How do you make Degas possessive?

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I learned in high school English to form the possessive of a word ending in the letter s by adding only an apostrophe. According to this rule, the workers of Degas should become Degas’ workers.

But times have changed. Today many people and organizations don’t observe the apostrophe-only rule. Not even The New York Times, where I spotted “Degas’s.”

Leave off the s for the possessive

Grammar Girl says opinions are divided, but she prefers to leave off the s.

Here’s what my old AP style guide says about the possessive and singular common nouns ending in s:

Add ‘s unless the next work begins with s: the hostess’s invitation,the hostess’ seat; the witness’s answer, the witness’ story.

In another complication, the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) says:

add ‘s to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s)

OWL’s rule means that you’d write about “General Mills’s divisions.”

I think the AP and OWL recommendations are too complicated. Let’s keep things simple! However, if you prefer different rules, it’s okay as long as you apply them consistently. Consistency will make it easier for your readers to process what you write.

 

Note: I updated this post on Dec.  27, 2015 by adding links.

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6 replies
  1. Laura Matthews
    Laura Matthews says:

    Well, the exception to this rule is when it’s a well-known name, such as Jesus or Moses. Then, the possessive is just the apostrophe: Moses’ staff.

    But generally, it’s ‘s unless the s at the end of the noun is making it plural. The dogs’ houses implies more than one dog; the dog’s houses implies one dog has a lot of houses.

    Degas’s is the way to go, but I’m not sure I’d put it on signage!

  4. Susan Weiner CFA
    Susan Weiner CFA says:

    Here’s what my old AP style guide says about the possessive and singular common nouns ending in s:

    Add ‘s unless the next work begins with s: the hostess’s invitation,the hostess’ seat; the witness’s answer, the witness’ story.

    I think the AP style is too complicated. Let’s keep things simple!

  5. Susan K Becker
    Susan K Becker says:

    I thought I learned another exception, in addition to those cited by Laura Matthews, who took me back to Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. Thank you, Laura.

    The additional exception was to add an “s” to words of one syllable ending in “s”: e.g., the possessive of Keats is “Keats’s”; the possessive of Dickens is “Dickens’.” This approach is consistent with the discussion in the Grammar Girl column you cite.

    Although Elements of Style doesn’t mention the single-syllable exception, it’s interesting that all the examples are of one-syllable words: “Charles’s friend, Burns’s poems, the witch’s malice” (3rd edition, p. 1).

    Thank you, too, Susan!

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