Mar 28, 2017 the associated press says the use of they as a singular or genderneutral pronoun is acceptable in limited cases. Your style of writing can make or break your career if news release are deleted in journalists email inboxes. The sense in a particular sentence is conveyed by the use of a singular or plural verb. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. In many areas of life, such cavalier carelessness is a bad idea. Ap stylebook plurals follow these guidelines in forming and using plural words. Mar 24, 2017 the associated press stylebook says it is opening the door to use of the singular they. When did it become correct to add an s to a singular possessive already ending in s. Associated press style, for example, which prevails in newspaper journalism and other less formal contexts, requires the possessive form for the spelledout name as shown here. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press, a notforprofit news agency thats been around since 1846. Jan 02, 2015 she points out that it would sound normal to say, hes a friend of mine, and mine is the possessive.
For both ap and chicago style, if a singular noun does not end in s. If possession is ninetenths of the law, just imagine how important correctly signifying it in your writing is. Possessives of nouns ending in s grammar underground with. In other style guides, chris takes an apostrophe and an s. Its interesting to consider how our language standards reflect shifting cultural. What really matters to my readers is punctuation and ap style. Associated press style quick reference guide to subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. When creating the possessive form of nouns, there are eight simple rules. Ap style is the standard for writing news release and other content for media in the united states.
Otherwise, use a neutral word such as representative, leader or authority. Most people are sure that there can be only one right way to make james possessive. Possessives learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Book style is simultaneously more complex and more consistent. I just bought the elements of style, an awesome little book. Both are acceptableit s merely a difference of style and personal preference. For singular common nouns that end in s, both ap and chicago styles use apostrophes. Sep 28, 2011 heres what my old ap style guide says about the possessive and singular common nouns ending in s. Use a possessive form after both words if the objects are individually owned. Ap reporters write fast, but their stylebook moves slow.
When you are using a common noun ending in s that is possessive. Heres what my old ap style guide says about the possessive and singular common nouns ending in s. The office of financial services report has been delayed, so the abbreviated form is the ofs report has been. Per apa style, the answer is that the possessive of a singular name is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s, even when the name ends in s see p. The ap style as it s known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style.
The ap stylebook holds that you should abbreviate junior and senior as jr. Also i should mention that i did not quote chicago s entire recommendation. A new stylebook entry, which was announced thursday as part of the aps session at the 21st national conference of aces. Singular common nouns ending in s also define a possessive relationship by adding s to the end of the word. Therefore, in the example above, the correct usage would be adamss 20 work. So we read the newspaper and learn this incorrect form. Possessive pronouns are a part of speech that replaces a noun s. Roy peter clark settles the possessive apostrophe debate. Eventually, incorrect usage will predominate and well abandon the.
Sep 01, 20 when creating the possessive form of nouns, there are eight simple rules. Forming possessives with singular names by tyler krupa i dont think that im revealing a big grammar secret by letting you know that the possessive of a singular name is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s e. What is the correct possessive for nouns ending in s. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Supplement ap stylebook onlines extensive guidance with about 185,000 descriptions from the stylebooks main dictionary, websters new world college dictionary. As mentioned above, this is the comma that appears before a conjunction such as and or or in a series.
For both ap and chicago style, if a singular noun does not end in s, add s. Apr 10, 20 its common for a businesss name to be a proper single name in possessive form, as with mcdonalds, t. Plus, i will show you a helpful memory tool that you can use to determine whether her s or hers is the correct word when to use hers. For instance, if the subject of the sentence were queen elizabeth, we. Possessive pronouns show ownership of a person, place, or thing. Forming possessives of words ending in s or an s sound by karen yin 9 comments im going to focus on the difference between how the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style handle possessives for words ending in s or an s sound. The ap stylebook now includes they as a singular, genderneutral pronoun. As a collective noun, company should take a singular verb and pronoun in formal writing. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and refer to it when in doubt. Marsh last term, the justices didnt just split over whether to uphold a kansas deathpenalty statute they also disagreed over a usage issue that has driven many lawyers to blows. Aps 2017 stylebook includes new rules for citing gender. Since the wedding is jointly possessed by margarita and kris, mla style treats margarita and kris as a single unit and adds an apostrophe s after kris. Rules for plural and possessive names merriamwebster. Jul 31, 2014 making compound words possessive, such as the attorney generals report.
