|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Ask for help > Grammar question!
Grammar question!
|
josek
|
Grammar question!
|
|
I want to know if the possessive case is properly used in the following example: "Chris �s letter" Thanks in advance!
|
2 Oct 2010
|
|
|
|
coyote.chus
|
Hi Josek,
The rule says that you have to add �s to all singular nouns, even to those ending in -s, like Chris or Charles, so we would have Chris �s car, Charles �s house. In fact, we have St James �s park in London. But nowadays we see Charles � or Chris � more often (I guess it is a question of economy)
|
2 Oct 2010
|
|
|
|
|
libertybelle
|
The extra S is superfluous.
The extra S was used in older books and writings.
St. James�s Park is also an old name for an old Park.
Nowadays the possessive apostrophe comes after a name
ending in S.
The Jones � house.
Dickens�books are still popular.
|
2 Oct 2010
|
|
|
douglas
|
|
About a year ago this topic brought on a LOT of discussion here at ESLP and there was no final agreement between the two camps (use it with an " �s" vs Don �t). Wikipedia explains it pretty well with:
For most singular nouns the ending �s is added; e.g., the cat �s whiskers.
- If a singular noun ends with an S sound (spelled with -s, -se, for example), practice varies as to whether to add �s or the apostrophe alone. A widely accepted practice is to follow whichever spoken form is judged better: the boss �s shoes, Mrs Jones � hat (or Mrs Jones �s hat, if that spoken form is preferred). In many cases, both spoken and written forms differ between writers.
Strunk and White (a standard, but very old so they don �t really allow much for changes in the English language in the last 70 years) say to use an �s for all singulars, regardless of what they end in.
So I guess the choice is really yours.
Many people use the idiom "keeping up with the Jones�s", yet in other cases they say "Jones�" so I guess even us native speakers can�t really decide either. |
3 Oct 2010
|
|
|
