This has been bugging me for a while......

[Dingbatgirl]

First time I've posted on pedants' corner.

My SIL bought us a metal sign for our attic room, it is in the shape of an arrow and says BATES MOTEL. It clearly should be BATES'S MOTEL. Also, on my DS's report they say 'James' reading' etc, etc. Again it should be James's reading.

Does everyone agree, or do you think I've got it wrong?

James' and James's are both acceptable aren't they?

James' and James's are both acceptable. It is common to use apostrophe-s when you would pronounce the second s, but it's no big deal.

Bates Motel, well, no - you are wrong. It's perfectly common for buildings - especially in rural areas, and especially in America - to be named for the owner/founder with no possessive. It is named after them, rather than being a signifier of possession: Carnegie Hall, the Woolworth Building. Common in business, too - think of the number of restaurants that just have the name of the chef.

Well, with the sign, it may be a reference to "Bates Motel" out of the film Psycho. As Allfalldown says, this is similar to other names such as Carnegie Hall and is the correct use.

As for the James'/Jameses/James's thing, this is not at all clear cut. See here which leaves the matter as clear as mud. Personally I prefer the version with only 1 s, but I know that purists probably think it isn't right.

I see from today's paper that the Guardian has changed its house style so that it will always be James' henceforth. Don't like it myself, but I don't think it's wrong.

Yes, thank you AllFallDown - I can see it now, the Hilton Hotel for instance.

I will look at the link, MrsHappy.

The sign BATES MOTEL is from the film psycho!

I always use James' rather than James's both both are fine.

whoops, I meant but both are fine!

You should use 's after non-classical personal names ending in an s or z sound, e.g. Charles's, Marx's, Dickens's, James's. The sign Bates Motel should read Bates' Motel (if the motel is owned by more than one Bates - use the apostrophe alone when usage is plural, e.g. the Brooklyn Dodgers' best season) and Bates's Motel (if owned by just Norman Bates).

The King and I ... no, either is acceptable. Your version is preferable, but that's not the same as the other being wrong.

I prefer James', but is deemed acceptable.

The reason I prefer that version, is take somebody called Ross, how would you show possesive without looking clumsy? Take to extreme, now imagine you have the family Ross and they all own something together, how would you now show the possesive without a long string of s (ses?)?

The traditional error in any pedants post, in this case the omission of a key "either" as in "either is deemed acceptable".