Apostrophes with Words Ending in s

While normal people wonder about apostrophes in general, believe it or not, word
nerds have heated arguments over whether to use an additional s with singular
possession.

Rule 1:

Many common nouns end in the letter s (lens, cactus, bus, etc.). So do a lot of
proper nouns (Mr. Jones, Texas, Christmas). There are conflicting policies and
theories about how to show possession when writing such nouns. There is no right
answer; the best advice is to choose a formula and stay consistent.

Some writers and editors add ’s to every proper noun, be it Hastings’s or Jones’s.
And there are a few who add only an apostrophe to all nouns ending in s—
however, this method is relatively rare, and not recommended here.

One method, common in newspapers and magazines, is to add an apostrophe

plus s (’s) to common nouns ending in s, but only a stand-alone apostrophe to
proper nouns ending in s.

Examples:
the class’s hours
Mr. Jones’ golf clubs
The canvas’s size
Texas’ weather

Another widely used technique, the one we favor, is to write the word as we would
speak it. For example, since most people saying “Mr. Hastings’ pen” would not
pronounce an added s, we would write Mr. Hastings’ pen with no added s. But
most people would pronounce an added s in “Jones’s,” so we’d write it as we say
it: Mr. Jones’s golf clubs. This method explains the punctuation of for goodness’
sake.
Rule 2:

To show plural possession of a word ending in an s or s sound, form the plural

first; then immediately use the apostrophe.

Examples:
the classes’ hours
the Joneses’ car
guys’ night out
two actresses’ roles

What about a Pop Quiz?

Place the apostrophe (and perhaps an s) where appropriate:

1. The classes opinions were predictable according to their grade levels.

2. The boss suit was brand new.
3. The bus steering wheel was wearing out.
4. The Crosses dog bit the mailman.
5. We understand Lagos airport handled over one million passengers last year.
6. The Smiths boat sank.