Possessives

1.The possessive form of common nouns. For constructing possessive forms for common nouns, all style documents agree on the following proofreading principles:

• The singular common noun that does not end in ess: Add an apostrophe and an S2
• A plural common noun that does not end in s: Add an apostrophe and an s.
• A plural common noun that ends in s: Add an apostrophe only.

However, there is significant debate over how to create the possessive of a singular common noun ending in ess. WIT acknowledges that “some prefer witness’, countess’, and the like” but recommends witness’ and countess’ as better approximating spoken English. To prevent a sibilant hiss, the Associated Press Stylebook suggests looking at the following word and using “the witness’ answer” rather than “the witness’ story.” In corporate communications, research writers and copyeditors frequently avoid using business as the singular possessive by changing another noun (firm, company) to make a more euphonious and less problematic statement.

2. Possessive form of proper nouns. Constructing the possessive for proper nouns ending in s or z is risky. “How to form the possessive of polysyllabic personal names ending with the sound of s or z probably causes more discord among writers and editors than any other orthographic matter open to disagreement,” according to the editors of Chicago 14. Chicago 15 has two pages of regulations, exceptions, and alternatives that are difficult to summarize.

CBE suggests adding an apostrophe and an s to all proper nouns save Jesus, Moses, and classical names with “an unaccented ending pronounced eez.” Thus, Dylan Thomas’ poetry, Jasper Johns’ paintings, but also Jesus’ teachings, Moses’ rage, Achilles’ heel, and Euripides’ themes. WIT conventions varied relatively little.

To make a plural proper noun possessive, add an apostrophe: the Smiths’ house, the Joneses’ daughter, the Foxes’ son. Again, names that finish in silent s require extra care. It’s best to take Descartes’ plural as invariant and add “of”: the Descartes’ house (not the Descartes’ home or the Descartes’ home).

3. Possessive form for inanimate objects. Some people believe that because inanimate objects cannot own anything, an s should not be added to an inanimate word. The origin of this fairy tale is unknown, but Wilson Follett and his followers have insisted on it so vehemently that some copyeditors become uncomfortable when they see ordinary forms like “Florida’s governor” and “the nation’s capital.” Follett dismisses both phrases as “newfangled and false [possessives]”—he is incorrect on both counts. They are venerable examples of the genitive case (the traditional word for the possessive). Therefore they cannot be fake possessives since they do not exist. DEU blesses them and even gives them elegant names (objective genitive, descriptive genitive, purpose genitive, group genitive).

• Possessive for the duration. For time units that express duration, the possessive form is used.
• We took three weeks’ vacation.
• But: She handed in her paper two weeks early. And: She is five months pregnant.

4. Possessive form of words in italics or in quotation marks. Chicago suggests using a Roman apostrophe followed by a Roman s to express the possessive of an italicized word: Newsweek’s circulation. If it is impossible to modify the sentence to avoid using the possessive form for a word within quotation marks, the apostrophe and s are inserted outside the closing quotation marks: The rhymes and rhythms of “Lord Randal.”

5. Attributive nouns. When a plural head noun ending in s functions as an adjective rather than a possessor, the apostrophe is omitted; in other words, when the relationship between the plural head noun and the second noun could be expressed by the prepositions “for” or “by” rather than the possessive “of”: carpenters union, New York Mets first baseman. The apostrophe is used when the plural version of the head noun does not finish in s: the People’s Republic, a children’s hospital. This is why proper names like Teachers College (in New York City), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Consumers Union lack an apostrophe.