Question for the grammar Nazis

Kevy Baby · 04-13-2007, 01:02 PM

Question:

If a company name (or any other proper name) ends in an "s" and you are speaking of something that belongs to that company, what is the proper way to say it?

If you were talking (well, writing) about the web site that belonged to XYZ Productions, would it be

XYZ Productions' web site or
XYZ Productions's web site

I know it would not be XYZ Production's, but I am having a discussion about which is proper. Any thoughts?

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 04-13-2007, 01:05 PM

I think the use of 's is possesive. Like Mark's stuff. Production can't really be possesive but can be "mulitiple" as in more than one production, thus would be Productions. I believe it would be Productions'.

IMHO

JWBear · 04-13-2007, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

I think the use of 's is possesive. Like Mark's stuff. Production can't really be possesive but can be "mulitiple" as in more than one production, thus would be Productions. I believe it would be Productions'.

IMHO

You are correct. It would be Productions'.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 04-13-2007, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JWBear

You are correct. It would be Productions'.

I knew my years as an editor would eventually pay off...

Kevy Baby · 04-13-2007, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bornieo: Fully Loaded

I think the use of 's is possesive. Like Mark's stuff. Production can't really be possesive but can be "mulitiple" as in more than one production, thus would be Productions. I believe it would be Productions'.

IMHO

But the difference that I was asking about was when the proper name ends in "s". Note that the name of the example company I gave include an "s" at the end of the name.

Any proper name can be possessive - something can belong to it.

Bornieo: Fully Loaded · 04-13-2007, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

But the difference that I was asking about was when the proper name ends in "s". Note that the name of the example company I gave include an "s" at the end of the name.

Any proper name can be possessive - something can belong to it.

Yeah, anything that ends with a proper "s" would be s' . Like "Warner Brothers". Exp: Warner Brothers' record label.

Ghoulish Delight · 04-13-2007, 01:43 PM

As Alex said, you'll find different style guides with different answers regarding proper names. On top of that, you'll see the same style guide give a different answer depending on the name (using the "Whichever sounds better" rule).

Examples:
Most guides will have "Jesus'" rather than "Jesus's".
Jones' vs. Jones's can go either way.

It goes on. When something that's singular ends with an 's', the standard rules go out the window. There's the added gray area in this particular case because the individual word the apostrophe is being applied to is plural, but the conceptual unit it's being applied to is singular.

So in the end, it's about picking one and being consistent.

Ghoulish Delight · 04-13-2007, 01:11 PM

There's no "right" answer in this case. You can't really go on the plural thing because, while the word "Productions" is plural, the entity as a whole (which is the possessive subject) is a single company. So it's one of the few instances where "Whatever sounds better" wins. Since "Productions's" would be pretty awkward to pronounce, "Productions'" is probably the better choice.

Kevy Baby · 04-13-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

There's no "right" answer in this case. You can't really go on the plural thing because, while the word "Productions" is plural, the entity as a whole (which is the possessive subject) is a single company. So it's one of the few instances where "Whatever sounds better" wins. Since "Productions's" would be pretty awkward to pronounce, "Productions'" is probably the better choice.

Yeah, the pronunciation thing is what throws me - is that a rule?

I have this recollection that the proper way to write it was Productions's, but that was many years ago.

Ghoulish Delight · 04-13-2007, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Yeah, the pronunciation thing is what throws me - is that a rule?

I have this recollection that the proper way to write it was Productions's, but that was many years ago.

It's accepted practice to fall back on pronunciation and supported by several prominent style guides.

04-13-2007, 01:02 PM	#1
Kevy Baby Chowder Head Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Yes Posts: 18,500	Question for the grammar Nazis Question: If a company name (or any other proper name) ends in an "s" and you are speaking of something that belongs to that company, what is the proper way to say it? If you were talking (well, writing) about the web site that belonged to XYZ Productions, would it be XYZ Productions' web site or XYZ Productions's web site I know it would not be XYZ Production's, but I am having a discussion about which is proper. Any thoughts? __________________ The thing about quotes on the internet is that you cannot verify their validity. - Abraham Lincoln
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04-13-2007, 01:05 PM	#2
Bornieo: Fully Loaded Lego Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Disneyland, USA Posts: 3,704	I think the use of 's is possesive. Like Mark's stuff. Production can't really be possesive but can be "mulitiple" as in more than one production, thus would be Productions. I believe it would be Productions'. IMHO
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04-13-2007, 01:43 PM	#7
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	As Alex said, you'll find different style guides with different answers regarding proper names. On top of that, you'll see the same style guide give a different answer depending on the name (using the "Whichever sounds better" rule). Examples: Most guides will have "Jesus'" rather than "Jesus's". Jones' vs. Jones's can go either way. It goes on. When something that's singular ends with an 's', the standard rules go out the window. There's the added gray area in this particular case because the individual word the apostrophe is being applied to is plural, but the conceptual unit it's being applied to is singular. So in the end, it's about picking one and being consistent. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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04-13-2007, 01:11 PM	#8
Ghoulish Delight I Floop the Pig Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Alternative Swankstyle Posts: 19,348	There's no "right" answer in this case. You can't really go on the plural thing because, while the word "Productions" is plural, the entity as a whole (which is the possessive subject) is a single company. So it's one of the few instances where "Whatever sounds better" wins. Since "Productions's" would be pretty awkward to pronounce, "Productions'" is probably the better choice. __________________ 'He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.' -TJ
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