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 Mon Aug 04, 2008 23:30 pm Possesive form |
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You will not find agreement on this.
The simplest way I've heard is that if you SAY the extra S, write it. Carlos-iz = Carlos's.
There are some exceptions for Jesus, Moses, and other ancients. |
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Barb_D
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Jun 2008
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| Mon Aug 04, 2008 23:33 pm Possesive form |
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| Ralahpik wrote: | *Carlos' sunglasses
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Nouns ending in 's' don't usually require a second 's' when the genitive is used. Wikipedia confirms this notion
| Quote: | * As a particular case, Jesus' is very commonly written instead of Jesus's, even by people who would otherwise add 's in, for example, James's or Chris's; Jesus' is referred to as "an accepted liturgical archaism" in Hart's Rules.
Similar examples of notable names ending in an s that are often given a possessive apostrophe with no additional s include Dickens and Williams. There is often a policy of leaving off the additional s on any such name, but this can prove problematic when specific names are contradictory (for example, St James' Park in Newcastle [the football ground] and the area of St. James's Park in London). For more details on practice with geographic names, see the relevant section below.
Some people like to reflect standard spoken practice in cases like these with sake: for convenience' sake, for goodness' sake, for appearance' sake, for compromise' sake, for peace' sake, etc. This punctuation is preferred in major style guides. Others prefer to add 's: for convenience's sake.[12] Still others prefer to omit the apostrophe when there is an s sound before sake: for morality's sake, but for convenience sake.[13] |
Please note that the latter is less common.
EDIT - Barb was faster than me, and I agree with his post.
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Ralf
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| Mon Aug 04, 2008 23:51 pm Possesive form |
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Hi Ralahpik
Click here for additional information about forming possessives.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, and native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
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| Tue Aug 05, 2008 0:10 am Possesive form |
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I think it's not about "ending s".
It's about how many syllabes the word has.
Ross Ross's
Carlos Carlos'
Two or more syllabes (only aphostrophe).
Correct me if I'm wrong please. |
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Ralahpik
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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Location: Mexico
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| Tue Aug 05, 2008 0:20 am Possesive form |
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Hi Ralahpik
As has been mentioned already, there is no ironclad agreement on this. Here is another point of view (highlighting added by me):
| Quote: | 1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's.
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,
- Charles's friend
- Burns's poems
- the witch's malice
This is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.
Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake. But such forms as Achilles' heel, Moses' laws, Isis' temple are commonly replaced by
- the heel of Achilles
- the laws of Moses
- the temple of Isis |
source
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Amy
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Yankee
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| Tue Aug 05, 2008 0:36 am Possesive form |
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| Thanks Yankee and Ralf, I need to say that I find this site very useful. I'm living in California rightnow. I came here 3 years ago. But I think english is very poor. It seems as if everybody made his own rules. I think it's the environment where I am. |
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Ralahpik
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
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| Tue Aug 05, 2008 9:26 am Possesive form |
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Hi Ralahpik,
I was interested in your comment: | Quote: | | But I think English is very poor. |
. Are you referring to your English, English in general or the English in your present environment?
Alan
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Alan
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| Wed Aug 06, 2008 0:58 am Possesive form |
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I'm talking about English spoken where I am. "Pochos" (An American whose parents were born in Mexico) are creating a new type of English, something like "Spanglish".
I love English. I would like to learn British English. |
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Ralahpik
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 24
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| Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:19 am Possesive form |
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Hi Ralahpik
I assume you realize that "British English" is foreign in the USA. Do you simply mean that you want to learn the standard rules in English? Or do you literally want to learn British pronunciation, British spelling, British idioms and slang (including things that are not used in the US), etc?
Keep in mind that there is no "official" governing body for English in either the UK or in the US. The French have their L'Académie française, for example, but there is no similar institution for English. That is one reason that there is sometimes disagreement on the "rules" in English.
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Amy
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Yankee
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| Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:52 am Possesive form |
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Yes, I would like to learn British English. I don't think that this is better than the American English, and I know that they are different. I like British accent better.
I think I would sound funny speaking, here in the U.S., with different accent and using British slang. |
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Ralahpik
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 24
Location: Mexico
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| Wed Aug 06, 2008 18:40 pm Possesive form |
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Hi Ralahpik,
If I may give you a piece of advise - swim with the fish! It doesn't matter which English variant you adapt as long as it is appropriate to your surroundings. If you live in America, try to pronounce things the way you hear people say them, and use expressions you hear being used.
Most of my friends here in Germany are from Britain and America, and I've (subconsciously, mostly) developed a habit of limiting Irish idiomaticity and pronunciation. It saves the pain of having to endure funny looks and sneaky comments 
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Ralf
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| Wed Aug 06, 2008 20:20 pm Possesive form |
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| Ah, too bad. Most American women find an Irish accent to be astonishingly sexy |
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Barb_D
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 13 Jun 2008
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Ralf
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| Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:34 am Possessive form |
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Hi,
Amy's comment: I assume you realize that "British English" is foreign in the USA seems an odd remark to make. Not wishing to go back to the old spats about the two variations, I feel 'foreign' is a tad confusing.
Alan
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| Sentence: Canada made investments abroad with many private owned firms... | the exception being Jo vs the exception is Jo |
