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Pedants' corner
Original poster

When a name ends in S you don;t put another S after it, do you??

27 replies

SparklyGothKat · 08/04/2008 14:56

Was looking at Ds1's appointment letter today for his operation and saw that after his middle name (James) they had put 's, so it read 'Between now and XXXXXX James's admission' all through the letter, wherever there was James they had put 's after it...

OP posts:
yorkshirepudding · 08/04/2008 14:57

Message withdrawn

Original poster
SparklyGothKat · 08/04/2008 14:57

I thought it would be James'

OP posts:
PrimulaVeris · 08/04/2008 15:03

It is indeed James's, Thomas's ....

stealthsquiggle · 08/04/2008 15:04

really?! I thought it was James' too

Mung · 08/04/2008 15:04

I thought it could be either, but I always prefer James'

dilbertina · 08/04/2008 15:05

I'm sure it's "James'".

How about if it's a name ending in x though? Does the same rule apply? Should it be Alex's or Alex'?

I tried to find out and allegedly it can be correct either way, I've gone for Alex's but still not sure!

snottyshoulders · 08/04/2008 15:06

It is James's but many people now abbreviate by putting James' which is acceptable-ish

snottyshoulders · 08/04/2008 15:07

Alex's definitely!!!

artichokes · 08/04/2008 15:11

It can be either. The old fashioned way is James's but most people now just say James'. I work in a job that is very strict about things like this and we use James'.

artichokes · 08/04/2008 15:13

Intrestingly the bbc still uses James's.

mousehole · 08/04/2008 15:13

This reply has been withdrawn

withdrawn at poster's request

Original poster
SparklyGothKat · 08/04/2008 16:17

I was taught without the extra S, which is what threw me.

OP posts:
hanaflower · 08/04/2008 16:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Deux · 08/04/2008 16:25

DS's name ends in s and it does seem that either is acceptable though 's is correct. I use the latter.

The suggestion I read was to write it as you would say it. So if you would say it with the second 's', then spell it with the second 's'.

policywonk · 08/04/2008 16:33

Strictly speaking, it should be James's. Sorry to all those of you who think otherwise, but that really is the rule - I've got a row of English language reference books here (Oxford Guide to English Usage, Fowler's Modern English Usage, Butcher's Copy Editing) and every single one of them says that it should be James's and Thomas's. The only time you don't need the extra 's' is when the name ends in an 'iz' sound: for example, Moses', Mrs Bridges'.

However, this is one of those rules that is so widely flouted that it's probably on the way out.

policywonk · 08/04/2008 16:34

Oh, and definitely Alex's. Alex' is just plain crazy!

stealthsquiggle · 08/04/2008 16:44

Bother. Since I am trying to educate DS (5) in the ways of the pedant, I am going to have to explain that I was wrong when I told him it should be James'.

Original poster
SparklyGothKat · 08/04/2008 16:46

will have to re-educate myself

OP posts:
mousehole · 08/04/2008 17:39

This reply has been withdrawn

withdrawn at poster's request

Wuxiapian · 10/04/2008 14:05

I always thought you could do either, really.

Although, I've always used James' whenever referring to my own son.

surprise · 12/04/2008 23:24

On my English degree course, I've been told that either is correct, but the most "fashionable" is to use "James's".

cornsilk · 12/04/2008 23:25

I distinctly remember being taught it was James'.

QueenMeabhOfConnaught · 12/04/2008 23:36

My old school was St. James's and our HT was very hot on the second "s" - I think James' just looks wrong.

S1ur · 13/04/2008 02:02

Hmm trying to work out how this fits into PW usefully refernced post.

Tess.

Tess' rabbit

Tess's rabbit

Come to Jim and Tess's belly dancing classes.

purpleduck · 13/04/2008 02:15