{"id":1540,"date":"2014-05-13T16:56:48","date_gmt":"2014-05-13T22:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/?p=1540"},"modified":"2023-12-06T12:37:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T18:37:19","slug":"apostrophes-and-proper-nouns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/apostrophes\/apostrophes-and-proper-nouns\/","title":{"rendered":"Apostrophes and Proper Nouns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take a close look at this sentence about the great playwright Tennessee Williams: It\u2019s Tennessee William\u2019s best play<\/em>. Note the placement of the apostrophe. It disfigures the name Williams<\/em>\u2014how could that be right? Here\u2019s a rule to live by: Forget the apostrophe until you write out the entire word. A correct possessive apostrophe can never entangle itself within any word. So by writing Williams<\/em> out first, you can avoid a lot of trouble.<\/p>\n

The trouble that can\u2019t be avoided comes next, because there are conflicting policies for writing possessive proper nouns<\/strong> that end in s<\/em>. The Associated Press Stylebook <\/em>recommends just an apostrophe: It\u2019s Tennessee Williams\u2019 best play<\/em>. But most other authorities endorse \u2019s<\/em>: Williams\u2019s<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Williams\u2019s<\/em> means \u201cbelonging to Williams.\u201d It is not the plural form of Williams.<\/em> People\u2019s names become plural the way most other words do. Only rank amateurs think the plural of cat<\/em> is cat\u2019s<\/em>. Names are no different. They seem different because of human vanity: we\u2019re somehow reluctant to compromise the \u201cpurity\u201d of Smith <\/em>so we mistakenly write the Smith\u2019s<\/em>, adding the apostrophe to establish a respectful distance between the name and the s<\/em> rather than simply writing the Smiths<\/em>, the Fongs<\/em>, the Calder\u00f3ns<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Now, what if the name ends in s<\/em>? Figuring out the plural of a name like Williams drives people crazy. Some would write the Williams<\/em>, but that means the family\u2019s name is William. Others employ that misguided apostrophe: the Williams\u2019 <\/em>or the Williams\u2019s <\/em>or even the William\u2019s<\/em>. That last one is particularly ghastly. Taken literally, the William\u2019s<\/em> means something ridiculous: \u201cbelonging to the William.\u201d Forcing an apostrophe between the m <\/em>and s <\/em>mangles and mocks the name.<\/p>\n

All names ending in s<\/em> become plural by adding es<\/em>. Make it the Williamses<\/em>. To show possession, add just an apostrophe: Williamses\u2019<\/em>. The house belonging to the Williams family is the Williamses\u2019 house<\/em>. Maybe you\u2019re thinking it sounds ridiculous and looks bizarre. But it\u2019s also correct.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at some other types of proper nouns \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2022 Many organizations, companies, and government agencies are known by two or more capital letters (AP, MGM, EEOC). Initialisms ending in S<\/em> show possession by adding \u2019s<\/em>: CBS\u2019s ratings<\/em>, DHHS\u2019s policies<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Add only an apostrophe to show possession for a place, business, or organization whose name is a plural noun or ends with a plural noun: the Everglades\u2019 scenery<\/em>, Beverly Hills\u2019 weather<\/em>; the Cellars\u2019 wine list, General Mills\u2019 cereals<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Most writers and editors make an exception for biblical and classical proper names ending in s<\/em>. Traditionally, only an apostrophe is added to such names: Moses\u2019 law<\/em>, Xerxes\u2019 army<\/em>. However, the influential Chicago Manual of Style<\/em> recently ruled against this odd policy and started recommending Moses\u2019s<\/em>, Xerxes\u2019s<\/em>, etc.<\/p>\n

For apostrophes with possessive proper nouns, remember these three guidelines: If the noun is singular, add \u2019s <\/em>(Kansas\u2019s<\/em>). If the noun is plural but does not end in s<\/em>, add \u2019s <\/em>(the Magi\u2019s gifts<\/em>). If the noun is plural and ends in s<\/em>, add just an apostrophe (the Beatles\u2019 greatest hits<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Except for writers who abide by Associated Press guidelines, apostrophe rules for possessive proper nouns are virtually identical to those for possessive common nouns.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pop Quiz<\/strong>
\nCorrect any wayward sentences.<\/p>\n

1. John Quincy Adams was John Adam\u2019s son.
\n2. Both Adams\u2019 achievements were notable.
\n3. When in New York, she always enjoyed the Four Season\u2019s food.
\n4. Al Johnson brought the Johnson\u2019s favorite dessert.
\n5. Carlos Valdez says the Valdez\u2019s car is in the shop.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pop Quiz Answers<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. John Quincy Adams was John Adams\u2019s<\/em> son. (some would write Adams\u2019<\/em>)
\n2. Both Adamses\u2019<\/em> achievements were notable.
\n3. When in New York, she always enjoyed the Four Seasons\u2019<\/em> food. (Four Seasons’s\u00a0<\/em>would also be correct.)
\n4. Al Johnson brought the Johnsons\u2019<\/em> favorite dessert.
\n5. Carlos Valdez says the Valdezes\u2019<\/em> car is in the shop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Take a close look at this sentence about the great playwright Tennessee Williams: It\u2019s Tennessee William\u2019s best play. Note the placement of the apostrophe. It disfigures the name Williams\u2014how could that be right? Here\u2019s a rule to live by: Forget the apostrophe until you write out the entire word. A correct possessive apostrophe can never […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-apostrophes","category-possessives"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1540"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6786,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1540\/revisions\/6786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.grammarbook.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}