Help Please! Showing possession with names

[Rachael Burnett]

I'd appreciate it if you could vote in this poll about showing possession with names.

Many thanks

Rachael

 

[Sedayne]

There's no option in the poll for 'can't decide'...

I'm sorry if it was me who kicked off the doubt about this.

New Hart's Rules suggests that Julius's is correct, but also that an apostrophe alone may be used in cases where an additional s would cause difficulty in pronunciation.

It would be easier to choose character names which don't end in s. But Julius is a great name for your leading man.

I expect other Litopians will be more decisive about this and tell you straight.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

There's no option in the poll for 'can't decide'...

I'm sorry if it was me who kicked off the doubt about this.

New Hart's Rules suggests that Julius's is correct, but also that an apostrophe alone may be used in cases where an additional s would cause difficulty in pronunciation.

It would be easier to choose character names which don't end in s. But Julius is a great name for your leading man.

View attachment 20993

It was, but in a good way. To complicate matters, two books that I've been reading, one uses a and the other b. I'm interested to see overall what people think as both are acceptable, and I don't want to change Julius's/Julius' name (sorry).

 

[Sedayne]

It was, but in a good way. To complicate matters, two books that I've been reading, one uses a and the other b. I'm interested to see overall what people think as both are acceptable, and I don't want to change Julius's/Julius' name (sorry).

No, please don't change his name. I love it.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

@Sedayne I have added the option 'I can't decide'.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

No, please don't change his name. I love it.

I'm definitely not changing his name. For a long time he was called Grayson (or Gray as Lucia called him because it always seemed werewolfish to me), but when I changed all the other names a while back, it didn't seem to go. I do have a hard time remembering all their new names (I now have a spreadsheet). In my head most of them are their original names, and I haven't even done the final name changes for some of the characters. If it ever gets published and I'm interviewed, I will sound like I didn't write the book because I will be calling them all the wrong names.

 

[Sedayne]

I'm definitely not changing his name. For a long time he was called Grayson (or Gray as Lucia called him because it always seemed werewolfish to me), but when I changed all the other names a while back, it didn't seem to go. I do have a hard time remembering all their new names (I now have a spreadsheet). In my head most of them are their original names, and I haven't even done the final name changes for some of the characters. If it ever gets published and I'm interviewed, I will sound like I didn't write the book because I will be calling them all the wrong names.

You'll soon get used to them.

(For me, Neil was originally David in Forgotten Songs... but was Neil before I started the novel formerly known as The Superior Position... and won't be changed now.
AJ was originally Natasha, Vicky was Lisa, and Mike was spelled Meic. Wendy was Carol and then Shirley before she told me what her name really was.)

 

[Rachael Burnett]

You'll soon get used to them.

(For me, Neil was originally David in Forgotten Songs... but was Neil before I started the novel formerly known as The Superior Position... and won't be changed now.
AJ was originally Natasha, Vicky was Lisa, and Mike was spelled Meic. Wendy was Carol and then Shirley before she told me what her name really was.)

Neil is perfect. The spelling of Meic made me smile, but I can see why you changed it.

 

[RK Wallis]

I think as long as you're consistent with your choice, that's the main thing

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I think as long as you're consistent with your choice, that's the main thing

Makes sense, thanks.

 

[Nikky Lee]

I think as long as you're consistent with your choice, that's the main thing

I came here to say this. Julius' and Julius's are both correct. It's a matter of which style you prefer. So pick one and make sure its consistent.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I came here to say this. Julius' and Julius's are both correct. It's a matter of which style you prefer. So pick one and make sure its consistent.

Thanks, Nikky.

 

[Jake E]

My opinion is that it is both.

In the same way that 'Grey' and 'Gray' are both correct.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

My opinion is that it is both.

In the same way that 'Grey' and 'Gray' are both correct.

Thanks, Jake. Do you have a preference though.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I came here to say this. Julius' and Julius's are both correct. It's a matter of which style you prefer. So pick one and make sure its consistent.

I meant to ask whether you have a preference?

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I think as long as you're consistent with your choice, that's the main thing

I wonder if you have a preference when you're reading?

 

[Jake E]

Thanks, Jake. Do you have a preference though.

I voted 'no preference.'

mostly because James's looks wrong to me, and James' feels like there's something missing. So, I actually don't like either lol

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

I voted for Julius's, not because Julius' is wrong, but because it's the way I would probably say it.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

I voted for Julius's, not because Julius' is wrong, but because it's the way I would probably say it.

Thanks, Hannah. It's interesting, when I use Read Aloud on Word, only 'Julius's' works in terms of the voice recognising possession.

 

[RK Wallis]

I wonder if you have a preference when you're reading?

I voted for Julius's

 

[Rachael Burnett]

Great, thanks

 

[Sedayne]

If you're looking for examples, see @mickleinapickle 's latest blog poem which mentions the Jones' boy rather than the Jones's boy. The latter would not have worked. I don't know if that's a choice for the metre of the poem or consistent use on the part of the poet.

 

[Rachael Burnett]

For those who haven’t voted yet, please take a minute to vote. Massive thanks

 

[LJ Beck]

I would have voted Julius' - but voting closed. So adding it here.

 

[mickleinapickle]

If you're looking for examples, see @mickleinapickle 's latest blog poem which mentions the Jones' boy rather than the Jones's boy. The latter would not have worked. I don't know if that's a choice for the metre of the poem or consistent use on the part of the poet.

The poet's at fault here, @Sedayne. I'd use Jones' every time... poetry or not.

 

[JoanUP]

I voted for no preference.

Related but different, what if it's a plural possessive of a name that ends in 's'.

The XXX reservations were canceled.
Where XXX is all the reservations of multiple people named "Jones"

 

[Sedayne]

Joneses is the plural, so I'd probably go for Joneses' reservation rather than Joneses's.

 

[Sedayne]

I just watched an episode of Seinfeld where Elaine struggles to say "Mrs Onassis's" to comedy effect.

 

[JoanUP]

Joneses is the plural, so I'd probably go for Joneses' reservation rather than Joneses's.

And how about the plural of Pontius, would that be Pontiuses? or Pontii?

 

[Sedayne]

And how about the plural of Pontius, would that be Pontiuses? or Pontii?

You tell me