Question:
Chris's or Chris'?
anonymous
2008-03-31 03:23:59 UTC
Hi,

I'm just wondering whether the proper punctuation indicating the plural of one's name when said name ends with the letter s is " 's" or simply an apostrophe. I learned to always add an " 's" unless the word was plural, but Microsoft Word seems to disagree. What is it really?
Six answers:
bruhaha
2008-04-02 06:08:56 UTC
Stand your ground on this one! Despite what the rest are saying, your spelling is perfectly acceptable. I would argue that it is SUPERIOR, and that the version without s, while admissible, is based on a mistake.



There are a number of respected usage manuals which regard "Chris's" as the correct, or at least preferred form. For example, here is the first part of a classic statement of the rule from Strunk & White's *Elements of Style*



1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's.



Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,

Charles's friend

Burns's poems

the witch's malice



Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names ending in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake. But such forms as Moses' Laws, Isis' temple are commonly replaced by

the laws of Moses

the temple of Isis

http://www.orwell.ru/library/others/style/e/estyle_1.htm



The Modern Language Association and Chicago Manual of Style agree:

http://doesthisblogmakemybuttlookbig.com/2004/03/14/more-singular-proper-possessive/



I would take these over Microsoft Word any day of the week! (Do keep in mind that, in situations like this, spell-checkers tend to be set up to regard only one option as correct. As noted above, that ignores the option of allowing BOTH.)



I'll not go into detail here, but it seems fairly obvious that the notion that we ought to use simply "Chris'" (without the s) is based on a MIS-understanding. The rule about not adding an additional "s" applies almost exclusively to PLURAL forms ending in -s. But apparently some people never understood that detail and so began to apply it to singular forms ending in s as well.
Johnny Scare
2008-03-31 03:35:01 UTC
If it is a plural, like "parents", then you would say "His parents' house". If it ends in s, like "Jesus", you would say "Jesus' friends". This is technically correct. However, it is not a strict rule of grammar, and is considered by some to be overly technical. Stephen King wrote in "On Writing" that he never uses "Chris's pancakes" because he disagrees with how it looks, or something along those lines. Just do whatever feels naturally if you're a freelancer, but if you're writing an essay for college or something, using that technique is a good way to show off that you know some advanced grammar methods. Hope this helps.
?
2016-10-16 07:31:49 UTC
needless to say there's a distinction!! One is already in call for and hes slightly turning 18 and the different one is older and tryin to make it into the song marketplace! yet yeah you suitable nonetheless they are able to bop!
Prairie Girl
2008-03-31 07:37:52 UTC
The correct way is Chris'. Period. Just because Stephen King doesn't like the way it looks doesn't change anything.

I wouldn't call something you are taught in elementary school "advanced grammar".
branddxb
2008-03-31 03:37:45 UTC
chris'
anonymous
2008-03-31 03:44:05 UTC
the latter


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...