Tuesday Tips: Using Possessive Apostrophes
photo credit: Darren Hester
Welcome Back to the world of apostrophes… This week we will be tackling possessives.
The possessive apostrophe indicates “possession.” Sound simple? It is… mostly!
Singular nouns:
- Dog’s bowl
- Woman’s book
- Shoe’s laces (only one shoe)
Plural nouns that do NOT end in “s:”
- Children’s hour
- Men’s hats
- Women’s movement
Plural nouns that DO end in “s” get a bit trickier. Notice that the apostrophe follows the “s:”
- Boys’ toys
- Babies’ crib
- Shoes’ laces (more than one shoe)
Now, how about my last name (Galles)? Well, currently I should add an “s” after the apostrophe: Kristen Galles’s blog. However, this rule seems to fluctuate so most would be comfortable with Galles’ blog… If my husband ever writes a guest post, then this will become the Galleses’ blog! 
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Comments
Yes! Jesus is always an exception from the apostrophe s rule, and most ancient names are as well (Oedipus’, Achilles’, etc…). Lynne Truss in Eats, Shoots, and Leaves also adds any name that ends in a “iz” s sound (like Moses’). I’m so glad you enjoy punctuation, too!!! Isn’t it fun?
I love to talk about apostrophes. Here’s a question for you: I was once taught that all names that end in “s” take an apostrophe “s” except Jesus. So, James’s shoes/Jesus’ shoes. Ever hear that?