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Rishonly Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
Possessive of a proper name
Hello,
(1) The possessive form of "Charles" : Charles' or Charles's.
(2) The posessive form of "Roberts" : Roberts' , but not Roberts's.
Would you please explain to me why the underlined possessive form is wrong?
PS: I wasn't able to find out the related thread that discussed about the posessives.
(1) The possessive form of "Charles" : Charles' or Charles's.
(2) The posessive form of "Roberts" : Roberts' , but not Roberts's.
Would you please explain to me why the underlined possessive form is wrong?
PS: I wasn't able to find out the related thread that discussed about the posessives.
Top answer
It seems to me that Charles is a first name and Roberts is a last name. Last names are regarded as plurals. Charles's cat belongs only to Charles.
- It seems to me that Charles is a first name and Roberts is a last name.
- Last names are regarded as plurals.
- Charles's cat belongs only to Charles.
- The Roberts' cat belongs to everyone in the Roberts family.
- The rules for making possessives from singular proper nouns and the rules for making possessives from plural nouns are different.
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35 Answers
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It seems to me that Charles is a first name and Roberts is a last name. Last names are regarded as plurals.
Charles's cat belongs only to Charles.
The Roberts' cat belongs to everyone in the Roberts family.
The rules for making possessives from singular proper nouns and the rules for making possessives from plural nouns are different.
CJ
Charles's cat belongs only to Charles.
The Roberts' cat belongs to everyone in the Roberts family.
The rules for making possessives from singular proper nouns and the rules for making possessives from plural nouns are different.
CJ
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Hi,
Swan discusses this in his Practical English Usage (Section 261 on Genitives).
Charles is a singular name, and takes 's (although classical and other special names often don't).
eg Charles's house.
Roberts sounds like a family name, referring to several people, so just put an apostrophe.
eg
Swan discusses this in his Practical English Usage (Section 261 on Genitives).
Charles is a singular name, and takes 's (although classical and other special names often don't).
eg Charles's house.
Roberts sounds like a family name, referring to several people, so just put an apostrophe.
eg
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Quirk's CGEL says about possessives for -s words like this way:
[1] plural -s words. -s' : boys', cats', Davys', Roberts'
[2] singular -s word
1. pronounced S : -s's : Ross's [rosiz]
2. pronounced Z : -s'/-s's either forms are allowed.
: Dickens'/*Dickens's [dikinziz/*dikinz]
[1] plural -s words. -s' : boys', cats', Davys', Roberts'
[2] singular -s word
1. pronounced S : -s's : Ross's [rosiz]
2. pronounced Z : -s'/-s's either forms are allowed.
: Dickens'/*Dickens's [dikinziz/*dikinz]
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Hi:
You have probably already received other answers.
The basic answer is: because "Roberts" is plural. According to convention, Roberts's means that you are referring to one person whose name "Roberts" happens to end in "s".
Mr. Roberts's house
The Roberts' house
Mr. Roberts lives alone, whereas the second case refers to a family.
Does thi
You have probably already received other answers.
The basic answer is: because "Roberts" is plural. According to convention, Roberts's means that you are referring to one person whose name "Roberts" happens to end in "s".
Mr. Roberts's house
The Roberts' house
Mr. Roberts lives alone, whereas the second case refers to a family.
Does thi
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Hi:
You have probably already received other answers.
The basic answer is: because "Roberts" is plural. According to convention, Roberts's means that you are referring to one person whose name "Roberts" happens to end in "s".
Mr. Roberts's house
The Roberts' house
Mr. Roberts lives alone, whereas the second case refers to a family.
Does thi
You have probably already received other answers.
The basic answer is: because "Roberts" is plural. According to convention, Roberts's means that you are referring to one person whose name "Roberts" happens to end in "s".
Mr. Roberts's house
The Roberts' house
Mr. Roberts lives alone, whereas the second case refers to a family.
Does thi
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I think this is the first time I've ever disagreed with Clive.
If the family last name is Roberts. (George Roberts, Jane Roberts, daughter Judy, and their dog Astro), then the entire family are the Robertses. Mr. Roberts's house as, as described above, but the Robertses' house for the entire family. Speaking as someone whose last name is Davis, we are the Davises. The Davises' house is o
If the family last name is Roberts. (George Roberts, Jane Roberts, daughter Judy, and their dog Astro), then the entire family are the Robertses. Mr. Roberts's house as, as described above, but the Robertses' house for the entire family. Speaking as someone whose last name is Davis, we are the Davises. The Davises' house is o
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As a person who has married into the Harris family, I found your post extreamlt helpful! Thank you!
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I think I'm in love with this forum.
Singular individual now, last name Roberts.
I seem to be gathering that "Charles Roberts's house" is correct. Is "Charles Roberts' house" patently incorrect? Might this be a matter of personal preference for anyone whose last name ends with an s?
Singular individual now, last name Roberts.
I seem to be gathering that "Charles Roberts's house" is correct. Is "Charles Roberts' house" patently incorrect? Might this be a matter of personal preference for anyone whose last name ends with an s?
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Eh... this is a weird area. I'd say it's incorrect, but that's because I follow certain style guides. Since my last name is Davis, this is a matter of more than hypothetical interest to me. I would say "Barbara Davis' post on this thread" is incorrect if someone wrote it about my post. But if Charles wrote that Charles' post was worth reading, I wouldn't correct him on his own name. However, if yo
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