots, a day's work.I tend to agree with this general definition, with the exception for awkward sounding singular nouns. I think the right way to show possession of a proper name is to add the -'s, unless it sounds too awkward..
When to add -'s
1. If the noun does not end in -s, add -'s. (driver's side, children's money)
2. If the noun is singular and ends in -s, add -'s. (Lois's sister)
EXCEPTION: If pronunciation would be awkward with the added -'s, some writers use only the apostrophe. Either use is acceptable. (Sophocles' plays)
When to add only an apostrophe
If the noun is plural and ends in -s, add only an apostrophe. (both diplomats' briefcases)
Joint possession
To show joint possession, use -'s (or -s') with the last noun only; to show individual possession, make all nouns possessive. (Joyce and Greg's new camper, John's and Marie's expectations)
Compound nouns
If a noun is compound, use -'s (or -s') with the last element. (father-in-law's sculpture)
It does seem as though the best rule of thumb is to listen for the es sound and use a -'s if you hear it. This rule even applies to words that end in a silent-s, too, like Illinois. What about words that end in an es sound, like experience or science? Is it an -s' or an -'s?
Why do I care?
4 comments:
This is from the CCC Foundation'sGuide to Grammer & Writing, and I thought it to be a valuable additon to the post:
To answer that question about Illinois, you should know that most words that end in an unpronounced "s" form their possessive by adding an apostrophe + s. So we would write about "Illinois's next governor" and "Arkansas's former governor" and "the Marine Corps's policy." However, many non-English words that end with a silent "s" or "x" will form their possessives with only an apostrophe. So we would write "Alexander Dumas' first novel" and "this bordeaux' bouquet." According to the New York Public Library's Guide to Style and Usage, there are "certain expressions that end in s or the s sound that traditionally require an apostrophe only: for appearance' sake, for conscience' sake, for goodness' sake" (268). Incidentally, the NYPL Guide also suggests that when a word ends in a double s, we're better off writing its possessive with only an apostrophe: the boss' memo, the witness' statement. Many writers insist, however, that we actually hear an "es" sound attached to the possessive forms of these words, so an apostrophe -s is appropriate: boss's memo, witness's statement. If the look of the three s's in a row doesn't bother you, use that construction.
There still seems to be a lot of grey area about all of this:
“Certain expressions that end in s or the s sound that traditionally require an apostrophe only: for appearance' sake, for conscience’”
So, words that end in an “s” that only have to have an apostrophe to express ownership are part of some unknown exclusive list it seems. Where is this list and what determines what words are included on it? And, the memo of the boss can be expressed as “the boss’ memo” or the “boss’s memo”? Apparently, at least in the case of the double “s” both usages are considered correct and up to the whims of the particular writer as matter of personal preference.
Speaking of preferences, I prefer to say “James’ car” rather than “James’s car”. The latter seems a bit clumsy and unwieldy. And since I’m the writer in this case I believe it is appropriate if I use “James’ car” rather than “James’s car” if I needed to do so. I also think that a case can be made that especially if it is your own name that is being referred to, then as a matter of personal preference at the very least, in your case you could say, “Spencer Sanchez’ website”. However, others might have a different preference as to what they feel should be used. I actually do think that “Sanchez’s website” is preferable to “Sanchez’ website” because it seems more clear. As an experiment, I wrote the following sentences in Microsoft Word and all were deemed acceptable by the program’s spell/grammar check:
Tom Sanchez’ house was on fire.
Tom Sanchez’s house was on fire.
Rick James’ song was funky.
Rick James’s song was funky.
I believe this to be fairly conclusive evidence that both usages are acceptable. Therfore I suppose it is all a matter of preference and for some reason I would rather say, “James’ car“ over the alternative. I haven’t consulted my father (who edits copy and is a scholar on the English language) on this one but I have a feeling he might say that, at least in the case of “James’”, that it is acceptable. Perhaps therefore some names are on this mystical list of words that can follow special rules and others aren’t. It all comes down to the phrase “traditionally require an apostrophe only” in the end. I would be interested to see what words appear on this mysterious list.
For now, I will conclude that in the case of words that end in an “s” or an “s” sound, especially proper nouns, both usages are acceptable and can be determined by the author of the given phrase.
After consulting my father it turns out that I was indeed correct: It is up to the preference of the writer as to which usage to apply, as both forms are acceptable. Consistency within a body of writing is more important than applying strict and possibly outmoded standards and "rules". I imagine that this will be the final word on this matter.
Post a Comment