For James, the plural possessive sounds as if it has two S sounds when we pronounce it, so we would use an apostrophe and an S. Here are some more examples: James’s father is in the hospital. [graybox]. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 79,000 James’ dog makes much better sense than James’s dog! "Apostrophe Rules Question #2 first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. What Are the SAT Test Registration Deadlines? "Errors involving plural proper names are so common that I almost never see them written correctly," June Casagrande writes for the Los Angeles Times. When you want to make the word it possessive, write its, not it’s. For Plural Nouns For plural nouns (more than one person, place or thing), we add an apostrophe (') to show possession. Regular nouns are nouns that form their plurals by adding either the letter s or es (guy, guys; letter, … Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Confused? Only use an apostrophe with last names ending in ‘s’ when they show possession. Personal pronouns don’t require apostrophes when they become possessive. "Whose" is a possessive that doesn’t need a contraction. Are Microschools and Pandemic Pods Safer School Alternatives During the Coronavirus Pandemic? An apostrophe substitutes the missing letters and spaces in a contraction. TRUE Sometimes more than one word/noun is a possessive. If something is plural but not possessive, you don’t need an, To shorten decades, replace the century with an apostrophe and add an ‘s’ at the end of the number. You need to use the best formula and stay consistent all the time. Dubbed the grocer’s apostrophe, this grammatical issue occurs when unnecessary apostrophes are added before the letter ‘s’. The electronic device you’re reading this grammar guide on is yours, not your’s or yours’. On the other hand, "who’s" is the contraction for "who is.". Unless you want to make your last name possessive, there aren't any circumstances where you would need to add an apostrophe. Also, if you want to form possessive plural noun that ending with “s”, you just need to add the apostrophe. - Definition & Examples, What is a Negative Sentence? Mental Floss may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Showing possession with the word it: If you are showing possession with the word “it”, you just reverse the rules as well as lose apostrophe. - Definition & Conversion, Neutralizing Solutions with Sodium Hydroxide, Morality, Mystery & Miracle Plays in Medieval Theatre, Comparing Strong, Weak & Balanced Matrix Organizations, Haredi Judaism: History, Practices & Beliefs, How Religious Conditions Affect Science & Technological Advances, Quiz & Worksheet - Act 1 Summary of The Crucible, Quiz & Worksheet - Slaughterhouse Five Synopsis, Flashcards - Real Estate Marketing Basics, Flashcards - Promotional Marketing in Real Estate, Math Worksheets | Printable Math Worksheets for Teachers, Human & Cultural Geography for Teachers: Professional Development, Technical Writing for Teachers: Professional Development, Quiz & Worksheet - TOEFL Reading Section Format, Quiz & Worksheet - U.S. Rule & Acquisition of Puerto Rico, Quiz & Worksheet - Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, Terza Rima Rhyme Scheme: Definition & Examples, How to Use Study.com in High School CTE Programs.
As you can see, this shows us that the apostrophe can make a big difference (John is friends with both Angus and James.). Adding apostrophe ''s'' ('s) to word that end with an ''s'' is correct. Now you won’t have to wait until Black Friday for the deal you need. Though his new symbols looked familiar, crucially, they were impossible to type on a typewriter. If you can’t resist the urge to add an apostrophe to your surname, make sure it shows possession. You need to use the best formula and stay consistent all the time. For instance, the 1950’s or 1980’s. Advertising executive Martin Speckter came up with the interrobang in 1962.
Angus and James' friend John is coming to dinner. Although it may seem complicated at first, the rules of pluralizing last names are actually pretty simple, as Slate has pointed out. The Lennons welcome you to a fun-filled event. When you connect two words, an apostrophe is a grammatical glue that holds them together. B. It’s going to rain tomorrow. - Definition & Examples, What is Email Etiquette? (correct but awkward). You'd normally just add 's to make a singular name possessive, such as … For bosses (two or more bosses), we use a normal apostrophe: bosses' desk.