Here s what the ap stylebook needs to change in its 2016. Ap style rules for possessives gatehouse media 20160915. Though a true maven would write jesu, thus avoiding the problem altogether. Oct 03, 2019 most clients in the b2b world will base their style on either ap or chicago style.
For cases like these, its best to check a comprehensive style guide, such as the chicago manual or the ap stylebook its dos and donts, according to the ap. If the common noun is plural, both styles use just an apostrophe. Aug 12, 2019 whew, so that seemed complicated, but remember most of the time its simple. However, in the first section, the authors promote the use of s, no matter what the last letter of a word is, to show possessiveness. Strunk and whites famous book the elements of style states in rule 1 to add s no matter what the final consonant. To form a possessive construction from a singular common noun, add an apostrophe and the letter s. Instead, use spokesman if referring to a man or the office in general, or spokeswoman if referring to a woman. That comes in time so with that, all that i read here. Even when the word already ends in s, this is the rule i follow. No exception is made depending on whether singular nouns preceding and following the apostrophe end and start with s, respectively. These help the reader understand you more clearly because if you added an s to its, it is not clear whether you mean its as a possessive or its as a contraction. Because they are pronouns, a noun must be used before a possessive pronoun is used. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Thank you for the summary of these updates on the most recent ap style guide.
Chicago style normally adds an apostrophe and s to singular nouns the horses mouth sandy joness theories fdrs legacy descartess philosophy 2016s top events. Their is a plural possessive pronoun and must agree in number with the antecedent. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science. The eggleses are a husband and wife consultant team.
The notation ii or 2nd may be used if it is the individuals preference. We are discussing a possible change to our guidance on the possessive form of singular proper names ending in s. The ap stylebook now includes they as a singular, gender. The possessive plural is formed by adding only an apostrophe except for a few irregular plurals that do not end in s. When indicating the possessive, if there is more than one owner add an apostrophe to the plural, if there is one owner, add s to the singular the smiths car vs smith s car. Possessive of proper names ending in s by maeve maddox. Form the possessive of singular nouns and abbreviations by adding an apostrophe and an s. But in fact the rules are a mess, the language referees disagree, and on any given day you might see james in a newspaper and jamess in a book. When a singular proper noun ends in s, add an apostrophe to the end of the word and leave off. Governors ball is the official name, and afterparties is the accepted spelling, also adopted by the stylebook. Dennis shoes correct in ap style kansass schools correct in chicago style. It may be because of the ap style manuals recommendation. If the possessive involves a last name with s or z, you can add either. Extra rules and exceptions just make it more confusing.
She points out that it would sound normal to say, hes a friend of mine, and mine is the possessive. Here s what the ap stylebook needs to change in its 2016 edition. Written in 1918, the little book on grammar, style and usage begins with this advice. Possessives of nouns ending in s grammar underground. Mar 04, 2007 you can understand the possessive just fine, and still not be sure how to spell it, because there s more than one correct way. Add es for names ending in s or z and add s for everything else. See, for example, garner s modern american usage at page 624.
Making compound words possessive, such as the attorney generals report. Mistaking a stylebook for a rule book baltimore sun. You can understand the possessive just fine, and still not be sure how to spell it, because theres more than one correct way. Your favorite author, director, or musician isnt likely to write you an angry letter over incorrect style usage when it comes to their art. Ap defers to webster s new world college dictionary for backstage. How do you make names that end in s possessive and would you welcome a change to ap style. It looks like all the main style guides, with the exception of the ap s, recommend using the s. Only when the word is plural and possessive do you place the apostrophe outside the s. Yet as we appreciate the book, its noteworthy that the first chapter contains guidelines of the sort white admitted were as whimsical as the choice of a necktie, yet strunk made them feel utterly convincing. When an italicized term appears in roman text, the possessive s should be set in roman the atlantic monthlys editor gone with the winds readers. However, if the noun ends in the letter s and the following noun begins with an s, add an apostrophe only. Feb 27, 2019 a century on, we at ragan communications are reexamining the elements of style in an occasional series.
