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Apostrophes can be super pesky to deal with, especially when it comes to plural possessives and words or names like “James” that end in “s.”[1] Is it okay to just add a single apostrophe at the end, or should you add an apostrophe and an “s” to the word? We’ve answered all your questions below so you can become an apostrophe expert.

Section 1 of 2:

Do you say James’ or James’s?

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Section 2 of 2:

Style Guide Rules for “James”

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  1. AP is the go-to style of most journalists and news outlets. So, if you’re writing about someone named James, you’d write their name as James’ when using it as a possessive.[3]
    • We reached out to James’ lawyer, but he didn’t provide any further comment.
    • James’ record was broken by Brown at the latest track meet.
  2. In high school and university classes, you’ll probably have to write a paper in MLA (Modern Language Association) or APA (American Psychological Association) format at one point or another. Both of these styles require writers to use ’s with words or names ending in s, like “James.”[4]
    • James’s research agrees that ginger can help with an upset stomach.
    • James’s findings remain inconclusive.
  3. According to Chicago style’s official website, the organization accepts both s’ and ’s with s-ending words or names like “James.” However, the organization does state that it prefers ’s over s’.[5]
    • James’s performance had a remarkable effect on the audience.
    • James’ lectures have become a critical part of modern philosophical history.
    Lynne Truss
    Lynne Truss, Punctuation Enthusiast and Bestselling Author

    When forming the possessive of singular proper names ending in 's', convention allows for either adding just an apostrophe or an apostrophe plus 's'. While some style guides prefer one over the other, both 'James' and 'James's' are technically correct.

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About This Article

Noah Taxis
Co-authored by:
English Teacher
This article was co-authored by Noah Taxis and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Noah Taxis is an English Teacher based in San Francisco, California. He has taught as a credentialed teacher for over four years: first at Mountain View High School as a 9th- and 11th-grade English Teacher, then at UISA (Ukiah Independent Study Academy) as a Middle School Independent Study Teacher. He is now a high school English teacher at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco. He received an MA in Secondary Education and Teaching from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. He also received an MA in Comparative and World Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a BA in International Literary & Visual Studies and English from Tufts University. This article has been viewed 102,177 times.
15 votes - 70%
Co-authors: 5
Updated: May 20, 2024
Views: 102,177
Categories: English Grammar
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 102,177 times.

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