Is "s's" correct now?

[Falcon02]

This isn't that difficult. I am 100% sure as to the correct punctuation, but no one seems to want to listen to me.

I think that's partly because we're "100% sure" as well, thus causing the argument to last on forever. Especially since the begining of the argument had people who cited resources for both sides.

Okay here is what "The New Century Handbook: Brief Edition" by Christine A. Hult and Thomas N. Huckin says on the subject........

The New Century Handbook section 42a pages 345-346


The Apostrophe

Use apostrophes with nouns to indicate possession

In it's grammatical sence, possession refers to ownership, amounts, or some other special relationship between two nouns. With singular nouns, possession is usually indicated by attaching 's to the end of the noun.

Sue Ellen's jacket
yesterday's bad weather

There are two exceptions to this rule:
1. If the rule would lead to awkward pronounciation, the extra s may be omitted: Euripides' plays, Moses' laws, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

2. In names of places, companies, and institutions, the apostrophe is often omitted: Robbers Roost, Kings County, Starbucks, Peoples Republic.

For plural nouns ending in s, form the possessive by just adding an apostrophe at the end:
the Browns' car
the Yankees' star pitcher
my parents' friends

For plural nouns not ending in s, form the possessive by adding 's:
women's rights
children's section
sheep's wool.

Later when talking about "Use apostrophes to indicate contractions and omitted letters" they cite a website at Purdue.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_apost.html

and guess what they say about the use of apostrophes with possesive nouns....

Purdue OWL

add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s):
the owner's car
James's hat

I guess this is one of those things no one in the English world can agree on......

 

[Asclepius]

True, I was just looking for something to hang a sheep joke off.

Surely living in Wales precludes you from ever making sheep jokes?

 

[Asclepius]

It doesn't matter if it is single or multiple, both cases is sheep's

Any plural that ends in a syllable not ending with an s, children, for example, still gets the full 's.

Thank you. Still, sounds odd to me...I keep expecting a Gollum like sheep's's....

 

[Scuffer]

Surely living in Wales precludes you from ever making sheep jokes?

I wasn't born here, so I can just get away with it

 

[Syterion]

Hey people, this isn't so hard. Do you say Chrises ball or Chris ball when using possessive? The former, yes? Well then it follows that "'s" is right.

It will never be right to say Ross' car. You can hear the incorrectness.

 

[cgannon64]

I thought that even when it is correct to just add the apostrophe, you pronounce it as if there was a second 's'.

 

[Syterion]

If the apostrophe means you should pronounce it like there is an '"s" there, why not just use "'s?" I don't know where the hell they teach this way, without the s. We gotsta stop this bastard english version now, lest it corrupt us.