Possessive form (Carlos's sunglasses vs Carlos' sunglasses)

[Ralahpik]

Name: Carlos
Which one is correct?
*Carlos’s sunglasses
*Carlos’ sunglasses
Give an explanation

Gracias

[Barb_D]

You will not find agreement on this.
The simplest way I’ve heard is that if you SAY the extra S, write it. Carlos-iz = Carlos’s.

There are some exceptions for Jesus, Moses, and other ancients.

[Ralf]

@Ralahpik

*Carlos’ sunglasses

Nouns ending in ‘s’ don’t usually require a second ‘s’ when the genitive is used. Wikipedia confirms this notion

• As a particular case, Jesus’ is very commonly written instead of Jesus’s, even by people who would otherwise add ‘s in, for example, James’s or Chris’s; Jesus’ is referred to as “an accepted liturgical archaism” in Hart’s Rules.

Similar examples of notable names ending in an s that are often given a possessive apostrophe with no additional s include Dickens and Williams. There is often a policy of leaving off the additional s on any such name, but this can prove problematic when specific names are contradictory (for example, St James’ Park in Newcastle [the football ground] and the area of St. James’s Park in London). For more details on practice with geographic names, see the relevant section below.

Some people like to reflect standard spoken practice in cases like these with sake: for convenience’ sake, for goodness’ sake, for appearance’ sake, for compromise’ sake, for peace’ sake, etc. This punctuation is preferred in major style guides. Others prefer to add 's: for convenience’s sake.[12] Still others prefer to omit the apostrophe when there is an s sound before sake: for morality’s sake, but for convenience sake.[13]

Please note that the latter is less common.

[color=indigo]EDIT - Barb was faster than me, and I agree with his post.

[Yankee]

Hi Ralahpik

Click here for additional information about forming possessives.
.

[Ralahpik]

I think it’s not about “ending s”.
It’s about how many syllabes the word has.
Ross Ross’s
Carlos Carlos’
Two or more syllabes (only aphostrophe).
Correct me if I’m wrong please.

[Yankee]

Hi Ralahpik

As has been mentioned already, there is no ironclad agreement on this. Here is another point of view (highlighting added by me):

1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's.

Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,

• Charles’s friend
• Burns’s poems
• the witch’s malice

This is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.

Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus’, and such forms as for conscience’ sake, for righteousness’ sake. But such forms as Achilles’ heel, Moses’ laws, Isis’ temple are commonly replaced by

• the heel of Achilles
• the laws of Moses
• the temple of Isis

source

[Ralahpik]

Thanks Yankee and Ralf, I need to say that I find this site very useful. I’m living in California rightnow. I came here 3 years ago. But I think english is very poor. It seems as if everybody made his own rules. I think it’s the environment where I am.

[Alan]

Hi Ralahpik,

I was interested in your comment:

But I think English is very poor.

. Are you referring to your English, English in general or the English in your present environment?

Alan

[Ralahpik]

I’m talking about English spoken where I am. “Pochos” (An American whose parents were born in Mexico) are creating a new type of English, something like “Spanglish”.
I love English. I would like to learn British English.

[Yankee]

Hi Ralahpik

I assume you realize that “British English” is foreign in the USA. Do you simply mean that you want to learn the standard rules in English? Or do you literally want to learn British pronunciation, British spelling, British idioms and slang (including things that are not used in the US), etc?

Keep in mind that there is no “official” governing body for English in either the UK or in the US. The French have their L’Académie française, for example, but there is no similar institution for English. That is one reason that there is sometimes disagreement on the “rules” in English.
.

[Ralahpik]

Yes, I would like to learn British English. I don’t think that this is better than the American English, and I know that they are different. I like British accent better.
I think I would sound funny speaking, here in the U.S., with different accent and using British slang.

[Ralf]

Hi Ralahpik,

If I may give you a piece of advise - swim with the fish! It doesn’t matter which English variant you adapt as long as it is appropriate to your surroundings. If you live in America, try to pronounce things the way you hear people say them, and use expressions you hear being used.

Most of my friends here in Germany are from Britain and America, and I’ve (subconsciously, mostly) developed a habit of limiting Irish idiomaticity and pronunciation. It saves the pain of having to endure funny looks and sneaky comments

[Barb_D]

Ah, too bad. Most American women find an Irish accent to be astonishingly sexy

[Ralf]

Everything’s not lost

[Alan]

Hi,

Amy’s comment: I assume you realize that “British English” is foreign in the USA seems an odd remark to make. Not wishing to go back to the old spats about the two variations, I feel ‘foreign’ is a tad confusing.

Alan

[Torsten]

Hi Alan,

It probably depends on “your neck of the woods”. I imagine that the vast majority of Americans are rather tolerant when it comes to different accents. But then again there might be a few who only accept the variant that is spoken in their “neck of the woods”.[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, question-response: Are you the new accountant from the head office?[YSaerTTEW443543]

[Alan]

Morning Torsten,

I agree, ‘Neck of the woods’ is what it’s all about!

Alan