Jesus' Cross or Jesus's Cross?

Question

Hello English gurus,Please help. I'm really confused here...1. Jesus' cross / Augustus' power2. Jesus's cross / Augustus's power3. Virus' life / Campus' building4. Virus's life / Campus's building5. Viruses' lives / Campuses' buildingsWhich are the right ones?Thank you!

Sbolton · Accepted Answer

1. Jesus' cross / Augustus' power yes

2. Jesus's cross / Augustus's power no

these should be Jesus' cross and Augustus' power. Words ending in 's' are made possessive simply by adding an apostrophe.

3. Virus' life / Campus' building yes, if you are talking about a single virus or a single campus, even a single campus with multiple buildings would be "Campus' buildings."

4. Virus's life / Campus's building no

5. Viruses' lives / Campuses' buildings yes, with more than one virus or more than one campus.

English2 · Answer

Thanks, sbolton. I'm going to get a second opinion.

References:

Jesus's face 'seen in Google Earth image' - Telegraph.co.uk

Is This Jesus's Tomb? - Time.com

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Here are a couple of references. There are some cases where either of two spellings are accepted:

In Jesus' name, Amen. Acceptable

Jseus's cross was ... also acceptable.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/possessives.htm

English2 · Answer

Thank you, AlpheccaStars!

I think English is so beautifully confusing.

Anonymous · Answer

English2Jesus' cross / Augustus' power2. Jesus's cross / Augustus's power

Anonymous · Answer

The rule is that it's always apostrophe "s" for a singular possessive ending in an "s" sound. (The bus's wheels - i.e. the wheels of one buss.)

However, there's one exception (and it just happens to apply most commonly among huge religious figures): If the last syllable starts with an "s" sound, you just add the apostrophy with no added "s." So it's Jesus' sandals, Moses' promise, and Francis' encyclical.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIf the last syllable starts with an "s" sound

I think you mean if the name ends in an "s" sound.

CJ

Cool Breeze · Answer

Anonymousthe wheels of one buss

Buss is Swedish. I'm glad to see it here.

CB

CalifJim · Answer

Cool BreezeBuss is Swedish. I'm glad to see it here.

Ah, Cool Breeze, you're such a caution.

CJ

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Anonymouswheels of one buss

The busses that I give my dear ones don't have wheels. They may be free-wheeling at times (like under the mistletoe).

Jesus' Cross or Jesus's Cross?

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