I agree, Jennifer; I also have always believed that the likely pronunciation of the word sets the written usage. So, if I say, "That's the /jonesis/ car," I'd write it, "That's the Jones's car." But if I say, "That's the /jones/ car," I'd write it, "That's the Jones' car." ==Reinhold Jennifer Rabinowitz wrote: > > This is my first foray into these e-discussions, so hello to one and > all. I like the rules and qualifications on the use of the possessive. > I remember my college literature professor's hard and fast rule, which I > always enjoyed, in determining the use of the possessive: if the > pronounciation of a word was made awkward by an extra "s"--such as "the > pizzas's toppings bubbled" (you try pronouncing it!)--then the extra "s" > is appropriately omitted. What do you all think? > > >>> "Martha Kolln" <[log in to unmask]> 12/11/00 04:14PM >>> > Kirstin: > > I agree with Richard that when you add a syllable you normally add the > s, > even when the word ends in a double s: Betsy Ross's flag; Hoss's > Steak > House. The questionable occasions are those in which the word has two > sibilant sounds, as in Jesus or Texas. When these are possessive, they > are > often written without the s, probably because that third s is not > sounded: > Texas' laws; Jesus' followers. > > As with many punctuation conventions, you will find variations in the > s > possessive. > > Martha Kolln > > >Hi! > > > >Here's a new question to throw out. When you have a singular noun > that ends > >in s, to turn it into a possessive, do you add only the apostrophe, > or > >apostrophe "s"? For example: Christopher Columbus' birthday or is it > >Christopher Columbus's birthday? > > > >-Kirstin Schwartz > >Washington International School > >[log in to unmask] > > > >To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web > interface at: > > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > >and select "Join or leave the list" > > > >Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web > interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/