0
Pter Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Jobs's

I'm reading the biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. The author used the possessive form Jobs's. Shouldn't it be Jobs' ? On the other hand, he used Jobses' when talking about their garage. I find this puzzling. Should it be Jobs's or Jobs'?
  

Top answer

Hi, This matter is often called "Apostrophe Catastrophe". I said "catastrophe" because in such a case, there's no unambiguous answer that I can refer you to. There are two main disciplines covering this issue.

— Regards

  • Hi, This matter is often called "Apostrophe Catastrophe".
  • I said "catastrophe" because in such a case, there's no unambiguous answer that I can refer you to.
  • There are two main disciplines covering this issue.
  • Roughly speaking, you can either write it as jobs's or jobs' , leaving off the additional "s".
  • Originally, I believe it should have been jobs's , but since it's hard to pronounce those double "s's" together, there are some people who prefer to omit the additional "s" that indicates possession.
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

7 Answers
0
Hi,

This matter is often called "Apostrophe Catastrophe".

I said "catastrophe" because in such a case, there's no unambiguous answer that I can refer you to.

There are two main disciplines covering this issue. Roughly speaking, you can either write it as jobs's or jobs', leaving off the additional "s". Originally, I believe it should have been jobs's
0
0
PterThe author used the possessive form Jobs's.
Right. Many style manuals recommend adding 's to all singulars even if they end in s.

The plural of Jobs is Jobses. This plural, because it ends in s, is made possessive by adding only '. Jobses'.

All singulars: 's boy's, Charles's
0
0
Thank you very much for your reply.

So, according to the style manuals that you are most familiar with, if the word is singular, whether the word ends in s or not is irrelevent, and apostrophe s is always used. Is my understanding correct?

I've seen both Jobs's and Jobs' in the news, and it is rather confusing to me.

Then, how should I pronounce Jobs's? Li
0
0
"Apostrophe Catastrophe"! What a nice term!
0
0
Pterif the word is singular, whether the word ends in s or not is irrelevent, and apostrophe s is always used. Is my understanding correct?
Yes.

PterThen, how should I pronounce Jobs's? Like Jobs or Jobses?
Like Jobses.

CJ
0
0
Currently listening to the audiobook of Steve Jobs' biography, reader annunciates as written, to the ear it is awkward, "Jobses garage." Whether grammatically correct or not, the extra "es" do not work as it sounds "Jobs s ez."
0

Related Questions