As one of my previous posts probably indicated, I tend to reach for The
Chicago Manual of Style to resolve punctuation questions; it
acknowledges some of the variation in editorial practice on the
apostrophe issue (I do, however, point out to journalism majors in my
classes that the AP style is different, and that they'd best follow that
one).  

 

Last spring, as part of the discussion of apostrophes, I put a copy of
the relevant section from the Manual up on the overhead simply as an
example of what a detailed attempt to approach the issue could look
like. One of the students noticed the section that stated that Jesus and
Moses constituted exceptions, in that - because of established practice
- they just get the apostrophe, even though the Manual recommends
apostrophe + s for most other cases with stem-final -s. She then asked a
question that got the class actually engaged in the discussion: "Do we
just use the apostrophe for Jesus Jesus, or do we do that with other
people named Jesus too?"  I told them I had absolutely no idea, and then
asked them to argue both sides of the issue. Now if only something
similarly interesting would happen with the semicolon....

 

Bill Spruiell

 

Dept. of English

Central Michigan University

 

 

 

 

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of STAHLKE, HERBERT F
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 9:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Britney Spears' talent--or Britney Spears's talent?

 

As Dick's examples of variation indicate, both forms are found widely.
I was taught, a half century ago, which is no evidence of authority, to
use only the apostrophe if the -s belonged to the stem.  However, the
fact that in speech the two s so frequently reduce to one reflects a
common phonological process called haplology, by which a sequence of two
identical or similar forms reduces to one, as in "probably" > "probly."

 

Herb

 

First an anecdote. Then a topic.

 

The anecdote: My wife and I often pass a used-car lot with a big sign
that reads LARRYS' (ending in an apostrophe). In our smug, professorial
way, we assumed that the owner was confused about punctuation, and we
jokingly referred to the place as Larry-ziz. As we later learned, the
lot is owned by two guys named Larry, who knew their punctuation after
all. We still call it Larry-ziz, though.

 

The topic: English usage mavens are divided about the treatment of
possessive nouns ending in s. Style sheets all agree that a word ending
in plural -s takes only an apostrophe for the possessive: the families'
homes, several students' homework.

 

They are not in agreement, however, about the possessive form of
nonplural nouns ending in s. Do you add just an apostrophe or apostrophe
+ s? Is it "Britney Spears' monumental talent" or "Britney Spears's
monumental talent"? Some style sheets stipulate apostrophe + s for short
nouns (Lois's friends) and only apostrophe for longer ones (Socrates'
death). The division among authorities in this matter means places a
burden on faculty. So what do we teach?

 

On the grounds that simple is better than complicated, I tell students
to use a sound test. If you hear the iz sound in such words, add 's.
Otherwise, just apostrophe. So it's Ms. Jones's house (pronounced
Jones-iz). But what's the possessive of Socrates? If you say
"Sock-ra-teez-iz death," then it's Socrates's; if you say "Sock-ra-teez
death," then it's just Socrates'. By the way, I understand there is a
St. James's Park in London (pronounced with the iz) and a St. James'
Park in Newcastle (no iz).

 

Of course apostrophe use is never simple. Consider, for example, 'Do's
and Don'ts." But that's another topic.

 

Dick Veit

________________________________

Richard Veit
Department of English
University of North Carolina Wilmington

 

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