These resources provide an overview of journalistic writing with explanations of the most important and most often used elements of journalism and the associated press style. The associated press stylebook, a widely used manual of journalistic writing standards, has made a shift in the use of the pronoun they to acknowledge the evolving landscape of gender identity. George is only one person, so in order to form the possessive singular we simply add an s. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Im going to focus on the difference between how the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style handle possessives for words ending in s or. We took at look at the ap stylebooks section on possessions possessives and exorcised some demons coming up with these guidelines. Youd normally just add s to make a singular name possessive, such as mr.
If the plural form doesnt end in s, use apostrophe s. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. It indicates possession or ownership specifically, hers is a third person singular feminine pronoun and is used with singular feminine subjects. Cathys right, though you usually use only one possessive at a time. When a word ends in s or x, do you add s or just an. The associated press stylebook is the goto guide for u. This resource, revised according to the associated press stylebook 2012, offers examples for the general format of ap style. Notably, the chicago manual of style accepts both jesus and jesuss. But if the singular they is used in spoken conversation about a company, ap would use that form unchanged in a direct quote. The associated press stylebook says it is opening the door to use of the singular they.
Its worth noting that the reference you gave advocates an idiosyncratic style, and other style manuals have different rules. The truth is that chris takes just an apostrophe only if you follow the rules in the the associated press stylebook. A good dictionary may also be able to offer you some guidance. Jesus i find myself avoiding when in doubt or dont remember rule set for myself. Other style guides like the chicago manual of style agree largely with strunk and white, while the ap stylebook uses only an apostrophe for proper names ending in s and common nouns ending in s where the first letter of the. The ap stylebook persons entry says do not use coined words such as spokesperson or chairperson in regular text. For plural, proper nouns that are possessive, use an apostrophe after the s. Some style guides say that singular nouns ending in s sounds such as ce, x, and z may take either the apostrophe alone or s.
Possessive of proper names ending in s daily writing tips. Ap style for first time allows use of they as singular pronoun. There are a few different ways to form the possessive of a noun. If you follow ap style, youll always use just the apostrophe to make. The ap stylebook is available as a book, website or smartphone app. A century on, we at ragan communications are reexamining the elements of style in an occasional series. Learn the major differences between chicago and ap style guides to assist. Regarding your examples, rephrasing is recommended in the stylebooks new entry on they, them, their. Oct 28, 2019 written in 1918, the little book on grammar, style and usage begins with this advice. Bob doles concession speech was stoic and dignified. In an older convention, described in the fifteenth edition of the chicago manual of style sec. In ap style, you use a lone apostrophe to make singular nouns and names that end with s possessive, and in chicago style, most of the time you add an apostrophe and an s, with a few rare exceptions.
With the addition of s or sometimes just the apostrophe, a noun can change from a simple person, place, or thing to a person, place, or thing that owns something. We prefer farmers market as a descriptive, rather than a possessive with an apostrophe. Forming possessives with singular names apa style blog. Using correct ap style for book, movie, and song titles. We took at look at the ap stylebook s section on possessions possessives and exorcised some demons coming up with these guidelines. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. Most clients in the b2b world will base their style on either ap or chicago style. And there exist, side by side, two conventions in forming the possessive of words ending in s, the aforementioned s and the apostrophe.
Whether to write kansas statute, as justice thomas did in his majority opinion, or kansass statute, as justice souter did in his dissent. Mary norriss thoughts on pesky possessives the new yorker. Sep 15, 2016 if possession is ninetenths of the law, just imagine how important correctly signifying it in your writing is. See special expressions, but otherwise, for consistency and ease in remembering a rule. Its is not possessive it is a contraction of it and is.
Its common for a businesss name to be a proper single name in possessive form, as with mcdonalds, t. Many purists believe that double possessives should be relegated to informal and semiformal writing, if you use them at all. The fact that its being accepted by the associated press, thats super exciting, said tiffany stevens, a reporter. Its often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. Descartes theories, dickens novels, kansas schools. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Answers to questions about possessives daily writing tips. To use some examples, the lasss book, the buss timetable, jamess homework, kansass statute, and so on.
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