Rules for Forming Possessives in English
- taken from the Fifth Edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers*
2.2.7 Apostrophes
A principal function of apostrophes is to indicate possession. They are also used to form contractions (can't, wouldn't), which are rarely acceptable in research papers, and the plurals of the letters of the alphabet (p's and q's, three A's).
a. To form the possessive of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s.
the zebra's stripes
a poem's meter
the dean's list
b. To form the possessive of a plural noun ending in s, add only an apostrophe.
photographers' props
firefighters' trucks
tourists' luggage
c. To form the possessive of an irregular plural noun not ending in s, add and apostrophe and an s.
children's entertainment
the media's role
women's studies
d. To form the possessive of nouns in a series, add a single apostrophe and an s if the ownership is shared.
Palmer and Colton's book on European history
Fred, Lucinda, and Nan's house
But if the ownership is separate, place an apostrophe and an s after each noun.
Fred's, Lucinda's, and Nan's coats
e. To form the possessive of any singular proper noun, add an apostrophe and an s.
Venus's beauty
Dickens's reputation
Descartes's philosophy
Marx's precepts
[Mrs. Sitterding's note: Though not noted in this quoted material from the MLA Handbook, it is considered appropriate to use an apostrophe alone to form the possessive of ancient classical names that end in s.]
[Socrates' dialogue]
[Jesus' disciples]
f. To form the possessive of a plural proper noun, add only an apostrophe.
the Vanderbilts' estate
the Dickenses' economic woes
[Mrs. Sitterding's further examples, as discussed in class: the Joneses' car, the Rodriguezes' home]
g. Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of an abbreviation or a number.
PhDs 1990s
MAs fours
VCRs SAT score in the 1400s
IRAs
[Mrs. Sitterding's further examples, as discussed in class: CDs, DVDs]
* Gibaldi, Joseph, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Fifth Edition (New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1999) 61-62. Used by permission.
See http://www.mla.org/ for more information regarding purchase of the MLA Handbook.
Here is Mrs. Sitterding's "easy rule" for remembering how to form possessives in English:
First make the noun plural, then add an apostrophe and an s "unless it makes it sound funny," then just add an apostrophe.
Consider the following examples of the "easy rule":
boy --> add 's unless it sounds funny --> the boy's backpack
girl --> first make it plural --> girls --> add 's unless it sounds funny --> the girls's sounds wrong --> the girls' restroom is correct
woman --> first make it plural --> women --> add 's unless it sounds funny --> the women's locker room (sounds fine)
baby -->first make it plural --> babies --> add 's unless it sounds funny --> babies's sounds wrong --> the babies' nursery is correct
Jones family --> make it plural --> Joneses --> add 's unless it sounds funny --> the Joneses's sounds wrong --> the Joneses' van is correct