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Original poster

Is it Angus's wedding or Angus' wedding???? Arrrrrgh

30 replies

Antdamm · 16/04/2010 11:16

I need a hand, I had all but convinced myself that it was 'Angus's wedding' but my friend is saying that she is 100% sure that it is 'Angus' Wedding'

Just want to say that this is not needed for anything official (the wedding was a while ago ), just for putting info on tags for a photobook that will be printed off as a gift

Thanks

OP posts:
GentleOtter · 16/04/2010 11:26

Please wait until someone else comes along but I thought that Angus's wedding was the wedding belonging to Angus. I think the other one is plural.

GentleOtter · 16/04/2010 11:28

Is Angus the person's Christian name, surname or is it Angus in Scotland? Not being nosey but it changes where the apostrophe is placed.

AgentProvocateur · 16/04/2010 11:28

Technically, it can be either, but I'd put Angus's wedding. I know a few people called Angus, and I'd always pronounce the possesive as Angus-ES.

retiredgoth2 · 16/04/2010 11:29

I would chicken out, and call it Angus and Moira's wedding, as it surely requires them both to be there.

However if Angus is marrying Jess this approach doesn't work so well.

TrillianAstra · 16/04/2010 11:32

IMO ' on its own for the possessive (instead of 's) is only for plurals.

So if the couple were the Campbells you could say "Angus's wedding" or "the Campbells' wedding", because you wouldn't say Campbells-ES but you would say Angus-ES (as AgentProvocateur says).

Laugs · 16/04/2010 11:33

I'm pretty sure both are correct.

HesterPrynne · 16/04/2010 11:41

If you pronounce the extra s, you should add it after the apostrophe.

So yes it is Angus's

MrsMargate · 16/04/2010 11:48

Angus's wedding.

Angus' wedding is the wedding of Angu and Angu.

Original poster
Antdamm · 16/04/2010 11:51

The bloke that got married was called Angus Smith, I was going to chicken out and do it the other way around and put 'Angus and Moira's Wedding'

So, I can write it - 'Moira and Angus's Wedding' ??

OP posts:
hocuspontas · 16/04/2010 11:53

If the surame was Angus what would it be? The Angus' wedding? The Anguses wedding? I hate having to write anything like this for fear of getting it wrong.

HesterPrynne · 16/04/2010 11:55

Yes

bobbiewickham · 16/04/2010 12:01

HESTER! HI!

HesterPrynne · 16/04/2010 12:07

Hi Bobbie. How ya doin'? Come over here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/947876-To-be-really-angry-on-DD2-39-s-behalf
and have a natter

It's my thread so I can hijack it.

NoahAndTheWhale · 16/04/2010 12:10

Either is fine. More likely to put Angus's as people are likely to say it "Anguses" wedding but Angus' is equally correct.

MrsMargate · 16/04/2010 12:11

I think Angus' is wrong. Possessive plural, no?

HesterPrynne · 16/04/2010 12:21

In answer to Hocuspontas it would be the Anguses' wedding, or more elegantly just name it rather than make it possessive - the Angus wedding, as in the Smith wedding.

MrsShu · 16/04/2010 12:24

lol
we always use teh angus' for ds

NoahAndTheWhale · 16/04/2010 12:28

I know you can put Jesus' or Jesus's when referring to something belonging to Jesus so I would presume Angus would be the same.

NoahAndTheWhale · 16/04/2010 12:30

Just found this

In the past it was a very general, as it is now a not infrequent, practice to form the genitive singular of all nouns ending in s and especially those ending in ss (?hostess?) by adding an apostrophe to both the nominative singular (?a hostess? duties?, ?your Highness? pleasure?) and of course in the plural (?The three hostesses? houses were in Park Lane.?). But now it is usual to form the singular genitive by adding ?s (?a hostess?s duties?, ?your Highness?s pleasure?) which seems to be a sensible idea, for if you can say ?three hostesses? houses?, you can easily say ?a hostess?s duties?. There is, however, a strong tendency to retain Jesus? and Demosthenes?, Socrates?, and other such genitives of Greek proper names.

edwardcullensotherwoman · 16/04/2010 12:40

Why not put "the Smiths' wedding"?
Using Angus, I think "Angus's wedding" is correct. Agree with MrsMargate that Angus' would mean wedding of Angu and Angu, or even the wedding of the Angus (surname being Angu, same as with Smith above). I've now confused myself

Anyway, Angus's is the correct version for what you're saying.

Goingspare · 16/04/2010 12:45

Angus's for one Angus.

'An apostrophe and s are generally used with personal names ending in an s, x, or z sound: Charles's, Dickens's [etc.]'

New Hart's Rules

(There are several irritating exceptions for saints, ancient Greeks, etc. -apparently it's Jesus's in non-liturgical use, but Jesus' 'is an accepted archaism').

WingedVictory · 17/04/2010 09:06

Angus' ugh

Angus's, Charles's, Chris's!

campion · 18/04/2010 15:58

Assuming Angus married someone then his wife's name should come first - unless you wanted to put Mr and Mrs Angus Smith's wedding.

Technically, Angus' isn't wrong but Angus's sounds / looks less stilted.

Deux · 19/04/2010 13:46

I've always worked on the basis that if I say it as Angus-ES then I write it Angus's. If the person was called Moses then I wouldn't say Moses-Es so would write it as Moses'.

campion · 19/04/2010 16:09

Why wouldn't you say Moses -es, Deux?

Poor little Moses in that basket - that was Moses's basket, wasn't it?

Moses's would be as correct as Angus's.
And Thomas's and James's and Charles's and Frances's and...oh well, lots.