Help with where to put apostrophe!

[user1471427667]

Hi, could anyone clever, who paid more attention than me in English lessons help with this please.
I want to send a gift to a family whose surname is Morell and have it engraved starting with the words “Christmas at the” Which of these do I end with….?

1. Christmas at the Morells
2. Christmas at the Morell’s
3. Christmas at the Morells’ Ironically, the one person in real life that I know would know is a member of this family which is why I want to get it right! Thanks in advance

I actually can’t change the other words, It says ‘Christmas at the’ and then you say which family name you wish. I asked the company who sell the item and put the name on and they seemed to think it was no 2 (Morell’s) but we’re unsure and asked me to double check!
I take the phrase to mean at the Morells/Morell’s/Morells house.

There should be no apostrophe.

Can you avoid it and add another word? “Christmas at the Morrell residence” or something?

You don't need to avoid anything. Multiple posters have given you the correct answer!

I'd just use Christmas with the Morell family and avoid it

Oh I agree — but just trying to save OP from any lingering anxiety as I also have an apostrophe obsessive friend, so I understand!! Ha!

3 is correct.
Just as you’d say “come and spend Christmas at my house/at mine/at Mum’s/at my parents’. “

Morrell’s is the absolute worst option!

Go with Morrells’ if you can’t change the phrase.

This.

Christmas at the Morrells

Christmas at the Morrells' house

You do because it's the house belonging to the Morells. So it's the Morells' house.

Thank you everyone! Number 3 it is then.
I was on the verge of giving up and just buying them all socks!!😃

It depends on whether you want to include a possessive sense - as in the Morells' house (or could just put in the Morell house if it is only one family living in one house).
But if you are meaning just the Morells themselves you don't need any apostrophe. Or you could put Christmas with the Morells.

It doesn't depend. The preposition 'at' means that there is a location, and because the location has to belong to someone there is possession. It belongs to the Morells. As OP can't change the preposition it has to have an apostrophe.

It helps me if I try saying the sentence out loud first with a singular, eg:

Christmas at Tony Morrell's

You wouldn't say Christmas at Tony Morrell

The addition of the 's' means it's singular possessive - apostrophe before the s. For more than one Morrell it would be plural possessive - apostrophe after the s.

Christmas at the Morrells'

Option 3 . Apostrophe after the S to reflect possessive plural.

You could ask the person in the family that knows, but change the name so they don't know it's for them until they receive it!

Interesting all the different opinions! Id have gone for number one because you are not saying ‘Christmas at the morrells’ house’ so what is the apostrophe for?

It's 3.

Not 1 because it needs a possessive apostrophe (the same as if you said Peter's house, for example).

Not 2 because the 's' is part of the word (It's "Morells", not "Morell") and you don't put an apostrophe in the middle of a word.

If it was Peter's house, would you say Christmas at Peters? Or Christmas at Peter's?

It needs an apostrophe.

You've missed an apostrophe out in your own post though so you're probably not the authority on where they should go.

As others have said, you are implying "Christmas at the Morells' house", even if you don't say house. Therefore 3.

‘House’ is sort of unspoken though - as becomes a bit clearer if you do what @AnnPerkins suggests and test it by switching it for singular ‘Tony Morrell’.

That’s exactly what you are saying! It is a common colloquialism:

I’m going to Jenny’s tonight.
We’ve been at Dave’s all day.
We’re spending Christmas at the Morells’.

(Do the Morrells want an engraved tchotchke…)

What would you do with a surname ending in 's'?
Christmas at the Jones'?