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Monday, September 18, 2017

Apostrophe Angst

     Does apostrophe correctness plague you as you write?  Do you feel anxious wondering what the rule is for an apostrophe used to form a possessive with a noun ending in s

     First, here's a little quiz.  Do you know which of the following are correct?

A.  Did you see Tess's new car?

B.  Did you see Tess' new car?

C.  Are you amazed by Hercules's strength?

D.  Are you amazed by Hercules' strength?

     Don't let your apostrophe choices stress you. The rule is easy to understand. 

 Rule:

To form the possessive case of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s.

Examples

boy's hat          the boss's office          Helen's dress          for heaven's sake


*When a word of more than one syllable ends in an s sound, the singular possessive may be formed by adding the apostrophe alone.  This omission avoids the awkward hiss of repeated s sounds.

Examples

the witness' testimony          for conscience' sake          Mr. Rodriguez' car         

     So, the correct answers above are A, C, and D.  Yes, both C and D are correct, but D sounds better.

     I hope this rule refresher takes away some of your angst when using an apostrophe with a possessive  ending in an s soundHappy Apostrophing!