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To: MayflowerMadam

“Jesus’” and “Socrates’” and “Hercules’” are correct, because they are ancient historical or fictional personages.

For modern people with names ending in “s,” the correct possessive is made by adding “’s” to the name.

John Jones’s house

Mary Winters’s new coat

“Ted Cruz’ failed campaign” is wrong on two counts: “Cruz” does not end in “s,” and Ted Cruz is not an ancient personage.

The signs one sees in front of suburban homes are almost always incorrect:

Correct:

Jones
The Joneses (the family)
The Joneses’ (house)
Smith
The Smiths
The Smiths’

Incorrect:

The Smith’s
The Jones’

Pathetic:

The Jone’s


125 posted on 05/13/2016 4:30:43 AM PDT by Arthur McGowan
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To: Arthur McGowan

“For modern people with names ending in “s,” the correct possessive is made by adding “’s” to the name.”

I’m almost 70, so am not a “modern” person. That’s what we were taught if the name ends either in S or Z. Just add an apostrophe, or an apostrophe plus S.

It’s common for people to say “Me and Sally went to the park”, and I guess that’s accepted now. Drives me insane.

Things change in half a century!


127 posted on 05/13/2016 5:39:52 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam (Trump loves America and will protect the people who live here first, last and always. - Coulter)
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