Julie,
I don't know which style guide your writing environment follows,
but the general publishing standard, as expressed by _The Chicago
Manual of Style_, for the possessive form would be _Titus's_.
(_Chicago_ 16, par. 7.16)
The alternate form (the apostrophe only, omitting the _s_ that
follows) was typically applied to those cases of proper names of two
syllables or more ending in an _eez_ sound, or of words and names
ending in an unpronounced _s_. That's my understanding. This guideline
is spelled out in _Chicago_ 15, pars. 7.20 and 7.21, and abandoned in
_Chicago_ 16_, pars. 7.17 and 7.18.
The MLA handbook would seem to agree. In the 7th ed, at 3.2.7e,
the guideline to add the apostrophe and an _s_ to any singular proper
noun appears, with these examples --
Venus's beauty
Dickens's reputation
As for the plural form, I would think it would be
_Tituses_.
Odile
What is the correct
spelling of the plural and possessive forms of the proper name
Titus?
Tituses? Titus'? Titus's? Some handbooks favor the
apostrophe here; others prefer the apostrophe and s.
Many thanks for your help!
Julie Suarez Hayes
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